Level 2 Reading 10A

Ch.19

第19章

Reading 10A THE BIG THAW The Chacaltaya ski area sits upon a small mountain glacier in Bolivia. Although the area is less than a kilometer long, it once hosted international ski competitions. In the past ten years, however,the snow has melted very quickly. As the Chacaltaya glacier melts, dark rocks are uncovered. These rocks absorb more heat, causing temperatures to increase, so the remaining snow melts faster. The cycle seems unstoppable. Today, the snow is almost gone, and so are Chacaltaya's days as a popular ski resort. A Global Problem In recent years, scientists all around the world have come to a terrifying conclusion. Global warming is a real problem, and one largely caused by human activity. But as experts debate how to solve the problem, ice near the North and South Poles is melting even faster than environmentalists once feared. Ten years ago, scientists warned that the Arctic Ocean could lose all its ice in about a hundred years. Now, they think it could happen much sooner. As climate scientist Mark Serreze says, "Reality is exceeding expectations." Glacier Run The ice sheet of Greenland is also melting more quickly than scientists predicted. One of its largest glaciers, Jakobshavn Isbra, is moving toward the sea faster than expected. In fact, the glacier is moving twice as fast as it was in 1995. Rising air and sea temperatures are two well-known causes. Researchers have also discovered other unexpected processes that cause glaciers to melt faster. For instance, water from melting ice runs down cracks in the surface and gets between the ice and rock below. This makes it easier for the glacier to slide into the warmer sea water. Some researchers believe that the melting of Greenland's ice, if it continues, could add at least a meter to global sea levels by 2100. If the ice sheet of Antarctica continues to melt at its current rate, the next few centuries could see at least a two-meter rise in sea levels, forcing tens of millions of people out of their homes.

读数10A 大解冻 Chacaltaya滑雪场坐落在玻利维亚的一座小山冰川上。 虽然这个地区不到一公里长，但它曾经举办过国际滑雪比赛。 然而，在过去的十年里，雪融化得很快。 随着Chacaltaya冰川的融化，深色的岩石被暴露出来。 这些岩石吸收更多的热量，导致温度升高，因此剩余的雪融化得更快。 这个循环似乎势不可挡。 今天，雪几乎消失了，查卡尔塔亚作为一个受欢迎的滑雪胜地的日子也是如此。 一个全球性问题 近年来，世界各地的科学家得出了一个可怕的结论。 全球变暖是一个真正的问题，主要是由人类活动引起的。 但当专家们争论如何解决这个问题时， 北极和南极附近的冰层融化速度甚至比环保主义者曾经担心的还要快。 十年前，科学家警告说，北冰洋可能在大约一百年内失去所有的冰。 现在，他们认为这可能会更快发生。 正如气候科学家Mark Serreze所说，“现实超出了预期。” 冰川赛跑 格陵兰岛的冰盖融化速度也比科学家预测的要快。 其最大的冰川之一雅各布港伊斯布拉冰川正以比预期更快的速度向大海移动。 事实上，冰川的移动速度是1995年的两倍。 气温和海水温度上升是两个众所周知的原因。 研究人员还发现了导致冰川更快融化的其他意想不到的过程。 例如，来自融化的冰的水沿着表面的裂缝流下，到达下面的冰和岩石之间。 这使得冰川更容易滑入温暖的海水中。 一些研究人员认为，格陵兰岛冰川的融化， 如果它继续下去，到2100年，全球海平面可能会增加至少一米。 如果南极洲的冰盖继续以目前的速度融化， 在接下来的几个世纪里，海平面可能会上升至少两米，迫使数千万人离开家园。

Drying Out While the melting of glaciers may flood some areas of the Earth, in other places, global warming is making water disappear. Many scientists think the glaciers of the Himalayas and the Andes could disappear in this century. As a result, millions of people in India, Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Peru— who depend on water from mountain glaciers like Chacaltaya—could find themselves in a critical situation. An increasing number of heat waves and droughts worldwide also suggests global warming is having an impact on humans right now, and that it could change the face of the world in the future. How can we avoid these terrible consequences? "We all have a role to play in saving our planet," says Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, a producer of the documentary movie Before the Flood, which helped to raise awareness of the problem. DiCaprio believes that an immediate shift in people's attitude to climate change is needed. "We need to vote for leaders who understand the serious issues impacting our climate," he says. "There is no issue this important—because the future of the planet is at stake."

干燥 虽然冰川的融化可能会淹没地球的一些地区，但在其他地方，全球变暖正在使水消失。 许多科学家认为喜马拉雅山脉和安第斯山脉的冰川可能会在本世纪消失。 因此，印度、孟加拉国、玻利维亚和秘鲁的数百万人-- 依赖查卡尔塔亚等高山冰川供水的人可能会发现自己处于危急境地。 全球范围内越来越多的热浪和干旱也表明全球变暖正在对人类产生影响， 它可能会改变未来世界的面貌。 我们如何避免这些可怕的后果？ 奥斯卡获奖演员莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥说：“我们都有责任拯救我们的星球。”， 纪录片《洪水之前》的制片人，该片有助于提高人们对这一问题的认识。 迪卡普里奥认为，人们对气候变化的态度需要立即转变。 他说：“我们需要投票给那些了解影响我们气候的严重问题的领导人。”。 “没有这么重要的问题，因为地球的未来岌岌可危。”

♪