Question

【题目】Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice.

Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier.

Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.

The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica’s ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice.

The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.

Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science.

【1】 What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking

B. the coldest place on earth

C. the major Antarctica’s ice shelves

D. the Atlantic Ocean are changing

【2】How did Eric Rignot and his team do the research?

A. He serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

B. Small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.

C. They used satellite observations, radar and computer models to know the things happening below the ice.

D. They melted 55% of the Antarctica’s ice to prove their theory is right.

【3】Which is true of the following statements?

A. Ice melting from below is responsible for 35 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008.

B. Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is contained in the huge Antarctic ice sheet.

C. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne, which make up one-third of Antarctica’s ice shelves.

D. Summer ice loss in Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】B

【解析】

试题分析：这是一篇说明文，讲的是科学家们对南极洲的新的发现，包括南极洲的冰正在减少，海洋的漂流由风控制等，这些新的发现会帮助专家预测温暖海水如何影响南极洲，如何造成全世界海平面上升的。

【1】A主旨大意题。根据第一段第一、二两句话“Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking.”意思是科学家们正在研究南极洲的新事物，地球上最冷的地方。比如，南极洲的冰正在减少。所以整篇文章主要讲的是南极洲的冰正在减少，A选项符合题意。故选A。

【2】C推理判断题。根据第三段“Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.” Rignot和他的团队用卫星探测器，雷达和计算机模型来测量冰上面的特征，以此来了解冰下面发生的情况，C选项完全符合题意。故选C。

【3】B推理判断题。根据最后一段第一句话“Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet”可以知道地球上60%的水在庞大的南极洲冰面上，B选项符合题意。故选B。