The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧層) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3°C on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.

In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.

    But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3°C and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.

    The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.

    Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected —Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters."

    Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.

1. The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "__".

A. rapidly     B. approximately       C. contradictorily    D. apparently

2.What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?

A. It is causing the ice to melt faster.

B. It is making much of the continent colder.

C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.

D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.

3.What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?

A. Rising sea levels.           B. Warming sea water temperature.

C. Water pollution.            D. Growing ice sheets.

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.

B. The average temperature has increased by3°C in recent decades.

C. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.

D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.

5. The best title for the passage is ______.

A. Our planet in danger                    B. Antarctica melting away

C. Action plan to save Antarctica            D. Let's save the ozone layer

The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer(臭氧層) has until now protected Antarctic from the worst effects of global warming, but scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3℃ on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.

In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctic, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.

But now that the gases that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3℃ and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.

The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctic ice sheets, said, “The ice sheets in Antarctic are hundreds of meters thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly.” Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctic has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.

Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. “Everything is connected——Antarctic may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth’s system,” said Johnson. “It contains 90% of the world’s ice, 70% of the world’s fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters.”

Even in a worse-case situation scientists don’t expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.

1.

The underlined word “paradoxically” (in paragraph 2) most probably means “      ”.

A. rapidly         B. generally        C. contradictorily        D. apparently

2.

What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctic?

A. It is causing the ice to melt faster.

B. It is making much of the continent colder.

C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.

D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctic.

3.

 What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctic?

A. Rising sea levels.                  B. Warming sea water temperature.

C. Water pollution.                   D. Growing ice sheets.

4.

 Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Antarctic is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.

B. The average temperature has increased by 3℃ in recent decades.

C. Antarctic contains most of the world’s fresh water.

D. Ten percent of Antarctic’s ice has already been lost.

Thanks to the Party’s opening and reform policy, people in China are _____ than they were thirty years ago .

A. worse off??????? ????????????? B. much better off???? C. more better off???? ????????????? D. quite better off

1. praise  A. curtain           B. Remain          C. mountain        D. certain

2. lose     A. worse     B. loose           C. nose            D. house

3. motto  A. honour       B. tomato               C. consider         D. complete

4. thin     A  they       B. there           C. thus            D. theory

5. spare   A. fear        B. earn            C. beard          D. Pear

China's government has issued a severe weather warning after the heaviest snowfalls in decades. The country is experiencing transport delays and power cuts as millions of people prepare to make long journeys home for the Chinese New Year. This report from Quentin Summerville: China hasn't experienced weather this bad in decades. And as the country prepares for Chinese New Year, the disruption couldn't come at a worse time. Over 100,000 people are stranded(擱淺) in Guangzhou railway station in the south. It may climb to as many as 600,000 as more people arrive to make their journeys home for the Spring Festival. Travellers have been evacuated to nearby sports stadiums and exhibition centres.

Across China around nineteen airports have shut because of the weather. Around half the provinces in the country have had to start rationing power(定量供電), according to the state media. The government has suspended（暫停） coal exports in favour of home consumption. At least a dozen people died over the weekend because of heavy rains and the snowfall.

The Spring Festival is China's most important holiday when people journey home to be with their families. For millions of the country's migrant workers it's their only holiday. Some two billion journeys were made during the festival last year, making it the largest migration of people on the planet. And even without the severe weather, conditions on overcrowded trains and buses are terrible. The holiday stretches China's transport system to its very limits

Choose the best title for this passage.

A. Heavy snow hits China             

B. Chinese New Year in snow 

C. China’s terrible translation system.   

D. An accident

Which is not true according to the passage?

  A. The heavy snow is the worst disaster in decades in China. 

  B. No other cities in the world have more travellers in festivals than in China.

  C. The government doesn’t care for people’s life in disaster areas.

  D. The country’s migrant workers have more than one holidays to celebrate, according to the passage