The United Nations decided that 2025 is the year of glacier (冰川) protection. It set March 21, 2025, as the first World Day for Glaciers. This event encouraged people to save glaciers.
What are glaciers?
You can imagine glaciers as slowly moving ice and snow on land. Over time, the snow adds up and turns into glacier ice. Glaciers have shaped mountains over the earth's history. They are still moving and changing land in many places today.
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Glaciers are not just needed for the land. When glaciers melt, the nutrients (养料) from the water are good for life in rivers and oceans. In some places, glaciers provide water for people and animals. There are about 200 000 glaciers in the world, covering 10 per cent of the land. They also hold 70 per cent of the earth's fresh water. In areas like the Himalayas, many people need glacier water to live. This water fills big rivers, such as the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra.
Why are glaciers disappearing (消失)?
Climate change is leading to serious problems for glaciers. Many glaciers have disappeared. The atmosphere (大气层) around the earth is like the glass of a greenhouse, letting sunlight in and keeping most heat from getting out. This makes the earth warm enough for life. But when we burn wood and coal, we produce a gas called carbon dioxide. Too much of this gas pollutes the atmosphere and causes it to keep in too much heat. As the earth's temperature is increasing, glaciers melt faster.
The influence (影响) of glaciers disappearing.
If glaciers disappear, there will be less water for us to drink and farm, while floods may happen more often. It would also be bad for animals and plants. Mountains with glaciers are home to special ecosystems and a large number of animals. As temperatures rise and glaciers melt, they are not fit for these living things.
(
C
) 4. What can we know about glaciers in Paragraph 2?
A. They are made of icy ocean water.
B. They disappear completely in summer.
C. They move slowly and change the land.
D. They are mainly on high mountain tops.
(
B
) 5. Which sentence can be put in the blank "
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"?
A. When do glaciers melt?
B. Why are glaciers important?
C. How many glaciers are there in all?
D. What will happen to glaciers?
(
A
) 6. How does the atmosphere deal with sunlight according to the passage?
(
C
) 7. What will happen if glaciers disappear?
A. There will be more drinking water.
B. There will be fewer floods than before.
C. Plants and animals will be in trouble.
D. The water will be better for farming.
(
A
) 8. What is the main purpose (目的) of the text?
A. To call for action to protect glaciers.
B. To record glacier movement.
C. To introduce some facts about glaciers.
D. To show how glaciers shaped mountains.
