Sea ice cover in the Antarctic is now at its highest level since records began.

Satellite images show 7.7 million square miles (20 million sq km) of ice growing around the continent. But rather than proving global warming to be untrue, scientists claim that this growth may in fact be caused by it. The ice has broken records on about 150 days this year, showing that it is gaining much greater coverage than in previous years.

The area of sea ice seen from space is nearly double the size of the Antarctic continent and about three times the size of Australia. Dr Guy Williams, a sea ice specialist at University of Tasmania said that the new records add to an “exciting” puzzle for climate scientists. Each record-breaking year is different due to variations in seasonal weather— “it’s those differences that will tell us something,” he said.

The growth of sea ice isn’t even, however. The region west of the Antarctic Peninsula, for instance, shows a large decline in sea ice. On the contrary, in areas such as the Ross Sea, sea ice is increasing.

According to scientists, there are two main theories to explain the changes in Antarctic sea ice. The first is that westerly winds, which flow around Antarctica, are speeding up and moving south. This is thought to be linked to an increase in greenhouse gases and an increase in sea ice. The second theory is that sea ice forms easier due to the colder and fresher melt water from Antarctica's melting glaciers（冰山）and ice sheets.

“This is an area covered by sea ice which we’ve never seen from space before,” Jan Lieser from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre told Daily Mail. “Thirty-five years ago the first satellites went up which were reliably（确切地） telling us what area of sea ice was covered and we've never seen that before, that much area.”

Researchers are now using underwater robots to measure the thickness of Antarctic sea ice with much greater accuracy over bigger areas. 

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1.What caused the sea ice to grow in Antarctica according to the scientists?

A The sea ice from Australia.

B The global warming.

C Sea ice of previous years.

D The sea ice from west the Antarctica Peninsula.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第二段…scientists claim that this growth may in fact be caused by it可知，科学家们推断南极洲海冰面扩大的原因是全球变暖。

2.What made the climate scientists feel excited?

A Satellites can help them watch the changes of the sea ice level.

B Westerly winds increase the greenhouse gases.

C Underwater robots can be used for climate study.

D The new level of Antarctica sea ice makes record.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第三段…the new records add to an “exciting” puzzle for climate scientists可知，科学家们因为南极洲海冰面的面积创了纪录而感到兴奋异常。

3.How did the scientists get to know the present area of the sea ice around the Antarctica?

A With the help of the underwater robots.

B By using the two theories on the growth of sea ice.

C By comparing pictures from satellites.

D Through studies of variations in seasonal weather.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章第二段可知，科学家们通过分析卫星照片发现了南极洲海冰面扩大的情况。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A Modern technology helps scientists improve global environment.

B Sea ice around the Antarctica has been growing constantly.

C Some scientists originally did not think global warming exists.

D The globe becomes warmer because of the westerly winds.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。文章第二段说，…rather than proving global warming to be untrue，由此判断，有些科学家不承认大气变暖这一气候现象的。但面对南极洲海冰面不断扩大的事实，他们认为是大气变暖造成的。

5.Where can you most probably read this article?

A Newspaper.

B TV program.

C Science fiction.

D Travel Journal.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据文章倒数第二段Jan…told Daily Mail可以推断，本文是报社记者采访科学家之后发表在报纸上的。故选A。