阅读理解
The world's largest iceberg
is floating toward South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Scientists
fear the iceberg could crash into the island and block major feeding areas for
a large population of penguins and seals. If the iceberg hits the island, it
could prevent the penguins and seals from reaching food supplies.
The huge iceberg is named
A68a. It broke away from Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf in 2017. Satellite
images show the iceberg has remained in one piece. It is estimated to be about
150 kilometers long and 48 kilometers wide. It is traveling at one kilometer
per hour and is on a path to hit South Georgia in around 30 days.
This is the time of year
when seals and penguins spend a lot of time caring for their young. The
distance that parents have to travel to find food is crucial. That means they
have to go a lot further or go around the iceberg to find sources of food.
Ecologists say an iceberg
crash would also disturb materials settled on the seabed, possibly polluting
the surrounding seas. As the iceberg melts, it would also release large amounts
of fresh water into the ocean. This could affect krill (磷虾) populations that are a
major source of food for the island's wildlife. The iceberg could remain for up
to 10 years and change the area's whole ecosystem. These are globally
significant populations of these species. If these species fail in this
particular area, then the numbers globally are going to go down quite
dramatically.
Professor Geraint Tarling, an
ecologist at the British Antarctic Survey, said, "The breaking off of
icebergs from Antarctica is a natural process. But the process is changing with
climate change. What we're seeing with models and some observations now is that
this is happening at an increasing rate. And so, this might become more of a
usual thing in the future."
(1)
Why are the scientists worried about the coming iceberg crash?
A . It will bring extremely cold weather.
B . It will destroy the feeding areas of the animals.
C . It will put wildlife on the island at risk of starving.
D . It will prevent animals from moving to other places.
(2)
What is paragraph 2 mainly about?
A . The characteristic of the iceberg.
B . The importance of the iceberg.
C . The traveling speed of the iceberg.
D . The forming process of the iceberg.
(3)
What damage can an iceberg crash bring according to paragraph 4?
A . Using up much fresh water.
B . Polluting the surrounding farms.
C . Changing the world's ecosystem.
D . Affecting the number of certain species.
(4)
How does Tarling think of the breaking off of icebergs from Antarctica?
A . It may slow down in the near future.
B . It may become common in the future.
C . It has a great influence on the climate.
D . It helps scientists conduct a sea study.
答案: C
A
D
B