D
The Himalayan Mountains have the third 1. ____ (large) glaciers(冰川) in the world. But now the first study of this place shows that it lost 2. ____ (ton) of ice from 2000 to 2016. "This is the first overall look at what has exactly happened to glaciers in the Himalayas over a 40-year time," says the lead writer Joshua Maurer.
"Our study shows a huge glacier ice loss because of the 3. ____ (rise) temperatures from climate change," Maurer says. "4. ____ (near) a quarter of the area's ice has been lost over the last 40 years. Temperatures in the area have risen 1℃ 5. ____ (high) than those from 1975 to 2000, and one degree is enough 6. ____ (produce) such a huge loss."
The ice and snow in the area are the head of Asia's great rivers. The study does not include the high mountains nearby, but other studies 7. ____ (suggest) that similar melting is going on there as well.
This melting means more floods and glacial lakes. In May 2012, one such flood killed over 60 people in villages near Pokhara, Nepal. It also pulled down houses in these villages. Besides, around 800 million people depend on rivers from Himalayan glaciers for farming, drinking water and 8. ____ (make) electricity. The melting 9. ____ (increase) the river water during warm seasons, but scientists say that the river water will become much 10. ____ (little) in a few years as the glaciers lose rapidly.

1. largest 2. tons 3. rising 4. Nearly 5. higher 6. to produce 7. suggest 8. making 9. will increase 10. less