Big snowstorms and cold air swept across the north of China in the first week of November.Many people want to know，"If the earth is getting warmer，how can winter still be so cold？"The answer lies in the difference between local weather and climate（氣候）.
    Climate is how the atmosphere（大氣層） acts over a very long time，while weather describes what's happening in a much shorter time.Even on a day when it is colder than average（平均） in a place，the world as a whole is warmer than average.For example，parts of the United States were 1 to 9 degrees colder than average，but the world as a whole was about 0.9 degree warmer than the 1979—2000 average.
    Climate scientists think that the world could be 1--2 degrees warmer by the end of the century.But they don't think it means the end of winter.Record low temperatures will still happen，and they just become rarer over time.One 2009 study found that the United States saw as many record highs as record lows in the 1950s，but by the 2000 record highs happened more often than record lows.
    Another reason for the cold weather is the warming Arctic（北極）.It is warming almost three times as fast as any other place on earth.As the temperature increases，lots of cold Arctic air goes to the south.
    So，will this winter be much colder？A report says it is highly possible.North China may see more snow than average while south China may get less rain than average.

（1）What's the difference between climate and weather？

B

B

A．Climate has higher temperatures.
B．Climate covers a longer time.
C．Climate covers more places.
D．Climate has a greater power.
（2）Which part of a newspaper is this passage probably from？

A

A

A．Science.
B．Way of life.
C．Education.
D．World News.