3. The world's largest iceberg (冰山)is floating toward the island of South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Scientists fear the iceberg could crash into the island and block major feeding areas for a large population of penguins (企鹅)and seals.
Satellite images show the iceberg has remained in one piece. It is estimated to be about 150 kilometers long and 48 kilometers wide. It is traveling at one kilometer an hour and is on a path to hit South Georgia in around 30 days.
The British Antarctic Survey says it is concerned that if the iceberg hits the island, it could prevent the penguins and seals from reaching food supplies.
Professor Geraint Tarling, an ecologist with the Antarctic Survey, says right now is the time of year when seals and penguins spend a lot of time caring for their young. This means the distance that parents have to travel to find food is important.
"That means they have to go a lot further, they have to go around the iceberg, or to actually go further to find sources of food," Tarling said. "And that time is quite important at this particular period of their life cycle."
The breaking off of icebergs from Antarctica is a natural process. But the process is changing with climate change. " What we 're seeing with models and some observations now is the rate at which this is happening is increasing. And so, this might become more of a usual thing into the future," Tarling said.
The iceberg also could damage South Georgia's valuable fishing industry. Fishers pay for the rights to catch Patagonian toothfish, icefish and krill (磷虾)in waters off the island.
Officials are hoping that changing weather patterns could direct the iceberg out into the open ocean, where it would, in time, break up and melt.【小题1】What will happen if the iceberg hits the island of South Georgia?A．Wildlife will lose their homes.
B．The iceberg will remain in one piece.
C．The island of South Georgia will disappear.
D．Feeding will be challenging for penguins and seals.【小题2】What can we learn from what Tarling says?A．Icebergs are coming off faster than before.
B．Penguins and seals' birth rates are increasing.
C．The iceberg's breaking off is caused by human.
D．It's unusual to see the iceberg melting is speeding.【小题3】What does the last paragraph tell us?A．The present situation is beyond hope.
B．The weather patterns are controllable.
C．The iceberg is bound to melt very soon.
D．The crash of the iceberg may be avoidable.【小题4】What's the main theme of the passage?A．The changing climate in Antarctica.B．The potential problems of the iceberg.
C．The island of South Georgia.D．The population of sea animals.
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