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 (兴盛的,繁荣的) below the ice shielding (防护,保护)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 new frontier for scientists
D.a 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 本文属于说明文阅读,作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了俄罗斯科学家通过钻冰进入沃斯托克湖为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.推理判断题.根据第一段:Scientists want to know:What lives below the ice可知俄罗斯科学家通过钻冰进入沃斯托克湖为了找到生活的一些古老的形式;故选B.
67.A.细节理解题.根据第二段: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可知俄罗斯科学家钻井的任务是不容易的;故选A.
68.D.推理判断题.根据第三段:Scientists estimate that Vostok has been closed off from the outside world for approximately 30million years可知研究人员预计会打开南极洲的三千万年的秘密;故选D.
69.C.推理判断题.根据最后一段: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可知对南极地下湖泊的研究是科学家的最前沿;故选C.
70.D.推理判断题.根据第三段:Some researchers think similar lifeforms could be thriving below the ice shielding Vostok's waters可知南极水域的湖泊下有什么生物并没有显露;故选D.
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力,做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句,和题干进行比较,再做出正确的选择.在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实,要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断.