2023届江苏高考英语阅读理解专项训练（含解析）.docxVIP

2023年-2024年 PAGE 1 2023年-2024年 阅读理解 Groups of reindeer, a species of deer, and horses could soon run across the frozen (冷冻的) ground in places as far north as Siberia. That’s because reintroducing these grazing animals (食草动物) can slow down the rate of permafrost melting (永冻土融化) and global warming. A new study conducted by Professor Christian Beer has found that if there are enough animals in the Arctic, 80% of the permafrost could be kept until at least 2100. It was inspired by an experiment carried out by a scientist named Sergey Zimov. He had believed that because of the warming climate of the Arctic region, the melting permafrost would give off greenhouse gases that had been trapped in the soil for thousands of years, and it would increase the amount of warming and start an endless cycle. 20 years ago, by the Pleistocene Park Experiment, he successfully proved that grazing animals running across the land would break up the snow and help freeze the soil. However, he failed to get his scientific papers published. But now scientists are taking his warning seriously. According to a survey, 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide were given off from melting permafrost between 2003 and 2024, which changed the Arctic from being a place that took in carbon dioxide into a place that gave off carbon dioxide. If uncontrolled, there would be a 7-degree increase in the permafrost temperature that would cause half of it to melt by 2100. Fortunately, Beer’s study shows that most of the permafrost can be kept if the place is repopulated with grazing animals. “Today, we have an average of 5 reindeer per square kilometer across the Arctic. With 15 reindeer per square kilometer, we could save 70% of the permafrost. If we were able to maintain the high animal density (密度) like in Zimov’s Pleistocene Park, would that be good enough to save permafrost under the strongest warming? Yes, it could work for 80% of the region,” said Beer. 1．Why are the grazing animals reintroduced to the Arct