Growing numbers of scientists therefore see Antarctica as a distant-early-warning sensor, where potentially dangerous global trends may be spotted before they show up to the north. One promising field of investigation is glaciology. Scholars from the United States, Switzerland, and France are pursuing seven separate but related projects that reflect their concern for the health of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet a concern they believe the world at large should share.
The Transantarctic Mountain, some of them more than 14,000 feet high, divide the continent into two very different regions. The part of the continent to the east of the mountains is a high plateau covered by an ice sheet nearly two miles thick. West of the mountain, the half of the continent south of the Americas is also covered by an ice sheet, but there the ice rests on rock that is mostly well below sea level. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared, the western part of the continent would be reduced to a sparse cluster of island.
While ice and snow are obviously central to many environmental experiments, others focus on the mysterious dry valley of Antarctica, valleys that contain little ice or snow even in the depths of winter. Slashed through the mountains of southern Victoria Land, these valleys once held enormous glaciers that descended 9,000 feet from the polar plateau to the Ross Sea. Now the glaciers are gone, perhaps a casualty of the global warming trend during the 10,000 years since the ice age. Even the snow that falls in the dry valleys is blasted out by vicious winds that roars down from the polar plateau to the sea. Left bare are spectacular gorges, rippled fields of sand dunes, clusters of boulders sculptured into fantastic shapes by 100-mile-an-hour winds, and an aura of extraterrestrial desolation.
Despite the unearthly aspect of the dry valleys, some scientists believe they may carry a message of hope of the verdant parts of the earth. Some scientists believe that in some cases the dry valleys may soak up pollutants faster than pollutants enter them.
1. What is the best title for this passage?
[A] Antarctica and environmental Problems.
[B] Antarctica: Earths Early-Warning station.
[C] Antarctica: a Unique Observation Post.
[D] Antarctica: a Mysterious Place.
2. What would the result be if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared?
[A] The western part of the continent would be disappeared.
[B] The western part of the continent would be reduced.
[C] The western part of the continent would become scattered Islands.
[D] The western part of the continent would be reduced to a cluster of Islands.
3. Why are the Dry Valleys left bare?
[A] Vicious wind blasts the snow away.
[B] It rarely snows.
[C] Because of the global warming trend and fierce wind.
[D] Sand dunes.
4. Which of the following is true?
[A] The Dry Valleys have nothing left inside.
[B] The Dry Valleys never held glaciers.
[C] The Dry Valleys may carry a message of hope for the verdant.
[D] The Dry Valleys are useless to scientists.
雅思听力精听练习的步骤
剑桥雅思听力易错榜单:剑四Section 1
雅思听力数字备考全攻略
雅思听力备考阶段的三种状态
紧抓关联词可有效提高雅思听力
雅思听力听写材料与填句子题
如何攻破雅思听力的难关?
雅思听力动物题四合一新思路
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雅思听力课后听力训练的建议
雅思听力中的数字考点及难点
剑桥雅思易错榜单:剑四Section 1
雅思听力三大高频情景简析
详解雅思听力关系词的妙用
高中生备考雅思听力的关键:扬长避短
雅思听力备考的七大细节
雅思听力场景必背词汇:生存篇
如何绕开雅思听力八大失分点
透析雅思听力选择题的解题思路
如何破解雅思听力七大陷阱
攻破雅思听力需实力与技巧结合
雅思听力需重视音标学习及读音纠正
寻找突破雅思听力的高效策略
雅思听力提高方法:加强朗读增强语感
突破雅思听力的七个方法
雅思听力泛听和精听哪个更重要?
雅思听力难题解析:选择题
三个月提高雅思听力的方法
雅思听力地图题难题解析
雅思听力音标学习及常见错误读音纠正
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