第十五篇

The Arctic Ice is Thawing

      Father Christmas may have to move his “workshop1” from the North Pole because global warming is thawing the ice beneath his feet and his reindeers' feet as well. His “workshop” is in dire straits. The “platform” for the “workshop” is melting, said Stefan Norris of the World Wildlife Fund environmental group's Arctic Program.

      An eight-nation report by 250 scientists published recently predicted the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by 2100 because of a build-up of heat-trapping gases2 in the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuels in cars or factories. The North Pole is getting more and more inhabitable to Father Christmas. ___1___. Young people learn that Father Christmas' “workshop” produces millions of gifts delivered by him on a flying, reindeer-drawn sleigh. Hollywood movies like "The Polar Express3" tried to make viewers believe that Father Christmas lives at the North Pole. ___2___.     

     The "Fortress of Solitude" is near the North Pole that could be under threat in a warmer world5. Alan Boldt, spokesman of the Danish Ministry of Science, suggested ways to rescue Father Christmas. ___3___. Another alternative, he argued, would be building some electrical facilities to ensure the ice stays on the North Pole for him. "This should be a subject for the United Nations," he said. “Danmark could build windmills to provide Father Christmas with power." Denmark says Father Christmas’s real home is Greenland, which will help, Denmark thinks, to strengthen its position in claiming the sovereignty over the Pole. ___4___.

     "Doesn't he already speak Danish?" Boldt said frostily when asked if Father Christmas would be forced to learn Danish if Denmark won international recognition of its claim to the Pole. Last month's Arctic report said the region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe, partly because dark ground or water, once uncovered, soaks up more heat than ice or snow. Finland has been most favored by Father Christmas and it has about 500,000 tourists a year to visit its Christmas center in Rovaniemi in Lapland6. ___5___.

词汇：

thaw v. 融化，解冻

Nordic adj. 北欧的

reindeer n. 驯鹿

rink n. （溜冰） 场

dire adj. 可怕的

Danish adj. 丹麦的

build-up n. 增强，聚集

Danmark n. 丹麦

sleigh n. 雪橇

sovereignty n. 主权

Hollywood n. 好莱坞

frostily adv. 冷漠地

Greenland n. 格陵兰

注释：

1.        workshop：工场。圣诞故事说，圣诞老人每年圣诞节向全世界儿童赠送礼物。礼物数量何止千千万万。于是，人们想象，圣诞老人住在北极，在冰块上一定拥有一个制造礼物的工场。

2.       heat-trapping gases：捕捉热量的气体。 heat-trapping gases = greenhouse gases

3.    The Polar Express：极地快车（好莱坞电影名）

4.    Nordic countries：北欧国家。北欧国家包括芬兰、瑞典、挪威、丹麦、冰岛等五国。

5.    The "Fortress of Solitude" near the North Pole that could be under threat in a warmer world： "孤独要塞"靠近北极，在变暖的世界中可能处于危险之中。that 引导的定语从句修饰 Fortress of Solitude.

6.       Rovaniemi in Lapland：位于拉普兰地区的 Rovaniemi（罗瓦涅米）。 Rovaniemi 是芬兰拉普兰省首府，是一个充满北极风光的城市。市内有圣诞公园  （Christmas Park）。每年圣诞节，热闹非凡。 Rovaniemi 被称为圣诞之都。

练习：

A．    However, Nordic nations all reject it by claiming that their countries are his home.

B．    Therefore the North Pole is the most attractive place in the world.

C． If Denmark's claim were accepted internationally, it would have the legal right to search for oil and gas at the North Pole.

D． One of them would be building a giant floating ice rink for the workshop if the Pole thaws.

E． Maybe Father Christmas has already moved to Rovaniemi.

F． He may have to move from the North Pole within our children's lifetimes.

答案与题解：

1.  F　"空1" 前面两个句子讲的是,，受全球气候变暖的影响，北极的冰正在融化，估计到2100年夏天北极将成为无冰的世界。北极越来越不适合圣诞老人居住了。于是，读者或许会猜想，在这种情况下，圣诞老人该怎么办呢？选项 F 说， "He may have to move from the North Pole within our children's lifetimes"，其意思与上文配合得天衣无缝，北极住不下去了，只能移居他处。因此 F 是答案。

2.  A　"空2"前面一句说，好莱坞电影 "极地快车"想让观众相信圣诞老人的故乡在北极。下面该填什么呢？选项A说， "However, Nordic nations all reject it by claiming that their countries are his home"，北欧国家不同意这种说法，都声称自己的国家才是圣诞老人的故乡。意思和上文配得上，但意思正好相反。 所以，"空2"句子的句首用 however 与前一句接起来。A 是答案。

3.  D　"空3"前面一句说，丹麦科学部发言人提出拯救圣诞老人的几个办法。 "空3"的内容应该涉及具体的拯救办法。选项 D 符合这个要求。D 说其中一个办法是：如果北极的冰融化，就人工造个浮冰场地，上面可以承载圣诞老人的工场。从上下文意思的连接上，从 one of them （指代前一句的 ways） 的用词上，都可以确定，D 是答案。

4.  C　选项 C 的句子一开始就用 "Denmark's claim"重复"空4"前面一句的 "claiming （to the sovereignty over the Pole）"，从词汇重复上，我们可以判断，填入"空4"的句子应该是选项 C 的句子。我们再从意思上分析一下。丹麦认为，说圣诞老人的故乡是格陵兰有助于加强丹麦声称自己拥有北极的主权的地位。选项 C 说，如果丹麦的这一要求得到国际社会认可的话，它就拥有合法的权利去勘测北极的石油和天然气。上下文意思是连贯的，所以 C 是答案。

5.  E　"空5"前面一句说，" Finland has been most favored by Father Christmas and it has about 500,000 tourists a year to visit its Christmas center in Rovaniemi in Lapland".当看到 选项 E 中重复出现  Rovaniemi，就知道 "空5"的位置上应该是选项 E 的句子。圣诞老人如此眷顾 Rovaniemi，每年约有50万游客来参观 Rovaniemi 的圣诞中心。E 的句子说 "Maybe Father Christmas has already moved to Rovaniemi （说不定圣诞老人已经移居罗瓦涅米了） "，是对前一句 "眷顾"的颇有风趣的总结，也是对与"空1"的句子 "He may have to move from the North Pole within our children's lifetimes" 遥相呼应。选项 E 是本题的答案。