Question

Elephant seals in funny-looking hats are helping NASA study climate science.

Equipped with specialized sensors that resemble tiny metal hats with antennae(大线），these seals are collecting data that's helping researchers track how heat moves through ocean currents. A team of climate scientists led by Lia Siegelman used this clever technique to track changes in temperature as the seal swam the icy waters of the Antarctic.

With the help of one particularly female seal,the researchers discovered that heat stored at the ocean's depths can sometimes get swirled(打旋）back up to the surface thanks to some deeply penetrating(穿透）currents.While researchers have known that these currents can ferry heat downward into the ocean's interior(内部），the new findings suggest the opposite is true as well-driving a process that can warm the sea's surface as well.

Siegelman thinks it's important to include this new information into existing climate models.Before seals entered the picture,scientists had a pretty limited view of what went on beneath the surface of the Southern Ocean.Here,temperatures can suddenly fall below－1℃,and thick sheets of sea ice block instruments from collecting data.All in all,it's a pretty unappealing area for underwater field work.

But none of that troubles southern elephant seals,which spend nine to ten months of each year at sea,swimming thousands of miles and diving up to half a mile beneath the ocean surface-usually about 80 times a day.

So Siegelman and her colleagues tagged a female elephant seal on the Kerguelen Islands.The researchers followed her 3,000-mile journey,during which she dived 6,333 times."Even when they sleep,they dive,"Siegelman said.“They float down like a leaf."

Combined with satellite images,the wealth of data the seal recovered gave Siegelman and her team a clearer picture than they'd ever been afforded before.It's probably safe to say that the significance of this was lost on the seal.But from the human perspective(观点），it's clear seals are filling in some massive gaps in knowledge.

1.How did the researchers collect climate data in the Antarctic?

A.By testing a high-tech hat.

B.By studying a seal's behavior.

C.By measuring the water temperature.

D.By attaching a sensor to a seal's head.

2.The new findings indicate that_

A.ocean currents can drive heat up to the surface

B.heat can be taken down into the ocean's interior

C.the warm temperatures can help seals dive deep

D.the world's waters can balance global warming

3.The researchers used seals to monitor the Southern Ocean probably because.

A.the scenery is unattractive

B.the sea floor is changeable

C.seals are aggressive hunters

D.seals are extraordinary divers

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Seals help us observe the unknown world.

B.Satellites are used to track human activities.

C.The ocean presents a more beautiful picture.

D.Data are analyzed for better survival of seals.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了海豹正在帮助美国宇航局研究气候科学，并解释了为何海豹能承担此重任的原因。

1.

细节理解题。根据第二段Equipped with specialized sensors that resemble tiny metal hats with antennae(大线），these seals are collecting data that's helping researchers track how heat moves through ocean currents. 可知，这些海豹身上装备有特殊的传感器，这些传感器类似带天线的微型金属帽，它们正在收集数据，帮助研究人员追踪热量如何通过洋流流动。由此可知，研究人员通过在海豹头上安装传感器来收集南极的气候数据。故选D。

2.

细节理解题。根据第三段,the researchers discovered that heat stored at the ocean's depths can sometimes get swirled(打旋）back up to the surface thanks to some deeply penetrating(穿透）currents.可知，研究人员发现，由于一些深入海底的洋流，储存在海洋深处的热量有时会回流到表面。由此可知，新的发现表明洋流可以把热量带到海面。故选A。

3.

推理判断题。根据倒数第三段But none of that troubles southern elephant seals, which spend nine to ten months of each year at sea, swimming thousands of miles and diving up to half a mile beneath the ocean surface-usually about 80 times a day.可知，但是这些都没有影响到南方的象海豹，它们每年有9到10个月的时间在海洋里，游数千英里，潜入海洋表面下半英里——通常一天大约80次。由此可推知，研究人员使用海豹来监测南大洋，可能是因为海豹是非凡的潜水员。故选D。

4.

推理判断题。根据最后一段.But from the human perspective(观点），it's clear seals are filling in some massive gaps in knowledge.可知，但是从人类的角度来看，很明显海豹正在填补知识上的巨大空白。由此可推知，海豹能帮助我们观察未知的世界。 故选A。