🎧 Listen to today’s story
📚 Key Words
| Word | Meaning | 中文 |
|---|---|---|
| freezing | Very, very cold. | 极冷的 |
| ice age | A time in history when the Earth was covered in ice. | 冰河时代 |
| real life | What actually happens, not in movies or stories. | 现实生活 |
| giant | Something that is very big. | 巨大的 |
| slushy | A mix of ice and water together. | 半融化的 |
| sunlight | The light that comes from the sun. | 阳光 |
| exciting | Something that makes you feel happy and interested. | 令人兴奋的 |
| nature | The world of plants, animals, and weather. | 自然 |
📖 Read the story
Many movies show the world freezing very fast. In these films, ice covers big cities in just a few days. This is called an ice age. But is this real? Science says no. In real life, an ice age happens very slowly. It takes many, many years for the ground to freeze. Millions of years ago, the Earth was very cold. It was like a giant snowball. Scientists call this Snowball Earth. Ice covered almost the whole planet. Some parts near the middle were slushy. This means the water was a mix of ice and water. Small plants lived in these parts because they needed sunlight to grow. Movies are exciting, but they often get the time wrong. A new ice age will not happen tomorrow. Nature takes a long time to change. Would you like to live in a world made of ice?
✏️ Answer the questions
1. According to the text, how do movies show ice ages?
- A.They happen very slowly.
- B.They happen very fast.
- C.They only happen on other planets.
- D.They are very hot.
2. How long does a real ice age take to happen?
- A.A few days
- B.One week
- C.Many years
- D.Tomorrow
3. What was ‘Snowball Earth’?
- A.A movie about the sun
- B.The Earth millions of years ago
- C.A big city made of ice
- D.A game for children
4. Why did plants live in the slushy parts of the Earth?
- A.Because they liked the cold water
- B.Because they needed sunlight
- C.Because there was no ice there
- D.Because they were hiding from animals
5. What is the main message about nature in the text?
- A.Nature changes very quickly.
- B.Nature is exactly like the movies.
- C.Nature takes a long time to change.
- D.Nature will stop changing tomorrow.