雅思阅读真题+题目+答案：Antarctica–in from the cold?

雅思阅读真题+题目+答案：Antarctica – in from the cold?

A

A little over a century ago, men of the ilk of Scott, Shackleton and Mawson battled against Antarctica’ s blizzards, cold and deprivation. In the name of Empire and in an age of heroic deeds they created an image of Antarctica that was to last well into the 20th century – an image of remoteness, hardship, bleakness and isolation that was the province of only the most courageous of men. The image was one of a place removed from everyday reality, of a place with no apparent value to anyone.

B

As we enter the 21st century, our perception of Antarctica has changed. Although physically Antarctica is no closer and probably no warmer, and to spend time there still demands a dedication not seen in ordinary life, the continent and its surrounding ocean are increasingly seen to an integral part of Planet Earth, and a key component in the Earth System. Is this because the world seems a little smaller these days, shrunk by TV and tourism, or is it because Antarctica really does occupy a central spot on Earth’s mantle? Scientific research during the past half century has revealed – and continues to reveal – that Antarctica’s great mass and low temperature exert a major influence on climate and ocean circulation, factors which influence the lives of millions of people all over the globe.

C

Antarctica was not always cold. The slow break-up of the super-continent Gondwana with the northward movements of Africa, South America, India and Australia eventually created enough space around Antarctica for the development of an Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds. Antarctica cooled, its vegetation perished, glaciation began and the continent took on its present-day appearance. Today the ice that overlies the bedrock is up to 4km thick，and surface temperatures as low as -89.2deg C have been recorded. The icy blast that howls over the ice cap and out to sea – the so-called katabatic wind – can reach 300 km/hr, creating fearsome wind-chill effects.

D

Out of this extreme environment come some powerful forces that reverberate around the world. The Earth9 s rotation, coupled to the generation of cells of low pressure off the Antarctic coast, would allow Astronauts a view of Antarctica that is as beautiful as it is awesome. Spinning away to the northeast, the cells grow and deepen, whipping up the Southern Ocean into the mountainous seas so respected by mariners. Recent work is showing that the temperature of the ocean may be a better predictor of rainfall in Australia than is the pressure

difference between Darwin and Tahiti – the Southern Oscillation Index. By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair. CSIRO is developing this as a prototype forecasting system, but we can confidently predict that as we know more about the Antarctic and Southern Ocean we will be able to enhance and extend our predictive ability.

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雅思阅读真题题目：

Questions 14-18

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs A-G Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

14 The effect of weather prediction on agriculture.

15 Sea ice brings life back to Antarctica.

16 Sea ice formation contributes to northern hemisphere’s vitality-

17 The explanation of antarctic climate change.

18 Antarctica was once a forgotten continent.

Questions 19-21

Please match the natural phenomenon with correct related factor Write the correct letter A-C, in boxes 19-21 on your answer sheet.

A Ice

B Wind

C Air pressure

19 Southern Oscillation Index

20 Fresh water

21 Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)

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