很簡單的長文章。
Based on evidence from tree rings, pollen samples and other records, scientists have for a long time assumed that interglacials—warm interludes between ice ages—were as mild and uniform as the Holocene, the present interglacial, has been for all of its 8,000 to 10,000 years. But new research in Greenland has put this assumption into question.
Researchers on two teams, the Greenland Ice-Core Project (GRIP) and the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2), have analyzed two different cylinders of ice, each about two miles in depth, pulled up from the Greenland ice sheet. Such ice cores trap gases, bits of dust, and other chemicals that were present in the snow that fell over Greenland for thousands of years and then became compressed into ice. By studying these components, scientists have obtained a detailed archive of many aspects of climate, including air temperatures, snowfall, and concentrations of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere.
Findings from the upper sections of the cores have confirmed what scientists already knew climate during the last ice age fluctuated rapidly. But scientists were astonished by findings from the lower sections of the GRIP core, which provided a close look at an interglacial period other than our own, the Eemian interglacial, a period that lasted from 135,000 to 115,000 years ago. Data from GRIP seem to indicate that the Eemian climate swung at least as wildly as the climate of ice age periods.
Researchers’ clues to the Eemian climate come from measurements of the ratios of two slightly different types of oxygen, isotopes oxygen-16 and oxygen-18, preserved in the GRIP core. These ratios register the fluctuations of air temperatures over the seasons and years. When the air was warm, vapor containing the heavier isotope, oxygen-18, condensed and formed precipitation, in the form of snow, more readily than did vapor containing oxygen-16. Thus, snow that fell during warmer periods contains proportionally more oxygen-18 than snow deposited during cold spells. Evidence of rapid climate shifts was also drawn from other sources, such as measurements of amounts of dust and calcium ions in the ice layers during cold periods: winds were strong, causing calcium-rich dust from loess deposits, which are composed of loose surface sediment, to blow across the ice sheet. Thus, differing amounts of dust in the layers also indicate changing climatic conditions.
However, finds from the lower section of GISP 2 do not confirm those of GRIP. The wild climate swings shown by GRIP in the last interglacial are not seen in the GISP2 core. According to a GISP 2 scientist, the weight of flowing glacial ice above has stressed the lower sections of both cores. This may have deformed the lower ice, disrupting its annual layers and thereby causing the discrepancy between the records. Still, some climatologists believe GRIP’s record may be the more reliable of the two. It was drilled closer to a location called the ice divide, where stresses would have been lower, they say.
1. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. refuting certain scientific theories about Earth’s climatic history
B. outlining new findings concerning Earth’s climate during ice ages
C. discussing new research that may challenge a long-held scientific assumption about Earth’s climatic history
D. describing the climatic changes that occurred when Earth moved from an ice age into an interglacial period
E. reconciling conflicting evidence concerning climatic changes.
答案：C
2. Which of the following describes research that is most clearly analogous to the testing done by GRIP scientists?
A. Scientists studying the formation of the Sahara desert measure the rate of topsoil erosion in the region
B. Scientists seeking to determine the age of a particular fossil measure the percentage of its carbon atoms that have decayed
C. Scientists researching vision in flies measure and compare the amounts of vitamin A found in the retinas of several fly species.
D. Scientists investigating the development of life on Earth measure and compare the amount of oxygen used by various organisms along the evolutionary scale.
E. Scientists plotting the fluctuations in rainfall in the early rain forests measure the presence of certain gases trapped in tree rings of older trees.
答案：E
3. According to the passage, which of the following is the most accurate statement of what scientists believed, prior to the GRIP findings, about Earth’s climate?
A. Over the course of Earth’s history, interglacials have become progressively milder
B. Earth’s overall climate has been generally mild since the planet’s formation
C. During both interglacials and ice ages, Earth’s climate has fluctuated violently.
D. During ice ages, Earth’s climate has been highly variable, whereas during interglacials it has been mild and stable.
E. During interglacials, Earth’s climate has been highly variable, whereas during ice ages it has been uniformly cold and icy.
答案：D
4. The passage suggests that which of the following is most likely to have been true of the oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes found in the lower sections of the GRIP core?
A. There was significantly more isotope oxygen-18 than isotope oxygen-16 in the ice layers. B. There was significantly more isotope oxygen-16 than isotope oxygen-18 in the ice layers.
C. Ratios of isotopes oxygen-18 and oxygen-16 varied in the ice layers.
D. Layers containing isotope oxygen-18 placed stress on the layers containing isotope oxygen-16, possibly distorting them.
E. Isotope oxygen-16, being lighter, was located mainly in the upper layers, whereas oxygen-18 had settled into the lower layers.
答案：C
解析見下。
【第一段】Based on evidence from tree rings, pollen samples and other records, scientists have for a long time assumed that interglacials—warm interludes between ice ages—were as mild and uniform as the Holocene, the present interglacial, has been for all of its 8,000 to 10,000 years.
第1句：根據樹木年輪、花粉樣本和其他記錄的證據，科學家們長期以來認為，間冰期們——冰期之間的溫暖間隔期——和全新紀，也就是當前的間冰期，在它全部的8000到10000年之間一樣，又溫和又均衡。
句子有內涵。
【間冰期——冰期之間的溫暖間隔期】說明什麼？冰期啥意思很簡單，顧名思義，就是很冷的時期，應該就是我們平時說的冰河時代。出了冰期，自然就不冷了，所以冰期之間的間隔期是溫暖的。冰期之間的溫暖間隔期叫做間冰期——這意味著，時期只有兩類，要麼是冰期，要麼就是間冰期。
舉例子：暖色——冷色以外的顏色。這就說明，只有冷暖這兩種顏色。
Holocene全新紀，是什麼東東？the present interglacial，當前的間冰期。意思是，當前我們地球正處於間冰期之中，這個間冰期的名字叫做全新紀。
【全新紀，也就是當前的間冰期，在它全部的8000到10000年之間】——注意英文的表達方式和中文不一樣。這裡的意思是，全新紀已經持續了8千到1萬年了。
【間冰期們——冰期之間的溫暖間隔期——和全新紀，也就是當前的間冰期，在它全部的8000到10000年之間一樣，又溫和又均衡】——注意的interglacials間冰期們並沒有加定冠詞。這就說明不是特指某幾個間冰期，而是泛指全部間冰期。所有的間冰期都和我們現在正在經歷的全新紀一樣，又溫和又均衡。
溫和，好理解。就是氣候溫和，不是特別冷也不是特別熱，溫度適宜唄。
那uniform均衡/一致的，啥意思？
看句子結構。Interglacials were as mild and uniform as the Holocene.間冰期們是在和全新紀相比較。意思是，所有的間冰期的溫度不但是和全新紀一樣溫和不極端，並且和全新紀一樣均衡一致——也就是冰期的溫度都比較均衡穩定。
還要注意，這是個猜想：【科學家們長期以來認為】。長期以來的老想法，很可能被新證據推翻。
But new research in Greenland has put this assumption into question.
第2句：但是在格陵蘭島做的新研究已經把這個假設置於了疑問之中。
果然來了。新研究質疑了舊假設。
【第二段】Researchers on two teams, the Greenland Ice-Core Project (GRIP) and the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2), have analyzed two different cylinders of ice, each about two miles in depth, pulled up from the Greenland ice sheet.
第1句：格陵蘭冰芯計劃（GRIP）和格陵蘭冰原計劃2（GISP2）兩個研究小組的研究人員分析了兩個不同的冰柱，每個冰柱深度大約兩英里，從格陵蘭冰原上拔出。
採樣，兩個樣本，樣本是冰柱，通過垂直往地裡打樁，挖出來的冰芯。這說明格陵蘭冰原被冰雪覆蓋，冰雪厚度超過了兩英里。
Such ice cores trap gases, bits of dust, and other chemicals that were present in the snow that fell over Greenland for thousands of years and then became compressed into ice.
第2句：這些冰芯捕獲了數千年來，在格陵蘭降落的雪中存在，然後被壓進了冰中的氣體、灰塵和其他化學物質。
By studying these components, scientists have obtained a detailed archive of many aspects of climate, including air temperatures, snowfall, and concentrations of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere.
第3句：通過研究這些組分，科學家們已經獲得了氣候的許多方面的詳細檔案，包括氣溫，降雪以及大氣中溫室氣體的濃度。
【第三段】Findings from the upper sections of the cores have confirmed what scientists already knew climate during the last ice age fluctuated rapidly.
第1句：冰芯上部的研究結果證實了科學家已經知道的：在上一個冰河時代氣候波動很快。
我們地球現在處在間冰期，名字叫全新紀。那之前當然就在冰河時代。上一個冰河時代氣候波動很快——這件事情再一次被本次研究獲得的證據證實了。
But scientists were astonished by findings from the lower sections of the GRIP core, which provided a close look at an interglacial period other than our own, the Eemian interglacial, a period that lasted from 135,000 to 115,000 years ago.
第2句：但是，科學家們對GRIP冰芯下部的研究結果感到驚訝，它提供了一個近距離觀察與我們自己的間冰期不同的Eemian間冰期的機會，Eemian從13.5萬年前持續到11.5萬年前。
下部包含另一個間冰期Eemian的信息——那就說明樣本下部中的一些冰雪是Eemian期間下的。
Data from GRIP seem to indicate that the Eemian climate swung at least as wildly as the climate of ice age periods.
第3句：來自GRIP的數據似乎表明，Eemian氣候震盪得至少與冰河時期的氣候一樣瘋狂。
還記得老觀點嗎？老觀點說，間冰期都是溫和且穩定的。Eemian也是個間冰期，但是氣候是變動巨大的。老觀點與研究結果矛盾了。
【第四段】Researchers’ clues to the Eemian climate come from measurements of the ratios of two slightly different types of oxygen, isotopes oxygen-16 and oxygen-18, preserved in the GRIP core.
第1句：研究人員對Eemian氣候的線索來自保存在GRIP冰芯中的兩種略微不同類型的氧——即同位素氧-16和氧-18——的比率。
注意，研究結果來自什麼線索？氧-16和氧-18的【比率】。
These ratios register the fluctuations of air temperatures over the seasons and years.
第2句：這些比率記錄了季節和年份的氣溫波動。
為什麼比率能【記錄】季節和年份的氣溫波動？這意味著比率能【反應】季節和年份的氣溫波動。也就是，存在某種機制，使得季節和年份的氣溫波動會影響到比率，所以通過研究比率，就能知道季節和年份的氣溫波動。
簡單講，就是氧-16和氧-18的【比率】與【季節和年份的氣溫波動】是相關的。
When the air was warm, vapor containing the heavier isotope, oxygen-18, condensed and formed precipitation, in the form of snow, more readily than did vapor containing oxygen-16.
第3句：當空氣溫暖時，含有較重的同位素（氧-18）的蒸汽比含有氧-16的蒸汽更容易以雪的形式冷凝並形成沉澱。
接著文章解釋為什麼會相關。
Thus, snow that fell during warmer periods contains proportionally more oxygen-18 than snow deposited during cold spells.
第4句：因此，在較暖的時期下降的雪比寒冷期間的積雪含有比例更多的氧-18。
兩句話，解釋了為什麼寒冷時期，氧-18會更多，造成氧-16和氧-18的【比率】更小。換句話說，溫暖時期，氧-16和氧-18的【比率】就會更大。也就是，就是氧-16和氧-18的【比率】與【季節和年份的氣溫波動】是相關的。通過研究比率，就能知道當時的氣溫。
Evidence of rapid climate shifts was also drawn from other sources, such as measurements of amounts of dust and calcium ions in the ice layers during cold periods: winds were strong, causing calcium-rich dust from loess deposits, which are composed of loose surface sediment, to blow across the ice sheet.
第5句：快速氣候變化的證據也來自其他來源，如對寒冷期間冰層中灰塵和鈣離子含量的測量：（寒冷時期）風力很強，造成從黃土沉積物中形成的富含鈣的粉塵（這些粉塵由鬆散的表層沉積物形成）被吹過冰蓋。
除了氧-16和氧-18的【比率】，還有別的證據來反應溫度的變化。
Thus, differing amounts of dust in the layers also indicate changing climatic conditions.
第6句：因此，冰層內不同數量的塵埃也表明氣候條件變化。
塵埃也能反應溫度的變化。
【第五段】However, finds from the lower section of GISP 2 do not confirm those of GRIP.
第1句：但是，來自GISP 2的下部的發現不能證實GRIP的發現。
問題來了。本研究取了兩個樣本，上面的研究結果來自其中一個，GRIP，根據其結果，至少有一個間冰期的溫度變化是狂野的，導致老觀點被推翻。但是，還有另一個樣本，GISP，和GRIP的結果不一樣。這怎麼辦？
是否說明某個樣本，或者兩個樣本都不靠譜？
The wild climate swings shown by GRIP in the last interglacial are not seen in the GISP2 core.
第2句： GRIP在最近的間冰期所顯示的狂野氣候波動在GISP2冰芯中是看不到的。
另一個樣本，GISP，和GRIP的結果不一樣。
GISP的間冰期裡面沒波動，和老觀點一致。那我們到底相信哪個……
According to a GISP 2 scientist, the weight of flowing glacial ice above has stressed the lower sections of both cores.
第3句：據一位GISP 2科學家稱，上部的流動冰川的重量壓迫了兩個冰芯的較低部分。
冰芯太厚了，整整兩英里深，上部給了下部相當大的壓力。所以……
This may have deformed the lower ice, disrupting its annual layers and thereby causing the discrepancy between the records.
第4句：這可能會使較低的冰層變形，破壞其年層，從而導致記錄之間的差異。
所以，下部的記錄可能不準確，可能被上部壓壞了。所以兩個樣本數據對不上。
Still, some climatologists believe GRIP’s record may be the more reliable of the two.
第5句：儘管如此，一些氣候學家認為GRIP的記錄可能是兩者中更可靠的。
但是有些人覺得，相對來說，GRIP（和老觀點矛盾的那個）比GISP（和老觀點一致的那個）可靠。
為啥？
It was drilled closer to a location called the ice divide, where stresses would have been lower, they say.
第6句：他們說，它被鑽得更靠近一個被稱為冰分的地方，那裡的壓力會更低。
因為GRIP所處的地方壓力輕一些。所以GRIP收到的損害應該輕一些，所以他們認為，相比GISP，GRIP更靠譜一點。
總結一下。
文章不難。一開始文章就告訴我們，來自新研究的證據質疑了老觀點。接著，文章開始詳細解釋：如何獲得證據，證據說明了什麼。再次，因證據來自兩組樣本GISP和GRIP，它們獲得的數據有矛盾，文章解釋了這種矛盾。
1. The passage is primarily concerned with
本文主要關心的是
本文主要想幹啥？想diss一個老觀點。所以，選C。
C. discussing new research that may challenge a long-held scientific assumption about Earth’s climatic history
C.討論可能挑戰關於地球氣候歷史的長期科學假設的新研究
本文所做的事情，就是詳細討論一個可能質疑了老觀點的新研究。
看錯誤選項。
A. refuting certain scientific theories about Earth’s climatic history
A.駁斥有關地球氣候史的【某些】科學理論
干擾項。單複數錯誤。文章只diss了一個老理論，不是一些。
B. outlining new findings concerning Earth’s climate during ice ages
B.概述關於冰河期間地球氣候的新發現
不是為了概述新發現。而是通過概述新發現來diss老觀點。
並且，也不是在說冰河期的氣候，明明是在研究間冰期的氣候。
D. describing the climatic changes that occurred when Earth moved from an ice age into an interglacial period
D.描述地球從冰河時代進入間冰期時所發生的氣候變化
文章根本沒描述過過渡期的變化。
E. reconciling conflicting evidence concerning climatic changes.
E.調和有關氣候變化的矛盾證據
文章在末尾是調和了一下，但這是個小細節，不是主要目的。
2. Which of the following describes research that is most clearly analogous to the testing done by GRIP scientists?
第二題解析略去，需要解析請留言。
3. According to the passage, which of the following is the most accurate statement of what scientists believed, prior to the GRIP findings, about Earth’s climate?
根據該文，以下哪一項是對科學家在GRIP發現之前關於地球氣候所相信的東西最準確的陳述？
其實就是在問，老觀點是什麼。
老觀點在文中出現了兩次。1、開頭：【間冰期們——冰期之間的溫暖間隔期——和全新紀，也就是當前的間冰期，在它全部的8000到10000年之間一樣，又溫和又均衡】。2、第三段第一句：【在上一個冰河時代氣候波動很快】。也就是，間冰期溫和又均衡，冰河紀則至少又一個是狂野波動的。所以，結合起來，選D。
D. During ice ages, Earth’s climate has been highly variable, whereas during interglacials it has been mild and stable.
D.在冰河期間，地球的氣候變化很大，而在間冰期則溫和穩定。
看錯誤選項。
A. Over the course of Earth’s history, interglacials have become progressively milder
A.在地球歷史進程中，間冰期變得越來越溫和
【越來越】和【均衡穩定】矛盾。【均衡穩定】就意味著不變，【越來越】意味著在變化。
B. Earth’s overall climate has been generally mild since the planet’s formation
B.自地球形成以來，地球的整體氣候一般較為溫和
胡說，起碼有一個冰河紀是狂野波動的。
C. During both interglacials and ice ages, Earth’s climate has fluctuated violently.
C.在間冰期和冰期，地球氣候波動劇烈。
胡說，間冰期溫和穩定。
E. During interglacials, Earth’s climate has been highly variable, whereas during ice ages it has been uniformly cold and icy.
E.在間冰期間，地球的氣候變化很大，而在冰期時，則是均勻地寒冷和結冰。
胡說，間冰期溫和穩定。
4. The passage suggests that which of the following is most likely to have been true of the oxygen-16 and oxygen-18 isotopes found in the lower sections of the GRIP core?
本文表明，關於在GRIP核心下部找到的氧-16和氧-18同位素，以下哪一個最有可能是真的？
回到原文。氧-16和氧-18的【比率】和溫度是相關的。並且，我們已經知道了，至少有一個間冰期、一個冰河期的溫度在狂野變化。所以，冰層之中，氧-16和氧-18的【比率】也會隨著溫度變化而變化。所以，選C。
C. Ratios of isotopes oxygen-18 and oxygen-16 varied in the ice layers.
C.同位素氧-18和氧-16的比率在冰層中變化。
A. There was significantly more isotope oxygen-18 than isotope oxygen-16 in the ice layers.
A.冰層中的同位素氧-18含量明顯高於同位素氧-16。
氧-18在冷的時候多，氧-16在暖的時候多。我們只知道氣溫在不斷變化，但不知道到底冷的日子多還是暖的日子多。所以怎麼可能知道到底是氧-16多還是氧-18多呢？
B. There was significantly more isotope oxygen-16 than isotope oxygen-18 in the ice layers.
B.冰層中氧同位素16的含量顯著高於同位素氧-18。
錯誤原因和上面一樣。
D. Layers containing isotope oxygen-18 placed stress on the layers containing isotope oxygen-16, possibly distorting them.
D.含有同位素氧-18的層在含有同位素氧-16的層上施加應力，可能使它們變形。
胡說，氧-18和氧-16是混在一起的，不是分在不同層的。
Isotope oxygen-16, being lighter, was located mainly in the upper layers, whereas oxygen-18 had settled into the lower layers.
E.同位素氧-16較輕，主要位於上層，而氧-18已經位於下層。
錯誤原因和上面一樣。
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