英语听力精选进阶版 7090

Background: 如果全球变暖导致冰海以目前的速度减少，那么依赖冰海在南极地区栖息的皇帝企鹅可能会在本世纪末濒临灭绝。研究人员们在《国家科学院学报》上发表了这项新的研究结果，是根据40年来对一个南极大陆皇帝企鹅种群的具体研究和观察经验。

The emperor penguin¹ is the iconic 具有代表性的 creature of the frozen south. Now for the first time scientists have studied in detail what the future holds 将来会是怎样 for the species 种类 in a warmer world.

They used data from a colony 群体 that's been monitored 被观察 for over 40 years, and combined that with computer models 模型 forecasting 预测 the future Antarctic climate 南极气候.

They predicted 预言 that the colony of 6,000 penguins² now could be reduced to just 800 by the end of the century. A similar population crash 数量巨减 across the continent would lead to near extinction³ 濒临灭绝 of the entire species.

The creatures rely on the sea ice to breed 繁殖 and mate 交配, and are expected to find it difficult to adapt or migrate 迁移，移栖 if ice cover decreases as predicted.

GLOSSARY⁴ 词汇表

iconic 具有代表性的

what the future holds 将来会是怎样

species 种类

colony 群体

monitored 被观察

models 模型

forecasting 预测

Antarctic climate 南极气候

predicted 预言

population crash 数量巨减

near extinction 濒临灭绝

breed 繁殖

mate 交配

migrate 迁移，移栖

Questions and Answers

1. True or false? People associate Antarctica with the emperor penguin.

True. It is an "iconic creature of the frozen south".

2. True or false? Data from the colony of penguins was combined with models of a computer.

False. "Computer models" were used – these are not the same as models of a computer 电脑型号.

3. True or false? Scientists are predicting that emperor penguins will be extinct by 2100.

False. The study indicates that the penguins could be nearly extinct by the end of this century.

4. True or false? The penguins need ice to reproduce.

True. They "rely on the ice to breed and mate".

1 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

2 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

4 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。