一項新的研究發現，格陵蘭島上的降雨越來越頻繁，同時雨水加快了冰層的融化。科學家們說他們很 “驚訝” 地發現，即使在漫長的極地冬日期間也會有降雨。

文字稿

Rain falls on the tent of scientist Jason Box. He's camped on the Greenland ice sheet. The usual pattern is that ice melts in the summer and is restored by fresh snow in the winter. But temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as the rest of the planet and Professor Box believes there’ll be more rain in future.

雨水落在了科學家杰森·博克斯的帳篷上。他在格陵蘭冰蓋上扎了營。這里正常的氣候模式是：夏季冰川融化，冬季新雪結冰，恢復原狀。但北極地區的氣溫上升速度是地球其它地區的兩倍，博克斯教授認為未來還會有更多的降雨。

A big surprise in this latest study is that rain can fall not only in summer but also in winter, when the polar night would normally mean temperatures are well below zero. The reason is that warm, moist air occasionally flows up from the Atlantic bringing rain, and this is happening more often.

在這項最新研究中，一個令人非常意外的發現是，不僅夏季有雨，冬季也下雨，而且冬季的極地夜晚意味著氣溫通常遠低于零度。因為溫暖、濕潤的空氣會偶爾從大西洋刮來，帶來雨水，而且這種現象愈加頻繁。

Although rain falling in winter will quickly refreeze, it’ll change the surface, making it darker and smoother, which means that in the following summer the ice will be likelier to melt.

雖然冬天的雨水會迅速再次結冰，但降雨會改變冰面，使其顏色更黑、質地更滑，這意味著在接下來的夏天里，冰川將更易融化。

This matters because the Greenland ice sheet is so large that if all of it melted the global sea level would rise by seven metres - around 20 feet. No one is suggesting that could happen soon. But the fear is that even a slight increase in melting could threaten coastal cities around the world.

這很重要，因為格陵蘭冰蓋十分巨大，如果它全部融化，那么全球海平面將上升七米，約 20 英尺。沒有人認為這種情況將很快到來。但令人擔憂的是，即使融化的速度稍有增加，也可能會給世界各地的沿海城市帶來威脅。

1. 詞匯

restored 被恢復
rising 上升
surprise 意外
polar night 極地夜晚
occasionally 偶爾地
refreeze 再次結冰
likelier 更有可能的
suggesting 認為，表明
threaten 威脅

2. 閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。

1. True or false? It’s the size of the Greenland ice sheet that means if it melts, sea levels could rise considerably.

2. How fast are temperatures thought to be rising in the Arctic?

3. What’s causing rain to fall in the Arctic in the winter?

4. What is the effect of changing the surface of the ice sheet?

3. 答案

1. True or false? It’s the size of the Greenland ice sheet that means if it melts, sea levels could rise considerably.
True. The Greenland ice sheet is so large that if all of it melted the global sea level would rise by seven metres.

2. How fast are temperatures thought to be rising in the Arctic?
Very fast. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as the rest of the planet.

3. What’s causing rain to fall in the Arctic in the winter?
Warm, moist air occasionally flows up from the Atlantic, bringing rain.

4. What is the effect of changing the surface of the ice sheet?
Rain falling in the Arctic in winter quickly refreezes. This changes the surface of the ice sheet, making it darker and smoother which means that in the following summer, the ice will be likelier to melt.