《2025年实验班全程提优训练高中英语选择性必修第二册外研版》

Ⅱ. 阅读理解
To understand the effect of ice melting around the world, we first have to understand what an ice sheet actually is. Covering 5.4 million square miles in Antarctica (南极洲) and 656,000 square miles in Greenland, an ice sheet is actually a huge land of ice from the Ice Age. These sheets form in areas where snow that falls in winter does not melt entirely over the summer. This ice, home to different species of animals, is now melting at a rate that cannot support the life it currently holds.
Many of these creatures rely on ice sheets as land for resting, hunting and protection, yet as the size decreases, they are forced out of their homeland in search of other land on which to live. Often this means journeys to search for food and an imbalanced ecosystem happens when different species are forced together onto the coast.
Since the 1990s, the deer population has dropped by 56 percent—climate change has caused higher temperatures over winter setting off rainfall instead of snow, which freezes more quickly underfoot and makes it harder to walk and search for food. In the summer, frozen layers of land melt and release trapped diseases which bring death to animals. A similar situation has fallen on the polar bears who suffered a 40 percent population loss between 2001 and 2010.
Quite apart from these problems, the threat of sea levels rising if the ice caps were to disappear is approaching. If the Greenland Ice Sheet melted, the sea level would rise around six metres, and if the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, sea levels would rise by around 200 feet. As a matter of fact, sea levels have risen about eight inches since 1880, three of which we've gained over the last 25 years. This seemingly small amount has already caused dangerous flooding, loss of farmland and more deadly storms.
While we're still a long way from losing the ice sheets all together, we've already lost too much and if we don't take climate change seriously now, we will certainly hit the point of no return.
1. What is an ice sheet according to the passage?
A. It is an ice world for animals to live on.
B. It is a land of ice that covers all Greenland.
C. It is an area where ice never melts in summer.
D. It is a large area of ice that exists for centuries.
(D)
2. The melting of ice sheets brings about the following effects EXCEPT ____ .
A. a longer distance to search for food
B. a decrease in animal population
C. a larger amount of snowfall
D. the release of more diseases
(C)
3. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A. Sea levels are rising faster in recent years.
B. The ice cap will first disappear in Greenland.
C. All natural disasters happen due to sea level rise.
D. The Greenland Ice Sheet will be the first to disappear.
(A)
4. What could be the best title for this passage?
A. Changes of Sea Levels
B. Ice, Sea and Animals
C. Greenland and Antarctica
D. Effect of Melting Ice Sheets
(D)

答案： 1.D 细节理解题。根据第一段中的"Covering 5.4 million square miles in Antarctica (南极洲) and 656,000 square miles in Greenland, an ice sheet is actually a huge land of ice from the Ice Age."可知,冰盖就是一大片存在了几个世纪的冰地。故选D。2.C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的"Many of these creatures rely on ice sheets as land for resting, hunting and protection"和第三段前两句可知,冰盖的融化会导致动物到更远的地方去寻找食物、动物数量的减少和释放更多的疾病,并没有提到更大量的降雪。故选C。3.A 推理判断题。根据第四段中的"As a matter of fact, sea levels have risen about eight inches since 1880, three of which we've gained over the last 25 years."可推知,近年来,海平面上升得更快了。故选A。4.D 主旨大意题。根据第一段中的"To understand the effect of ice melting around the world, we first have to understand what an ice sheet actually is."以及下文对冰盖融化产生的影响的具体描述可知,文章主要介绍了冰盖融化的影响。由此可知,Effect of Melting Ice Sheets(冰盖融化的影响)适合作本文最佳标题。故选D。