常春藤解析英语【87】An Icy Island Warms Up

An Icy Island Warms Up　暖化的格陵兰冰原

by Kevin Lustig

Cold Greenland is experiencing global warming.

寒冷的格陵兰岛正历经全球暖化。

Greenland has always maintained a unique culture with its own language, music, and social customs. This is because explorers from Norway were the first Europeans to _(1)_ Native Americans, and they did so on the island that they later named Greenland. Since _(2)_, Greenland has been home to an interesting mixture of Europeans and natives.

Greenland is also a unique location for natural reasons; it is covered with ice all year, _(3)_ regions on the coastline. In fact, the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest area of ice on land in the world. Due to global warming, however, the ice sheet is beginning to _(4)_. Since living conditions in Greenland are made difficult by the icy countryside, it might seem that a temperature increase would be a positive thing. Is global warming really good for Greenland?

Actually, it _(5)_ whom you ask. For Greenland's native majority, life revolves 2 around hunting. The country's Northern European immigrants, on the other hand, are farmers and businesspeople. Global warming is proving to be very positive for the _(6)_ group. The smaller ice sheet means that there is more _(7)_ for crops. Furthermore, Greenland has valuable natural resources like oil and gas that are becoming easier to access. However, warmer ocean waters and a changing landscape are causing the animals the natives hunt to become scarcer. This is harming not only the Greenlanders' diet _(8)_ their culture.

In the end, global warming's _(9)_ may prove to be more important for Greenland. With increased wealth from natural resources, Greenland might even become a self-sufficient, independent nation. Yet, Greenlanders will have to work to _(10)_ their native way of life. If they don't, global warming might make it disappear along with the ice sheet.

(A) room (B) preserve (C) melt (D) benefits (E) except for (F) latter (G) encounter (H) then (I) but also (J) depends on

原来如此

1. This is because explorers from Norway were the first Europeans to encounter Native Americans, and they did so on the island that they later named Greenland.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定词 to，之后有名词词组 Native Americans（美洲原住民），可知空格内应置入原形及物动词。

b. 选项中为原形及物动词的有 (B) preserve（保存）、(C) melt（使融化）和 (G) encounter（遇到），但仅 encounter　置入后符合语意，表挪威的探险家是最早『遇到』美洲原住民的欧洲人，故选 (G)。

c. encounter vt. 遇到；偶遇

例: I encountered an old friend at the coffee shop.

= I bumped into an old friend at the coffee shop.

（我在咖啡店遇到一位老朋友。）

2. Since then, Greenland has been home to an interesting mixture of Europeans and natives.

理由:

a. since 作介词时，表『自从……、自……之后』，之后接明确的时间、名词、动名词或 then（since then 即等于 since that time），形成副词词组，修饰完成式或完成进行式的主要子句。

例: I wrote to Jane a month ago, but I haven't written her since then.

（我一个月前写信给珍，但从那之后就没再写过了。）

b. 空格前有 Since，而主要子句为现在完成式 has been home to（一直是……的所在地），故根据上述，可知空格应置入 (H) then。

3. Greenland is also a unique location for natural reasons; it is covered with ice all year, except for regions on the coastline.

理由:

a. 空格前有 all（整个的），可知空格可置入 except for（除了……以外）与其搭配使用。

except for...　　除了……以外

注意:

except for 常与表完全概念的词类 all, every, any, no 等并用。

例: The poor man had nothing except for a dog.

（除了一只狗外，那个穷光蛋一无所有。）

b. 根据上述，可知应选 (E)。

4. Due to global warming, however, the ice sheet is beginning to melt.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定词 to，且其后无受词，可知空格应置入原形不及物动词。

b. 选项中为原形不及物动词的仅有 (C) melt（融化），置入后亦符合语意，表大冰原由于全球暖化而开始『融化』，故选之。

5. Actually, it depends on whom you ask.

理由:

a. 空格前有主词 it，后有疑问代名词 whom 引导的名词子句，可知空格内应置入第三人称单数及物动词或词组动词。

b. 符合上述条件的选项有 (D) benefits（有益于） 和 (J) depends on（视……而定），惟 (J) 置入后符合语意，表这问题的答案其实要看你问什么人而定，故为正选。

c. depend on...　　视……而定

例: His decision depends on the costs involved.

（他的决定视所需的花费而定。）

6. Global warming is proving to be very positive for the latter group.

理由:

a. 空格前有定冠词 the，后有名词 group（团体；群），可知空格内应置入形容词。

b. 选项中为形容词的仅剩 (F) latter（后者的），置入后亦符合语意，表全球暖化证明对『后者』是件好事，故选之。

c. latter n. & a.（两者间）后者（的）

例: Lily and Lucy are sisters. The former is a nurse, and the latter is a dentist.

（莉莉和露西是姐妹。前者是护士，而后者是牙医。）

7. The smaller ice sheet means that there is more room for crops.

理由:

a. 空格前有 there is（有）和形容词 more（比较多的），可知空格应置入不可数名词。

b. 符合上述条件的选项仅有 (A) room（空间），置入后亦符合语意，表有更多耕种作物的『空间』，故选之。

c. room n. 空间（不可数）

make room for...　　为……腾出空间

例: I am trying to make room for this big table.

（我正设法腾出空间放置这张大桌子。）

8. This is harming not only the Greenlanders' diet but also their culture.

理由:

a. 空格前有 not only，可知本空格测试下列固定用法：

not only...but also...　　不仅……而且……

例: The fire destroyed not only the house where it started but also the store next door.

（那场火灾不只烧毁起火的房子，还烧掉了隔壁的店铺。）

b. 根据上述，可知应选 (I)。

9. In the end, global warming's benefits may prove to be more important for Greenland.

理由:

a. 空格前有所有格 global warming's（全球暖化的），可知空格内应置入名词。

b. 选项中为名词的仅剩 (D) benefits（益处），置入后亦符合语意，故选之。

c. benefit n. 好处，利益 & vt. 有益于

for the benefit of... 　　　为了……的利益

= for the good of...

= in the interest of...

例: The fund-raising concert was held for the benefit of the new orphanage 3.

（募款音乐会是为了那家新孤儿院而举办的。）

例: The new tax law doesn't benefit workers.

（这项新税法对劳工并无益处。）

10. Yet, Greenlanders will have to work to preserve their native way of life.

理由:

a. 空格前有不定词 to，后有名词词组 their native way of life（他们的原始生活方式），可知空格内应置入原形及物动词。

b. 选项中为原形及物动词的仅剩 (B) preserve（保存），置入后亦符合语意，表努力『保存』他们的原始生活方式，故选之。

c. preserve vt. 保存，维护；保护

例: We should try to preserve endangered species.

（我们应该设法保护濒临绝种的动物。）

比较:

conserve 4 vt. 保护（自然资源）；节约使用（能源）

例: Countries the world over are trying to conserve energy due to oil shortages.

（由于石油短缺，世界各地的国家正设法节约能源。）

精解字词词组

1. warm up　　暖和起来；做暖身运动

例: You should warm up before jogging.

（慢跑前应该先做暖身运动。）

2. be home to...　　是……的所在地∕栖息地

例: The waters off Australia are home to the feared great white shark.

（澳洲外海的水域是恐怖大白鲨的栖息地。）

3. be covered with...　　被……覆盖

例: Jeff was covered with whipped cream after the pie-throwing contest.

（砸派比赛后，杰夫全身都是奶油。）

4. revolve 1 vi. 以……为中心；旋转

revolve around...　　环绕着……

例: Mary's life revolves around her children.

（玛丽的生活以孩子为中心。）

5. on the other hand　　另一方面

注意:

on the other hand 可单独使用，亦可与 on the one hand 并用，形成 "on (the) one hand...on the other (hand)..."（一方面……另一方面……）的用法，其中括号内的 the 和 hand 均可省略。on the one hand 则不可单独使用。

例: On one hand, I want to go to the beach this weekend. On the other, maybe I should go to the mountains.

（一方面，我这个周末想去海边。另一方面说来，也许我该到山上走走才对。）

6. access vt. & n. 接近，使用

have access to...　　接触到……；利用……

例: Students have access to the library only during the daytime.

（学生只有在白天才能使用图书馆。）

7. independent a. 独立的，自主的

be independent of...　　从……独立；不依赖……

例: He has been independent of his parents since he was eighteen.

（他从 18 岁起就不再依赖父母。）

8. along with...　　连同……一起

= together with...

例: The new president has decided 5 to tax tobacco along with alcohol.

（新总统决定课烟酒税。）

单字小铺

1. mixture n. 混合

2. location n. 地点；位置

3. coastline n. 海岸线

4. ice sheet n. 大冰原，冰盖

5. living condition　　生活条件

6. positive a. 正面的；积极的

negative a. 负面的；消极的

7. immigrant n. 移民（由外移入者）

8. businesspeople n. 商人

9. crop n. 作物

10. valuable a. 珍贵的；有价值的

11. resource n. 资源

natural resources　　自然资源

12. landscape n. 风景，景色

13. scarce a. 不足的，缺乏的

14. self-sufficient a. 自给自足的

格陵兰一直以来都维持着自己的独特文化，有属于自己的语言、音乐和社会习俗。这是因为挪威的探险家是最早遇到美洲原住民的欧洲人，而他们就是在这块他们后来命名为格陵兰的岛屿上进行这项第一次的接触。自那时起，格陵兰这块土地上便有着混合欧洲与当地原住民文化的有趣特色。

岛上的自然景观也是格陵兰与众不同的原因。岛上除了海岸线附近的区域外，其它地区常年被冰所覆盖。事实上，格陵兰的冰原是世界上第二大的陆地冰域。但由于全球暖化，导致冰原开始融化。既然冰天雪地的环境使得格陵兰的生活条件欠佳，气温上升似乎是件好事。但全球暖化真对格陵兰有利吗？

这问题的答案其实要看你问什么人而定。格陵兰多数原住民的生活主要依赖狩猎。另一方面，格陵兰北部的欧洲移民则多为农夫和商人。全球暖化证明对后者而言是件好事。冰原面积愈小就代表有更多耕种作物的空间。此外，格陵兰珍贵的天然资源，像是石油和天然气，将更容易取得。然而温暖的海水和地貌的改变造成当地原住民狩猎的动物日益稀少，这不仅危及格陵兰岛民的饮食，同样也破坏了他们的文化。

全球暖化的益处最后对格陵兰来说或许是更加重要。随着开采自然资源而增加的财富，格陵兰甚至可能成为一个自给自足的独立国家。但格陵兰岛民将必须努力保存其原始的生活方式。如果不这么做的话，全球暖化也许不只是造成冰原消失，也会使他们的原始生活方式随之消失殆尽。

标准答案: 1. (G) 2. (H) 3. (E) 4. (C) 5. (J) 6. (F) 7. (A) 8. (I) 9. (D) 10. (B)