Today, over six billion people live on the planet. This means that there are very few places on Earth with no people. One place that has very few people is at the bottom of the Earth. In Antarctica, the icy continent surrounding the South Pole, you will not find anyone who lives there all the time.
First, Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. For example, it can be –l30℃ in the winter. Humans cannot live in this kind of environment. Because it is so cold, very few plants or animals live there. This means there are no farms and no places to find wild plants or animals to eat.
Second, Antarctica can be dangerous. Many people think that it is safe to travel to Antarctica in the summer months when it is warmer. However, Antarctica is mostly ice, so when it’s summer, the ice melts. When the ice melts, the ice can break. So, people cannot travel around Antarctica during the summer. If the ice breaks, they could fall into the water and die.
Another serious problem in Antarctica is the sun. Because Antarctica is mostly ice, there are no trees so there is no shade. Also, the ground is mostly white ice so the sun bounces off (反射) it. The light from the sky and the light from the ground can burn people’s skin and hurt their eyes. People must be very careful in this situation. For example, they must wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. They must also cover their hands and faces all the time.
Although Antarctica is a tough place to live, explorers have discovered coal in Antarctica. This leads them to believe that Antarctica at one time was a land of swam (沼泽) and forests.
【小题1】This text is mainly about _____.

A．the discovery of Antarctica

B．how people travel around Antarctica

C．different animals found in Antarctica

D．why it is difficult to live in Antarctica

【小题2】We can learn from the text that _____.

A．Antarctica is a place with no animals

B．no people can survive in Antarctica

C．Antarctica is colder than any other continent on Earth

D．the temperature in Antarctica is below zero all the time

【小题3】When is the most dangerous time to travel around Antarctica?

A．In spring.

B．In summer.

C．In autumn.

D．In winter.

Today, over six billion people live on the planet. This means that there are very few places on Earth with no people. One place that has very few people is at the bottom of the Earth. In Antarctica, the icy continent surrounding the South Pole, you will not find anyone who lives there all the time.

First, Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. For example, it can be –l30℃ in the winter. Humans cannot live in this kind of environment. Because it is so cold, very few plants or animals live there. This means there are no farms and no places to find wild plants or animals to eat.

Second, Antarctica can be dangerous. Many people think that it is safe to travel to Antarctica in the summer months when it is warmer. However, Antarctica is mostly ice, so when it’s summer, the ice melts. When the ice melts, the ice can break. So, people cannot travel around Antarctica during the summer. If the ice breaks, they could fall into the water and die.

Another serious problem in Antarctica is the sun. Because Antarctica is mostly ice, there are no trees so there is no shade. Also, the ground is mostly white ice so the sun bounces off (反射) it. The light from the sky and the light from the ground can burn people’s skin and hurt their eyes. People must be very careful in this situation. For example, they must wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. They must also cover their hands and faces all the time.

Although Antarctica is a tough place to live, explorers have discovered coal in Antarctica. This leads them to believe that Antarctica at one time was a land of swam (沼泽) and forests.

1.This text is mainly about _____.

A. the discovery of Antarctica

B. how people travel around Antarctica

C. different animals found in Antarctica

D. why it is difficult to live in Antarctica

2.We can learn from the text that _____.

A. Antarctica is a place with no animals

B. no people can survive in Antarctica

C. Antarctica is colder than any other continent on Earth

D. the temperature in Antarctica is below zero all the time

3.When is the most dangerous time to travel around Antarctica?

A. In spring. B. In summer.   C. In autumn.   D. In winter.

 

E

Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience.

Between 65,000 and 35,000 years ago, the planet was much colder than it is now. During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.

A new study from Switzerland sheds light on where ice sheets melted during the ice age.

It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern areas. This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern.

Scientists have long assumed(认为) that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere(半球) during the 30,000-year-long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land. If surrounded by sea, the ice can easily just slip to the ocean instead of building up.

The researchers used a computer model to look at the ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence(迹象) of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time.

The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would be a bigger effect on ocean currents(洋流) and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too.

The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that the ice melted equally in the North and the South.

It is still a mystery(谜) as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.

72. We can learn from the text that _____.

A.we have experienced temperature cycles since they began

B.what caused ice to melt is still unknown

C. the planet was much colder than it is now between 65,000 and 35,000 years ago, during which time temperature hardly changed

D. before the new study, scientists long believed that ice melted just in either northern or southern areas

73. The underlined phrase "sheds light on" （in Paragraph 3） can be replaced by _____.

A. throws doubts on B. beats down on C. makes it clear D. makes light of

74. The first two paragraphs were written _____.

A. to lead up to the subject that ice melted during the 30,000-year-long ice age

B. to describe what the weather was like during the ice age

C. to compare climate nowadays with that of the ice age

D. to explain what a temperature cycle is

75. Which of the following best shows the relationship between ice, ocean currents and temperatures according to the text?

A. Ice can easily slip into the ocean.

B. Temperature and currents changed as a result of ice melting.

C. Temperature changes lead to ice melting or water freezing, which in turn has an effect on ocean currents and temperature.

D. Ice melted and then froze again due to temperature.

Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years ago, the planet was much colder than it is now. During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.

A new study from Switzerland, sheds light on where ice sheets melted during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.

This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere(半球) during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land. If surrounded by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.

The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact(影响) on ocean currents(洋流) and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.

It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.

1.The North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that ________.

A. most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere

B. most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere

C. The North Pole is colder than South Pole

D. The South Pole is colder than North Pole

2.We can infer from the passage ________.

A. the ice can easily just slip into the ocean

B. volcanoes caused the ice to melt

C. melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible

D. researchers often use the computer models help their research work.

3.The scientists are not sure ________.

A. how long the ice age lasted

B. where ice sheets melted during the ice age

C. what caused the temperature changes

D. what the earth is made up of

4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. A computer model

B. Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age

C. Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere during the 30,000-year long ice age.

D. A survey result

 

            Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years, the planet was much colder than it is now .During that time the temperature also changed a lot,  with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.

            A new study from Switzerland throws light on where ice sheets（冰川）inched during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.

            This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed（假设）that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere（半球）during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land .If surrendered by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.

            The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact（影响）on ocean currents （洋流）and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.

            It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.

The North Pole is surrounded by land ,while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that       .

            A．most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere

            B．most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere

            C．The North Pole is colder than South Pole

            D．The South Pole is colder than North Pole

We can learn from the passage      .

            A．the ice can easily just slip into the ocean

            B．volcanoes caused the ice to melt

            C．melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible

            D．researchers often use the computer models to help their research work

The scientists are not sure       .

            A．how long the ice age lasted   

            B．where ice sheets melted during the ice age .

            C．what caused the temperature changes 

            D．what the earth is made up of

Which of the following is NOT right ?

            A．The researchers want to know how the melting of ice might affect sea levels by the

        computer model.

            B．Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age.

            C．Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere（半球）during the 30,000-year long

       Ice age.

            D．The temperature changes caused the ice to melt.