科学家利用卫星图像发现了位于南极洲的四个新的帝企鹅群。这一发现使得白色南极大陆周围已知的帝企鹅筑巢地数量达到 66 个。

Emperor penguins live in extreme conditions, coming together during the height of the Antarctic winter to breed in distinct groupings.

帝企鹅生活在极端的气候条件下，它们在南极严冬时期聚集在一起，在各自不同的小群落中繁殖。

These colonies tend to be separated from each other by an average of about 150 miles. Scientists have been using satellites to search the gaps in this spacing for birds they didn't know about, and they found four previously unrecognised nesting sites.

这些帝企鹅群彼此之间的距离平均约为150英里。科学家们一直在使用卫星在这个间隔中寻找仍未被发现的帝企鹅，而他们这次发现了四个以前未被识别的筑巢地。

Emperors will only breed on floating sea ice, which is already becoming highly variable and is expected to diminish greatly this century as global temperatures warm.

帝企鹅只在浮冰上繁殖，而浮冰量现在时多时少，随着全球气温变暖，预计浮冰面积将会在本世纪大幅减少。

词汇表

extreme conditions 极端气候条件，极端环境
the height of 高峰，极致
breed 繁殖
groupings 分组，群
colonies （动物的）群
spacing 间距
previously unrecognised 以前未被发现的
nesting sites 筑巢地
floating 浮动的，漂浮的
diminish 减少

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or False? Emperor penguins breed all year round.

2. How far apart are emperor penguin colonies usually found?

3. What did scientists use to find the new nesting sites?

4. What is likely to happen to the ice where emperor penguins breed?

答案

1. True or False? Emperor penguins breed all year round.

False. Emperor penguins come together to breed at the height of winter.

2. How far apart are emperor penguin colonies usually found?

Emperor penguin colonies are usually separated by about 150 miles, on average.

3. What did scientists use to find the new nesting sites?

Scientists used satellites to find new nesting sites.

4. What is likely to happen to the ice where emperor penguins breed?

The amount of floating sea ice is expected to diminish greatly this century.