The amount of heat Earth traps has roughly doubled since 2005, contributing to more rapidly warming oceans, air and land. "The

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问题   The amount of heat Earth traps has roughly doubled since 2005, contributing to more rapidly warming oceans, air and land. "The magnitude of the increase is unprecedented," said Norman Loeb, a NASA scientist and lead author of the study. "The Earth is warming faster than expected. "
  Using satellite data, researchers measured what is known as Earth’s energy imbalance—the difference between how much energy the planet absorbs from the sun, and how much it is able to shed, or radiate back out into space. When there is a positive imbalance—Earth absorbing more heat than it is losing—it is a first step toward global warming, said Stuart Evans, a climate scientist at the University at Buffalo.
  That imbalance roughly doubled between 2005 and 2019, the study found. "It is a massive amount of energy," said Gregory Johnson, an oceanographer for NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. The energy increase is equivalent to every person on Earth using 20 electric tea kettles at once.
  Oceans absorb most of that heat, about 90 percent. When researchers compared satellite data to temperature readings from a system of ocean sensors, they found a similar pattern. The agreement between the data sets surpassed expectations, Loeb said, calling it the " nail in the coffin " for the imbalance results.
  The biggest outstanding question is what is driving the acceleration. The study points to decreases in cloud cover and sea ice, which reflect solar energy back into space, and an increase in greenhouse gases emitted by humans as well as water vapor, which trap more heat in the Earth, as factors in the imbalance. But it is difficult to discern human-induced changes from cyclical variations in the climate, the researchers said.
  But, Johnson says, that doesn’t let humans off the hook. "We’re responsible for some of it, "he said. It’s just unclear how much. Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at the National Center of Atmospheric Research, said the results of the study aren’t particularly surprising given these climatic variations. But 15 years is not enough time to establish a trend, he said. That too is unclear, Johnson said. The imbalance could shrink in some years compared to others, he said, but the general trajectory appears to be upward. "The longer we observe it," he said, "the more certain we become of the trend. "
  Regardless of the magnitude or reasons for the accelerated imbalance, the fact that it is positive is crucial, said Trenberth. "The fact that it’s positive means that global heating is happening. "
The "nail in the coffin" (Line 3, Para. 4) is closest in meaning to_________.

选项 A、positive influence
B、negative influence
C、the decisive proof
D、the final outcome

答案C

解析 词义题。根据题干可定位至第四段。当研究人员将卫星数据与海洋传感器系统的温度读数进行比较时.他们发现了类似的模式。且两组数据之间达成的一致超出了预期,由此可知海洋传感器得到的数据是“压死骆驼的最后一根稻草”,进一步说明得到热量失衡结果的正确性,故选项C正确。同时可以结合字面意思理解,nail in the coffin“棺材上的钉子”,可知其是决定性的因素。
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