New discovery suggests Antarctica once had rainforest

河北乐亭第一中学 胡金莹

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Track 03

1. sediment /΄sedɪmənt/ n. 沉积物

2. marine /mə΄riːn/ adj. 海的；海产的

3. fern /fзːn/ n. 蕨类植物

4. undergo /ˌΛndə΄gəʊ/ v. 经历；经受

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听下面的文章，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。 文章读三遍。

1. How old is the forest soil in the sediment?

A. About 19 million years old.

B. About 70 million years old.

C. About 90 million years old.

2. Where was the sediment collected?

A. About 30 meters below the ocean floor.

B. About 40 meters below the ocean floor.

C. About 50 meters below the ocean floor.

3. What was the temperature during the warmest months in the South Pole?

A. 12-13 ℃. B. 20-25 ℃. C. 40 ℃.

4. How many kinds of plants was the soil linked to?

A. At least 55. B. At least 65. C. At least 85.

5. How long does the polar night last each year in Antarctica?

A. 4 months. B. 5 months. C. 6 months.

文 本 解 说

众所周知，南极终年为冰雪所覆盖。 但是新的研究表明该地区很可能曾经是一片雨林。

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Today we know Antarctica as an extreme environment containing ice and snow. But new research provides evidence that the area was very different in the past.

The evidence was found inside a piece of Earthsedimentcollected by researchers from under the seafloor off the coast of Antarctica. In the sediment, they found forest soil estimated to be about 90 million years old. This would have been in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs were the main land animals.

The sediment was removed by scientists on the research icebreaker RV Polarstern in the Amundsen Sea near the Pine Island Glacier. Johann Klages is a geologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute's Helmholtz Centre for Polar andMarineResearch in Germany. He is the lead writer of a study on the findings, published in the journal Nature. He said the sediment was collected from a depth of about 30 meters below the ocean floor. Klages said an examination showed that the material formed on land, not in the ocean.

The researchers estimate that the area—about 900 kilometers from the South Pole—had average yearly temperatures of about 12 ℃to 13 ℃. During the warmest summer months, average temperatures likely reached between 20 ℃and 25 ℃. The average yearly temperature in that area is about -40 ℃.

The examination process included the use of X-ray imaging technology. “Those results showed a dense network of roots that spread through the entire soil layer,” the Helmholtz Centre said in a statement. The condition of the soil was in such good condition that the researchers could see individual cell structures.The dark brownish-gray soil included fine dirt particles and hard clay, as well as substances linked to at least 65 different kinds of plants,the study found.

“If you would go to a forest near you and drill a hole, it would probably look pretty similar,” Klages told the Reuters News Agency. He added that the plants included trees,fernsand flowering plants. While no animal remains were found, Klages said there were likely dinosaurs,flying reptiles and many insects in the environment.

The research represents new evidence of the major climate changes Earth has experienced in the past—and is currentlyundergoingtoday. The soil dates back to the planet's warmest period of the past 140 million years,with sea levels about 170 meters higher than today. The researchers said that the rainforest environment in Antarctica was especially surprising because each year, the area experiences a four-month polar night when there is no sunlight to fuel plant life. Klages said no ice sheets were present during the time, but seasonal snowfall was likely.