一组科学家被派往南大西洋考察巨型冰山 “ A68a ”。这座面积为 3900 平方公里的庞然大物目前正在漂离英国海外领地南乔治亚的近海地区，冰山有可能在这里搁浅。

Icebergs like A68a break away from Antarctica only every few decades. And wherever they drift, they can have a major influence on their immediate environment, changing the temperature of the sea and introducing billions of tonnes of fresh water.

每隔几十年，就会有像 “A68a” 这样的冰山从南极洲脱落。不论冰山漂到哪里，都会对周围环境产生巨大的影响，改变海水温度，并引入数十亿吨淡水。

A team led by the British Antarctic Survey is going to dispatch robot vehicles under and around A68a to see how it's altering conditions in the marine food chain at South Georgia – from the plankton at the bottom, to the penguins, seals and whales at the top.

由英国南极调查局（British Antarctic Survey）带领的一支考察队将向 “A68a” 冰山的底部及其周围派出机器人车辆，观测它如何改变南乔治亚海洋食物链的状况——从食物链底端的浮游生物到顶端的企鹅、海豹和鲸鱼，都属于研究对象。

The worry is the berg could get stuck in shallows, unsettling the ecosystem for years. But scientists have also noticed that the berg is crumbling. There's every possibility it could break apart in spectacular style very soon.

令人担忧的是，这座冰山可能会陷入浅水处，一连数年扰乱生态系统。但科学家们也已经注意到，这座冰山正在冰消瓦解。它很有可能在不久后解体，景象将颇为壮观。

词汇表

icebergs 冰山
break away from 脱离，从…脱落
drift 漂流，漂移
immediate 附近的，邻近的
fresh water 淡水
dispatch 派出
food chain 食物链
plankton 浮游生物
berg 冰山，同 “iceberg”
shallows 浅水处，浅滩
unsettling 扰乱
ecosystem 生态系统

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or false? Icebergs drifting away from Antarctica have little impact on their immediate environment.

2. How often do icebergs like A68a break away from Antarctica?

3. Where is the team going to dispatch their robot vehicles?

4. What is the worry about the giant iceberg?

答案

1. True or false? Icebergs drifting away from Antarctica have little impact on their immediate environment.
False. Wherever they drift, they can have a major influence on their immediate environment.

2. How often do icebergs like A68a break away from Antarctica?
Icebergs like A68a break away from Antarctica only every few decades.

3. Where is the team going to dispatch their robot vehicles?
The team is going to dispatch their robot vehicles under and around A68a.

4. What is the worry about the giant iceberg?
The worry is the berg could get stuck in shallows, unsettling the ecosystem for years.