21. In Paragraph 1, the weather in Texas is mentioned to
- A. forecast a policy shift in Texas schools.
- B. stress the consequences of climate change.
- C. indicate the atmosphere at the board meeting.
- D. draw the public’s attention to energy shortages.
答案：C
答案句：The weather in Texas may have cooled since the recent extreme heat, but the temperature will be high at the State Board of Education meeting in Austin this month as officials debate how climate change is taught in Texas schools.
参考译文：德克萨斯州的天气在最近极端高温后可能已经降温，但本月在奥斯汀举行的州教育委员会会议上，温度将会很高，因为官员们正在辩论如何在德克萨斯州的学校教授气候变化。
定位线索：题干“In Paragraph 1, the weather in Texas is mentioned to”→答案句取自第1段“The weather in Texas may have cooled...but the temperature will be high at the State Board of Education meeting”；文中“temperature will be high”对应选项C“the atmosphere at the board meeting”（会议气氛热烈）。
解析：题干问第一段提到德克萨斯天气的目的。答案句将天气的“cooled”与会议的“temperature will be high”形成对比，暗示会议气氛紧张激烈，正确选项C是对此的概括。选项A“政策转变”、B“气候变化的后果”、D“能源短缺”均与答案句无关，属于无中生有。
22. What does Quinn think of Hardy?
- A. She exaggerates the existing panic.
- B. She denies the value of scientific work.
- C. She shows no concern for pre-teens.
- D. She expresses self-contradictory views.
答案：B
答案句：Most scientists and experts sharply dispute Hardy’s views. Board members like her “casually dismiss the career work of scholars and scientists as just another misguided opinion,” says Dan Quinn, senior communications strategist at the Texas Freedom Network, a non-profit group that monitors public education.
参考译文：大多数科学家和专家强烈反对哈迪的观点。德克萨斯自由网络（一个监督公共教育的非营利组织）的高级传播策略师丹·奎因说，像她这样的董事会成员“随意地将学者和科学家的职业工作视为另一种被误导的观点”。
定位线索：题干“What does Quinn think of Hardy?”→答案句取自第3段“Board members like her 'casually dismiss the career work of scholars and scientists as just another misguided opinion'”；文中“dismiss the career work”对应选项B“denies the value of scientific work”（否认科学工作的价值）。
解析：奎因直接批评哈迪等董事会成员“随意否定学者和科学家的职业工作”，即否认科学工作的价值，对应选项B。选项A“夸大恐慌”是哈迪自己的观点而非奎因的看法；C“不关心青少年”和D“自相矛盾”在答案句中无依据，属于无中生有。
23. The study mentioned in Paragraph 5 shows that
- A. climate education is insufficient at state public schools.
- B. policymakers have little drive for science education.
- C. Texas is reluctant to rewrite its science textbooks.
- D. environmental teaching in some states lacks supervision.
答案：A
答案句：A study last year by the National Center for Science Education, a non-profit group of scientists and teachers, looking at how state public schools across the country address climate change in science classes, gave barely half of US states a grade B+ or higher. Among the 10 worst performers were some of the most populous states, including Texas, which was given the lowest grade (F) and has a disproportionate influence because its textbooks are widely sold elsewhere.
参考译文：去年，由科学家和教师组成的非营利组织“国家科学教育中心”进行的一项研究，考察了全国公立学校如何在科学课上处理气候变化，结果仅勉强有一半的美国州获得B+或更高的分数。在表现最差的10个州中，有一些人口最多的州，包括得克萨斯州，它获得了最低分（F），并且由于其教科书在其他地方广泛销售而具有不成比例的影响。
定位线索：题干“The study mentioned in Paragraph 5 shows that”→答案句取自第5段“gave barely half of US states a grade B+ or higher”；文中“barely half...a grade B+ or higher”对应选项A“climate education is insufficient at state public schools”（气候教育不足）。
解析：研究显示仅勉强一半的州获得B+以上，且得克萨斯等人口大州得分最低，说明公立学校气候教育不足，对应选项A。选项B“政策制定者缺乏动力”、C“得州不愿改写教科书”、D“缺乏监督”均未在答案句中提及，属于无中生有。
24. According to Branch, state-level science standards in the US
- A. call for regular revision.
- B. require urgent application.
- C. have limited influence.
- D. cater to local needs.
答案：C
答案句：Glenn Branch, the centre’s deputy director, cautions that setting state-level science standards is only one limited benchmark in a country that decentralises decisions to local school boards. Even if a state is considered a high performer in its science standards, “that does not mean it will be taught”, he says.
参考译文：该中心副主任格伦·布兰奇警告说，在一个将决策权下放给地方学校董事会的国家，制定州级科学标准只是一个有限的基准。他说，即使一个州被认为在科学标准方面表现优异，“那也不意味着它会被教授”。
定位线索：题干“According to Branch, state-level science standards in the US”→答案句取自第6段“setting state-level science standards is only one limited benchmark”；文中“only one limited benchmark”对应选项C“have limited influence”（影响有限）。
解析：布兰奇明确指出州级科学标准“只是一个有限的基准”，且即使标准高也不意味着会被教授，说明其影响有限，对应选项C。选项A“需要定期修订”、B“需要紧急应用”、D“迎合地方需求”均未在答案句中体现，属于无中生有。
25. It is implied in the last paragraph that climate change teaching in some schools
- A. agrees to major public demands.
- B. reflects teachers’ personal bias.
- C. may misrepresent the energy sector.
- D. can be swayed by external forces.
答案：D
答案句：Branch points out that, even if a growing number of official guidelines and textbooks reflect scientific consensus on climate change, unofficial educational materials that convey more slanted perspectives are being distributed to teachers. They include materials sponsored by energy industry associations.
参考译文：布兰奇指出，即使越来越多的官方指南和教科书反映了关于气候变化的科学共识，但传达更偏颇观点的非官方教材正在分发给教师。这些材料包括由能源行业协会赞助的材料。
定位线索：题干“It is implied in the last paragraph that climate change teaching in some schools”→答案句取自第7段“unofficial educational materials that convey more slanted perspectives are being distributed to teachers”；文中“slanted perspectives”和“sponsored by energy industry associations”对应选项D“can be swayed by external forces”（可能受外部力量影响）。
解析：最后一段指出非官方教材（含能源行业赞助的）正被分发给教师，暗示教学可能受外部力量（如能源行业）影响，对应选项D。选项A“同意公众要求”、B“反映教师个人偏见”、C“可能歪曲能源部门”均与答案句不符，属于偷换概念或无中生有。