首页
登录
职称英语
Last December, visitors arriving in Vail, Colo., ready to kick off the winter
Last December, visitors arriving in Vail, Colo., ready to kick off the winter
游客
2023-12-31
5
管理
问题
Last December, visitors arriving in Vail, Colo., ready to kick off the winter ski season, immediately noticed something missing: the snow. The town was lush and green; only Vail Pass, at 10, 617 ft. above sea level, was dusted in the champagne powder Colorado is known for.
Climate change has had a direct and
aggressive
effect on winter tourism — and not just in Vail. In 2016-17, the first frost came two weeks later than the 20th century average, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the last one nine days earlier. The season was nearly a month shorter than expected, a trend that’s been worsening since the 1980s. NOAA’s outlook for winter 2018-19 predicts warmer, drier and milder conditions across the US.
Those working in ski towns and at resorts do not need meteorologists to tell them that; they can see the effects in their business. "Last year, we had radically less snow — our lowest snow year in 50 years, " says Auden Schendler, the Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company in Aspen, Colo. "In low-snow years, you see about a billion dollars less in revenue." Those years also cost ski regions 17, 400 jobs, according to the 2018 economic report from Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit environmental organization.
It’s not just that there’s less snow; it’s that snow patterns are so unpredictable, ski towns, resorts and businesses can’t count on conditions necessary for financial stability. To be considered "snow reliable, " a ski area must have more than 30 cm of snow depth (natural and man-made) during 100 days or during the entire Christmas through New Year’s holiday period in at least seven out of 10 years. By those standards, all of the northeastern states (except Vermont) are projected to lose at least half of their ski areas, according to a review in the journal Current Issues in Tourism. And if climate change continues apace, 90% of ski resorts in the U.S. won’t be able to open by Christmas by 2090.
European ski areas have similar problems. By 2099, the Alps could lose up to 70% of their snow cover, according to research published by the European Geosciences Union — and just two to three weeks of operating at a loss could tank a ski area’s financial season.
In North America, multi-resort ski passes like the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass can help somewhat. "People can book last-minute trips to the resort with the best snow, " says Schendler. "But obviously, last-minute bookings make it harder to plan-for marketing, for occupancy and for projected revenue." Ironically, too much snow can also impact ski resorts. If a massive storm hits, as has happened more frequently, if unpredictably, in recent years, the sudden heavy snowfall can raise the threat of avalanches, leading resorts to
shut down
runs or even keep patrons indoors.
Fluctuating snow patterns haven’t completely derailed ski tourism yet. In fact, tourism numbers have remained static for two decades, Schendler says. But scientists and industry veterans feel like they can see a dark future. "At the current rate of warming, the ski industry is probably done by midcentury, " Schendler says. "We’re not acting like we are in crisis, but we are." [br] The word "aggressive" underlined in Paragraph 2 means______.
选项
A、angry
B、bold
C、hostile
D、threatening
答案
D
解析
从文章内容来看,作者是想说明气候变化威胁到滑雪业的生存,因此选D。
转载请注明原文地址:https://www.tihaiku.com/zcyy/3320039.html
相关试题推荐
InDecember2019,aclusterofpneumoniacaseswerefound.Scientistsbelieveth
SincearrivinginNewYork,Thomashashadover15jobinterviews.Andthisiso
NewYork’sclimateisnotverysalubrious;itswintersgiveyoucolds,anditss
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinter
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinter
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinter
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinter
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinter
Healwaysrecalledthatunforgettablewinter—whilesittingbythefireinhispa
LastDecember,visitorsarrivinginVail,Colo.,readytokickoffthewinte
随机试题
太空垃圾(spacetrash)是指那些绕着地球飞行的无用处的人造物体。这些物体在太空中不断碰撞,产生更多的太空垃圾,不仅给航天事业带来了巨大隐患,而且
出版单位拥有总发行权,有批发权的发行机构承担自己所提出数量的出版物的销售,这种购
动脉粥样硬化斑块内粥样坏死物质主要是()。A.脂质 B.脓细胞 C.干酪样
以下关于锚具性能试验中,取样说法错误的是()。A.硬度检验时抽取3%且不少于6
商业银行持有的资本是否能够充分覆盖风险,取决于两方面的因素是()。A.持有资本
完成两臂侧平举动作的主要肌肉是()A.胸大肌和三角肌 B.胸大肌和背阔肌
抗原抗体结合分子间起最主要作用的作用力是A.静电引力B.范德华引力C.氢键D.疏
共用题干 OldandActiveItiswell-knowntha
简述全球化对教育的影响。
A供气公司位于N省B市C县工业园区内,有员工225人。法定代表人为甲。甲认为,公
最新回复
(
0
)