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Researchers say they know when the next ice age will come. Wikipedia says: "An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets, and alpine glaciers." The researchers are from Cardiff University in the UK. They predicted that the next ice age should arrive in 10,000 years from now. However, the scientists believe it could be delayed because of human activity. A member of the research team said climate change could delay the next ice age. She said global warming could make it "very unlikely" that the next freeze will arrive on time.
The scientists said melting glaciers in the North and South Poles will push back the next ice age. Lead researcher Professor Stephen Barker studied what caused past ice ages to happen. His team looked at nearly one million years of climate data. They found that there was a relationship between changes in the Earth's axis, global temperatures, and the size of Antarctica and the Arctic. When the amount of ice on the continental ice sheets was stable, ice ages happened at regular intervals. However, Professor Barker said less ice means a longer gap between ice ages. He added: "Earth's climate is an interconnected system of complex processes, all acting together to produce the changes we observe."
Researchers are unsure when the next ice age will be. T / F
In an ice age, polar ice sheets decrease in size. T / F
Human activity could mean the next ice age is delayed. T / F
A researcher said an ice age could delay global warming. T / F
Melting glaciers in the North Pole will delay the next ice age. T / F
Scientists looked at a billion years of climate data. T / F
The amount of ice in the world affects the Earth's axis. T / F
More ice on Earth means longer gaps between ice ages. T / F
| 英语表达 | 中文释义 | 科学拓展 |
|---|---|---|
| ice age | 冰河时期 | 大冰期 vs 间冰期 (interglacial period) |
| continental ice sheets | 大陆冰盖 | 如南极洲冰盖覆盖面积≈1.4×中国国土 |
| Earth's axis | 地轴 | 地轴倾斜度变化引发米兰科维奇周期 |
| interconnected system | 互联系统 | 蝴蝶效应（Butterfly effect）的另一种表达 |
1. "push back" 推迟
• 原句: Melting glaciers will push back the next ice age.
• 类比: Flight delays push back our travel plans.（航班延误打乱行程）
2. "stable" 稳定的 (adj.) → "stability" (n.)
• 原句: Ice sheets were stable before human intervention.
• 延伸: Maintain emotional stability during exams（考试保持情绪稳定）
3. "at regular intervals" 定期
• 原句: Ice ages occurred at regular intervals.
• 生活应用: Take medicine at 8-hour intervals（每8小时服药）
1. 被动语态 (科学报道高频)
• 原句: Changes are caused by the Earth's axis movement.
• 仿写: Plastic waste is accelerated by human activities.（塑料污染被人为加剧）
2. 宾语从句
• 原句: Scientists found that ice loss affects climate cycles.
• 仿写: Research shows that sleep quality impacts memory consolidation.（睡眠质量影响记忆巩固）
现在完成时表持续影响
• 原句: Global warming has melted polar ice.
• 结构: have/has + 过去分词
• 造句: Humans have altered 75% of Earth's land surface.（人类改变了75%陆地表面）
任务1: 用以下词汇编新闻标题
(ice age delay, human activity, Arctic melting)
参考答案: "Human Activity in Arctic Melting May Delay Next Ice Age, Study Finds"
任务2: 将中文转化为科学英语
"地轴倾斜导致日照量变化，引发冰期循环"
参考译文: "The tilt of Earth's axis triggers ice age cycles by altering solar radiation distribution."
