6.Antarctica's Lake Vostok has long been a mystery to scientists.Sealed(密封) off from the outside world for millions of years,Vostok is buried beneath 13 000feet of ice.The huge underground lake is the size of Lake Ontario and is located in one of Antarctica's coldest regions.Scientists want to know:What lives below the ice?
They might find out soon.After more than 10years,a team of Russian scientists have finally been able to drill through the ice into Vostok's ancient waters.Vostok lies below one of the coldest zones on Earth,and the ice here is denser than ice elsewhere on the planet.Drilling can take place each year only during Antarctica's warmest weather.This is when the ice is easier to drill,and the temperatures are not as severe for scientists living in the Vostok Research Station,which is above the lake.Numerous past attempts to reach the lake,including one last year,failed because the scientists did not finish drilling before the weather became too cold.
Scientists estimate that Vostok has been closed off from the outside world for approximately 30million years.Signs of tiny organisms called microbes (微生物)were discovered years ago in the ice above the lake.Some researchers think similar lifeforms could be thriving (興盛的,繁榮的) below the ice shielding (防護,保護)Vostok's waters.
Ancient forms of life that could remain in these waters might reveal new information about how organisms can survive in extreme environments,and about how life used to exist on Earth millions of years ago."For me,the discovery of this lake is comparable with the first flight into space,"says expedition director Valery Lukin."By technological complexity,by importance,by uniqueness."
More than 350underground lakes are frozen below Antarctica,and Lake Vostok is one of the largest.Teams of scientists are now planning to drill into similar lakes throughout Antarctica.In December(summertime in the Southern Hemisphere),an American team will be tunneling into Lake Whillans near the South Pole,and a British team will attempt to reach Lake Ellsworth in West Antarctica.
66.Russian scientists drilled through the ice into Lake VostokB.
A.to fetch some ancient water
B.to find some ancient forms of life
C.to explore natural resources
D.to measure the thickness of ice
67.It can be inferred that the task of Russian scientists drillingA.
A.was not easy
B.was a piece of cake
C.was done all through the year
D.never achieved success
68.Based on their findings what are researchers expected to do?D
A.To know the geographical features of Antarctica.
B.To solve mysteries of the ice at the South Pole.
C.To analyze the evolution history of the earth.
D.To open Antarctica's 30millionyearold secrets.
69.Research on Antarctica underground lakes like these can be consideredC.
A.the path of guiding human development
B.the result of human struggle for existence
C.a(chǎn) new frontier for scientists
D.a(chǎn) great victory against nature
70.Which of the following statements is NOT true?D
A.The floor of Antarctica is almost as irregular as the exposed land areas.
B.British and US teams are targeting Lakes Ellsworth and Whillans respectively.
C.The attempt to drill might fail during the Antarctic winter.
D.What was in the waters of Antarctica lakes has been revealed.
分析 本文屬于說明文閱讀,作者通過這篇文章主要向我們描述了俄羅斯科學(xué)家通過鉆冰進入沃斯托克湖為了找到生活的一些古老的形式,走在了科技的最前沿.
解答 66.B.推理判斷題.根據(jù)第一段:Scientists want to know:What lives below the ice可知俄羅斯科學(xué)家通過鉆冰進入沃斯托克湖為了找到生活的一些古老的形式;故選B.
67.A.細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第二段:Numerous past attempts to reach the lake,including one last year,failed because the scientists did not finish drilling before the weather became too cold可知俄羅斯科學(xué)家鉆井的任務(wù)是不容易的;故選A.
68.D.推理判斷題.根據(jù)第三段:Scientists estimate that Vostok has been closed off from the outside world for approximately 30million years可知研究人員預(yù)計會打開南極洲的三千萬年的秘密;故選D.
69.C.推理判斷題.根據(jù)最后一段:an American team will be tunneling into Lake Whillans near the South Pole,and a British team will attempt to reach Lake Ellsworth in West Antarctica可知對南極地下湖泊的研究是科學(xué)家的最前沿;故選C.
70.D.推理判斷題.根據(jù)第三段:Some researchers think similar lifeforms could be thriving below the ice shielding Vostok's waters可知南極水域的湖泊下有什么生物并沒有顯露;故選D.
點評 考察學(xué)生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力,做細節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句,和題干進行比較,再做出正確的選擇.在做推理判斷題不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實,要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷.