题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
浙江省绍兴市高级中学2019-2020学年高二下学期英语第二次教学质量检测试卷
Iceland is a large island. In fact, it's the world's 18th largest island. Most of the population, however, lives in the southwestern part of the country, in or around the capital city of Reykjavik. By its very name, you'd expect Iceland to be mostly ice. Looking at Iceland on a map, you'll notice it sits just outside the Arctic Circle. Despite this location and its name, Iceland actually has a temperate climate, because it is warmed by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream also helps keep Iceland's coastal ports ice-free through the winter.
There is plenty of ice on Iceland, though. The country consists of a large plateau(高原)that includes fields of sand, mountains and glaciers. Over 60% of Iceland is tundra(苔原). About 14% of Iceland is lakes and glaciers. Only about 24% of the country has plants or vegetation of any kind, which covers a vast area in the south of the country.
Iceland was settled in the late 800s and early 900s by Norsemen from the Scandinavian country of Norway. Other settlers also came from Ireland and Scotland. From the 13th century up until 1918, Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later Danish monarchies. For most of that time, the small Icelandic population depended upon fishing and farming to make a living. For hundreds of years, Iceland was one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. After World War II, international aid and industrialization of the fishing industry turned Iceland into one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In 1994, Iceland became part of the European Economic Area(经济区), which allowed its economy to grow even more.
Iceland boasts one of the youngest islands in the world. Surtsey rose out of the ocean during a series of volcanic eruptions between 1963 and 1968. Today, only scientists who study the growth of new life can occasionally visit the volcanic island of Surtsey.
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