常春藤解析英語 87 An Icy Island Warms Up

An Icy Island Warms Up　暖化的格陵蘭冰原

by Kevin Lustig

Cold Greenland is experiencing global warming.

寒冷的格陵蘭島正歷經(jīng)全球暖化。

Greenland has always maintained a unique culture with its own language, music, and social customs. This is because explorers from Norway were the first Europeans to _(1)_ Native Americans, and they did so on the island that they later named Greenland. Since _(2)_, Greenland has been home to an interesting mixture of Europeans and natives.

Greenland is also a unique location for natural reasons; it is covered with ice all year, _(3)_ regions on the coastline. In fact, the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest area of ice on land in the world. Due to global warming, however, the ice sheet is beginning to _(4)_. Since living conditions in Greenland are made difficult by the icy countryside, it might seem that a temperature increase would be a positive thing. Is global warming really good for Greenland?

Actually, it _(5)_ whom you ask. For Greenland's native majority, life revolves around hunting. The country's Northern European immigrants, on the other hand, are farmers and businesspeople. Global warming is proving to be very positive for the _(6)_ group. The smaller ice sheet means that there is more _(7)_ for crops. Furthermore, Greenland has valuable natural resources like oil and gas that are becoming easier to access. However, warmer ocean waters and a changing landscape are causing the animals the natives hunt to become scarcer. This is harming not only the Greenlanders' diet _(8)_ their culture.

In the end, global warming's _(9)_ may prove to be more important for Greenland. With increased wealth from natural resources, Greenland might even become a self-sufficient, independent nation. Yet, Greenlanders will have to work to _(10)_ their native way of life. If they don't, global warming might make it disappear along with the ice sheet.

(A) room (B) preserve (C) melt (D) benefits (E) except for (F) latter (G) encounter (H) then (I) but also (J) depends on

原來如此

1. This is because explorers from Norway were the first Europeans to encounter Native Americans, and they did so on the island that they later named Greenland.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定詞 to，之后有名詞詞組 Native Americans(美洲原住民)，可知空格內(nèi)應(yīng)置入原形及物動詞。

b. 選項中為原形及物動詞的有 (B) preserve(保存)、(C) melt(使融化)和 (G) encounter(遇到)，但僅 encounter　置入后符合語意，表挪威的探險家是最早『遇到』美洲原住民的歐洲人，故選 (G)。

c. encounter vt. 遇到;偶遇

例: I encountered an old friend at the coffee shop.

= I bumped into an old friend at the coffee shop.

(我在咖啡店遇到一位老朋友。)

2. Since then, Greenland has been home to an interesting mixture of Europeans and natives.

理由:

a. since 作介詞時，表『自從……、自……之后』，之后接明確的時間、名詞、動名詞或 then(since then 即等于 since that time)，形成副詞詞組，修飾完成式或完成進行式的主要子句。

例: I wrote to Jane a month ago, but I haven't written her since then.

(我一個月前寫信給珍，但從那之后就沒再寫過了。)

b. 空格前有 Since，而主要子句為現(xiàn)在完成式 has been home to(一直是……的所在地)，故根據(jù)上述，可知空格應(yīng)置入 (H) then。

3. Greenland is also a unique location for natural reasons; it is covered with ice all year, except for regions on the coastline.

理由:

a. 空格前有 all(整個的)，可知空格可置入 except for(除了……以外)與其搭配使用。

except for...　　除了……以外

注意:

except for 常與表完全概念的詞類 all, every, any, no 等并用。

例: The poor man had nothing except for a dog.

(除了一只狗外，那個窮光蛋一無所有。)

b. 根據(jù)上述，可知應(yīng)選 (E)。

4. Due to global warming, however, the ice sheet is beginning to melt.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定詞 to，且其后無受詞，可知空格應(yīng)置入原形不及物動詞。

b. 選項中為原形不及物動詞的僅有 (C) melt(融化)，置入后亦符合語意，表大冰原由于全球暖化而開始『融化』，故選之。

5. Actually, it depends on whom you ask.

理由:

a. 空格前有主詞 it，后有疑問代名詞 whom 引導(dǎo)的名詞子句，可知空格內(nèi)應(yīng)置入第三人稱單數(shù)及物動詞或詞組動詞。

b. 符合上述條件的選項有 (D) benefits(有益于) 和 (J) depends on(視……而定)，惟 (J) 置入后符合語意，表這問題的答案其實要看你問什么人而定，故為正選。

c. depend on...　　視……而定

例: His decision depends on the costs involved.

(他的決定視所需的花費而定。)

6. Global warming is proving to be very positive for the latter group.

理由:

a. 空格前有定冠詞 the，后有名詞 group(團體;群)，可知空格內(nèi)應(yīng)置入形容詞。

b. 選項中為形容詞的僅剩 (F) latter(后者的)，置入后亦符合語意，表全球暖化證明對『后者』是件好事，故選之。

c. latter n. & a.(兩者間)后者(的)

例: Lily and Lucy are sisters. The former is a nurse, and the latter is a dentist.

(莉莉和露西是姐妹。前者是護士，而后者是牙醫(yī)。)

7. The smaller ice sheet means that there is more room for crops.

理由:

a. 空格前有 there is(有)和形容詞 more(比較多的)，可知空格應(yīng)置入不可數(shù)名詞。

b. 符合上述條件的選項僅有 (A) room(空間)，置入后亦符合語意，表有更多耕種作物的『空間』，故選之。

c. room n. 空間(不可數(shù))

make room for...　　為……騰出空間

例: I am trying to make room for this big table.

(我正設(shè)法騰出空間放置這張大桌子。)

8. This is harming not only the Greenlanders' diet but also their culture.

理由:

a. 空格前有 not only，可知本空格測試下列固定用法：

not only...but also...　　不僅……而且……

例: The fire destroyed not only the house where it started but also the store next door.

(那場火災(zāi)不只燒毀起火的房子，還燒掉了隔壁的店鋪。)

b. 根據(jù)上述，可知應(yīng)選 (I)。

9. In the end, global warming's benefits may prove to be more important for Greenland.

理由:

a. 空格前有所有格 global warming's(全球暖化的)，可知空格內(nèi)應(yīng)置入名詞。

b. 選項中為名詞的僅剩 (D) benefits(益處)，置入后亦符合語意，故選之。

c. benefit n. 好處，利益 & vt. 有益于

for the benefit of... 　　　為了……的利益

= for the good of...

= in the interest of...

例: The fund-raising concert was held for the benefit of the new orphanage.

(募款音樂會是為了那家新孤兒院而舉辦的。)

例: The new tax law doesn't benefit workers.

(這項新稅法對勞工并無益處。)

10. Yet, Greenlanders will have to work to preserve their native way of life.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定詞 to，后有名詞詞組 their native way of life(他們的原始生活方式)，可知空格內(nèi)應(yīng)置入原形及物動詞。

b. 選項中為原形及物動詞的僅剩 (B) preserve(保存)，置入后亦符合語意，表努力『保存』他們的原始生活方式，故選之。

c. preserve vt. 保存，維護;保護

例: We should try to preserve endangered species.

(我們應(yīng)該設(shè)法保護瀕臨絕種的動物。)

比較:

conserve vt. 保護(自然資源);節(jié)約使用(能源)

例: Countries the world over are trying to conserve energy due to oil shortages.

(由于石油短缺，世界各地的國家正設(shè)法節(jié)約能源。)

精解字詞詞組

1. warm up　　暖和起來;做暖身運動

例: You should warm up before jogging.

(慢跑前應(yīng)該先做暖身運動。)

2. be home to...　　是……的所在地∕棲息地

例: The waters off Australia are home to the feared great white shark.

(澳洲外海的水域是恐怖大白鯊的棲息地。)

3. be covered with...　　被……覆蓋

例: Jeff was covered with whipped cream after the pie-throwing contest.

(砸派比賽后，杰夫全身都是奶油。)

4. revolve vi. 以……為中心;旋轉(zhuǎn)

revolve around...　　環(huán)繞著……

例: Mary's life revolves around her children.

(瑪麗的生活以孩子為中心。)

5. on the other hand　　另一方面

注意:

on the other hand 可單獨使用，亦可與 on the one hand 并用，形成 "on (the) one hand...on the other (hand)..."(一方面……另一方面……)的用法，其中括號內(nèi)的 the 和 hand 均可省略。on the one hand 則不可單獨使用。

例: On one hand, I want to go to the beach this weekend. On the other, maybe I should go to the mountains.

(一方面，我這個周末想去海邊。另一方面說來，也許我該到山上走走才對。)

6. access vt. & n. 接近，使用

have access to...　　接觸到……;利用……

例: Students have access to the library only during the daytime.

(學(xué)生只有在白天才能使用圖書館。)

7. independent a. 獨立的，自主的

be independent of...　　從……獨立;不依賴……

例: He has been independent of his parents since he was eighteen.

(他從 18 歲起就不再依賴父母。)

8. along with...　　連同……一起

= together with...

例: The new president has decided to tax tobacco along with alcohol.

(新總統(tǒng)決定課煙酒稅。)

單字小鋪

1. mixture n. 混合

2. location n. 地點;位置

3. coastline n. 海岸線

4. ice sheet n. 大冰原，冰蓋

5. living condition　　生活條件

6. positive a. 正面的;積極的

negative a. 負面的;消極的

7. immigrant n. 移民(由外移入者)

8. businesspeople n. 商人

9. crop n. 作物

10. valuable a. 珍貴的;有價值的

11. resource n. 資源

natural resources　　自然資源

12. landscape n. 風景，景色

13. scarce a. 不足的，缺乏的

14. self-sufficient a. 自給自足的

格陵蘭一直以來都維持著自己的獨特文化，有屬于自己的語言、音樂和社會習俗。這是因為挪威的探險家是最早遇到美洲原住民的歐洲人，而他們就是在這塊他們后來命名為格陵蘭的島嶼上進行這項第一次的接觸。自那時起，格陵蘭這塊土地上便有著混合歐洲與當?shù)卦∶裎幕挠腥ぬ厣?/p>

島上的自然景觀也是格陵蘭與眾不同的原因。島上除了海岸線附近的區(qū)域外，其它地區(qū)常年被冰所覆蓋。事實上，格陵蘭的冰原是世界上第二大的陸地冰域。但由于全球暖化，導(dǎo)致冰原開始融化。既然冰天雪地的環(huán)境使得格陵蘭的生活條件欠佳，氣溫上升似乎是件好事。但全球暖化真對格陵蘭有利嗎?

這問題的答案其實要看你問什么人而定。格陵蘭多數(shù)原住民的生活主要依賴狩獵。另一方面，格陵蘭北部的歐洲移民則多為農(nóng)夫和商人。全球暖化證明對后者而言是件好事。冰原面積愈小就代表有更多耕種作物的空間。此外，格陵蘭珍貴的天然資源，像是石油和天然氣，將更容易取得。然而溫暖的海水和地貌的改變造成當?shù)卦∶襻鳙C的動物日益稀少，這不僅危及格陵蘭島民的飲食，同樣也破壞了他們的文化。

全球暖化的益處最后對格陵蘭來說或許是更加重要。隨著開采自然資源而增加的財富，格陵蘭甚至可能成為一個自給自足的獨立國家。但格陵蘭島民將必須努力保存其原始的生活方式。如果不這么做的話，全球暖化也許不只是造成冰原消失，也會使他們的原始生活方式隨之消失殆盡。

標準答案: 1. (G) 2. (H) 3. (E) 4. (C) 5. (J) 6. (F) 7. (A) 8. (I) 9. (D) 10. (B)