雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
南极洲科学研究：从探险英雄到地球系统关键
本篇也叫：南极洲研究、南极科研、南极考察、南极洲阅读、南极探险、南极洲雅思阅读
Part 2 · 考频：高频 · 最近考试：2025.12.31
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《Antarctic research》，共 13 题，2025.12.31雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讲述南极洲从20世纪初斯科特、沙克尔顿等探险家眼中的荒凉边陲，到21世纪被重新认识为地球系统关键组成部分的转变。科学揭示南极冰盖、低温与环极洋流对全球气候和海洋环流的重要影响，并涉及下降风等极端环境现象。
A
A little over a century ago, men of the ilk of Scott, Shackleton and Mawson battled against Antarctica’s blizzards, cold and deprivation. In the name of Empire and in an age of heroic deeds they created an image of Antarctica that was to last well into the 20th century – an image of remoteness, hardship, bleakness and isolation that was the province of only the most courageous of men. The image was one of a place removed from everyday reality, of a place with no apparent value to anyone.
B
As we enter the 21st century, our perception of Antarctica has changed. Although physically Antarctica is no closer and probably no warmer, and to spend time there still demands a dedication not seen in ordinary life, the continent and its surrounding ocean are increasingly seen to an integral part of Planet Earth, and a key component in the Earth System. Is this because the world seems a little smaller these days, shrunk by TV and tourism, or is it because Antarctica really does occupy a central spot on Earth’s mantle? Scientific research during the past half-century has revealed – and continues to reveal – that Antarctica’s great mass and low temperature exert a major influence on climate and ocean circulation, factors which influence the lives of millions of people all over the globe.
C
Antarctica was not always cold. The slow break-up of the super-continent Gondwana with the northward movements of Africa, South America, India and Australia eventually created enough space around Antarctica for the development of an Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds. Antarctica cooled, its vegetation perished, glaciation began and the continent took on its present-day appearance. Today the ice that overlies the bedrock is up to 4km thick, and surface temperatures as low as – 89.2deg C have been recorded. The icy blast that howls over the ice cap and out to sea – the so-called katabatic wind – can reach 300 km/hr, creating fearsome wind-chill effects.
D
Out of this extreme environment come some powerful forces that reverberate around the world. The Earth’s rotation, coupled to the generation of cells of low pressure off the Antarctic coast, would allow Astronauts a view of Antarctica that is as beautiful as it is awesome. Spinning away to the northeast, the cells grow and deepen, whipping up the Southern Ocean into the mountainous seas so respected by mariners. Recent work is showing that the temperature of the ocean may be a better predictor of rainfall in Australia than is the pressure difference between Darwin and Tahiti – the Southern Oscillation Index. By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair. CSIRO is developing this as a prototype forecasting system, but we can confidently predict that as we know more about the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean we will be able to enhance and extend our predictive ability.
E
The ocean’s surface temperature results from the interplay between deep-water temperature, air temperature and ice. Each winter between 4 and 19 million square km of sea ice form, locking up huge quantities of heat close to the continent. Only now can we start to unravel the influence of sea ice on the weather that is experienced in southern Australia. But in another way, the extent of sea ice extends its influence far beyond Antarctica. Antarctic krill – the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish – breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they do not thrive.
F
The circulatory system of the world’s oceans is like a huge conveyor belt, moving water and dissolved minerals and nutrients from one hemisphere to the other, and from the ocean’s abyssal depths to the surface. The ACC is the longest current in the world and has the largest flow. Through it, the deep flows of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans are joined to form part of single global thermohaline circulation. During winter, the howling katabatics sometimes scour the ice off patches of the sea’s surface leaving large ice-locked lagoons, or ‘polynyas’. Recent research has shown that as fresh sea ice forms, it is continuously stripped away by the wind and maybe blown up to 90km in a single day. Since only freshwater freezes into ice, the water that remains becomes increasingly salty and dense, sinking until it spills over the continental shelf. Coldwater carries more oxygen than warm water, so when it rises, well into the northern hemisphere, it reoxygenates and revitalises the ocean. The state of the northern oceans and their biological productivity owe much to what happens in the Antarctic.
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答案：D
原文定位：Recent work is showing that the temperature of the ocean may be a better predictor of rainfall in Australia than is the pressure difference between Darwin and Tahiti – the Southern Oscillation Index. By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair
同义替换：「research on weather prediction」↔「accurate predictions」，「agriculture」↔「graziers」
答案：F
原文定位：Coldwater carries more oxygen than warm water, so when it rises, well into the northern hemisphere, it reoxygenates and revitalises the ocean. The state of the northern oceans and their biological productivity owe much to what happens in the Antarctic
同义替换：「brings life back to oceans’ vitality」↔「reoxygenates and revitalises the ocean」
答案：E
原文定位：Antarctic krill – the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish – breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they do not thrive
答案：C
原文定位：The slow break-up of the super-continent Gondwana with the northward movements of Africa, South America, India and Australia eventually created enough space around Antarctica for the development of an Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds. Antarctica cooled, its vegetation perished, glaciation began and the continent took on its present-day appearance
答案：A
原文定位：The image was one of a place removed from everyday reality, of a place with no apparent value to anyone
同义替换：「forgotten and insignificant」↔「removed from everyday reality」
答案：temperature
原文定位：Antarctica’s great mass and low temperature exert a major influence on climate and ocean circulation
同义替换：「size」↔「mass」
答案：Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)
原文定位：the development of an Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds
答案：rainfall
原文定位：Recent work is showing that the temperature of the ocean may be a better predictor of rainfall in Australia than is the pressure difference between Darwin and Tahiti – the Southern Oscillation Index
答案：To show it is the heart and its significance to the global climate and current.
原文定位：Scientific research during the past half-century has revealed – and continues to reveal – that Antarctica’s great mass and low temperature exert a major influence on climate and ocean circulation, factors which influence the lives of millions of people all over the globe
同义替换：「significance」↔「major influence」，「global climate and current」↔「climate and ocean circulation」
答案：Help farmers reduce their economic or ecological losses.
原文定位：By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair
同义替换：「reduce economic or ecological losses」↔「limit their losses」，「farmers」↔「graziers」
答案：Increase salt level near the ocean surface.
原文定位：Since only freshwater freezes into ice, the water that remains becomes increasingly salty and dense, sinking until it spills over the continental shelf
答案：Salt and density decrease.
原文定位：Since only freshwater freezes into ice, the water that remains becomes increasingly salty and dense, sinking until it spills over the continental shelf
同义替换：「break of the continental shelf」↔「spills over the continental shelf」
答案：Less sea ice reduces the productivity of food source.
原文定位：Antarctic krill – the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish – breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they do not thrive
同义替换：「Less sea ice」↔「sea ice is extensive」，「reduces the productivity of food source」↔「krill are less abundant」