《2025年实验班全程提优训练高中英语必修第一册外研版》

C(2025·河北石家庄第二中学月考)
新情境 Hundreds of emperor penguin chicks jumped off a 15-metre cliff(悬崖), as high as a five-story building. This scene was captured by drones in January at Atka Bay, Antarctica, and was put out recently in a documentary series called Secrets of the Penguins.
This jump seems brave but could be lethal to these young penguins.
According to National Geographic, emperor penguins usually raise their chicks on sea ice platforms. Not long after they turn 5 months old, the chicks have to begin their first swim in the ocean to hunt for themselves. Normally, they just need to jump from the sea ice, which is less than a metre high.
However, the fast-melting ice in Antarctica changes the situation. The Antarctic summer sea ice has decreased sharply since 2016, reported the BBC. In February 2023, the total area of sea ice reached a record low of 1.91 million square kilometres.
Emperors depend on sea ice for their breeding cycle; it's the stable platform they use to bring up their young. Peter Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), told the BBC. If the ice platform melts or breaks apart before they could swim, they are more likely to drown or freeze to death. For this reason emperor penguins are now choosing to raise their babies on the ice shelf, which is firmly attached to the land. Therefore, chicks must face the challenge of jumping off a high cliff.
“When the chicks get to this cliff face, they're like... ‘This does not look like a fun jump, but I guess I'm gonna have to go’,” Michelle LaRue, a scientist at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, told National Geographic.
“Alarmingly, the decline in the ice has caused thousands of emperor penguin chicks to the West Antarctica in 2022. The continuing decline of sea ice may force more emperors to make their nests on ice shelves,” said Fretwell. “It's heartbreaking to think that the whole species may be gone if climate change continues on the path that it's on at the moment,” he added.
28. What does the underlined word “lethal” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A. Deadly.
B. Pleasant.
C. Unusual.
D. Boring.（A）
29. Why do emperor penguin chicks jump off cliffs?
A. They want to travel across the ocean.
B. They are trying to escape predators.
C. They are celebrating getting their adult feathers.
D. They have no other way to enter the water to hunt.（D）
30. What factor is leading to emperor penguins raising their young on ice shelves?
A. Declining sea levels.
B. The rapid melting of sea ice.
C. More available food for the chicks.
D. Bigger size of ice shelves.（B）
31. What is the main concern Fretwell expressed regarding emperor penguins?
A. The shorter breeding cycle.
B. Their ability to hunt for themselves.
C. The potential extinction of the species.
D. Their increased dependence on sea ice.（C）

答案： 28.A 词义猜测题。根据第二段“This jump seems brave but could be lethal to these young penguins.”和最后一段中的“... The continuing decline of sea ice may force more emperors to make their nests on ice shelves,’ said Fretwell. ‘It's heartbreaking to think that the whole species may be gone if climate change continues on the path that it's on at the moment,’ he added.”可知，这次跳跃看起来很勇敢，但对这些幼小的帝企鹅来说可能是致命的，lethal意为“致命的”。A. Deadly 致命的；B. Pleasant 令人愉快的；C. Unusual 不寻常的；D. Boring 没趣的，令人厌倦的。故选A。
29.D 推理判断题。根据第三段的内容可知，小帝企鹅们跳下悬崖是因为它们没有其他办法来进入水中捕猎。故选D。
30.B 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“However, the fast-melting ice in Antarctica changes the situation.”和第五段内容可知，南极洲快速融化的冰导致帝企鹅在冰架上抚养幼崽。故选B。
31.C 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“‘It's heartbreaking to think that the whole species may be gone if climate change continues on the path that it's on at the moment,’ he added.”可知，Fretwell主要担心的是帝企鹅物种的潜在灭绝。故选C。