高中外研版英语教材选修8课文文档格式.docx
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高中外研版英语教材选修8课文文档格式.docx
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AntarcticaisthecoldestplaceonEarth.It’salsothedriest.Withannualrainfallclosetozero,Antarcticaistechnicallyadesert.Coveringabout14millionsquarekilometresaroundtheSouthPole,itisthefifthlargestcontinentintheworld.Ahighmountainrange,theTrans-Antarcticrange,runsfromeasttowest,cuttingthecontinentintwo.Therearevolcanoestoo,buttheyarenotveryactive.Antarcticaholds90%oftheworld’sice,andmostofitsfreshwater(70%)isinafrozenstate,ofcourse.98%ofthesurfaceiscoveredpermanentlyintheicecap.Onaverageitistwokilometresthick,butinsomeplacesitreachesadepthoffivekilometres.Strongwindsdrivenbygravityblowfromthepoletothecoastline,whileotherwindsblowroundthecoast.Itisdifficulttoimagineamoreinhospitableplace.
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YetAntarcticaisfullofwildlife,whichhasadaptedtoitsextremeconditions.Therearedifferenttypesofpenguins,flyingbirds,seals,andwhales.ButthelongAntarcticwinternight,whichlastsfor182days(thelongestperiodofcontinuousdarknessonearth),aswellastheextremecoldandlackofrainfall,meansthatfewtypesofplantscansurvivethere.Onlytwotypesoffloweringplantsarefound,whiletherearenotreesonthelargecontinent.Therestoftheplantsaremadeupofmosses,algaeandlichen.Someformsofalgaehaveadaptedtogrowonice.
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Mostoftheicehasbeenthereforthousandsofyears.Asaresult,ithasbecomeawindowonthepast,andcangiveresearcherslotsofusefulinformation.Gasesandminerals,intheformofvolcanicdusttrappedintheice,cantellusalotaboutwhattheworldsclimatewaslikeinpastages.Antarcticrocksarealsoveryimportantforresearch.Mostofthemaremeteoritesfromouterspace.Onerock,knownusthe“Alien”rock,maycontainevidenceofextra-terrestriallife.SincemostAntarcticrocksarcdarkincolour,theystandoutagainstthewhilebackgroundandareeasytoidentifyandcollect.
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Antarcticawasthelastcontinenttobediscovered.ButmorethantwothousandyearsagoGreekgeographersbelievedthattherewasalargelandmassinthesouthwhichbalancedthelandinthenorth.TheycalleditAnti-Arktikos,orAntarctica:
theoppositeofArctic.WhenEuropeansdiscoveredthecontinentofAmericainthe15thcentury,thegreatageofexplorationbegan.However,progresstotheSouthPolewasslow.Notuntilthelate18thcenturydidtheBritishexplorerJamesCookcrosstheAntarcticCircle,butheneversawland.Thenin1895,aNorwegiancalledCarstensBorchgrevinkbecamethefirstmantosetfootontheAntarcticmainland.Theracetothepolehadbegun.Itwasfinallyreachedon11thDecember,1911bytheNorwegianRoaldAmundsen.
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TodayscientistsfrommanycountriestraveltoAntarcticatostudyitsresources.Aspiritofinternationalfriendshiphasreplacedtherivalrythatexistedbetweenmanyoftheearlierexplorers.In1961,atreatysignedby12countries,includingBritain,France,andtheUSA,madeAntarcticatheworld'
sbiggestnaturereserve.Theaimofthetreatyistopreventthecommercialandmilitaryuseofthecontinent.Inparticular,itaimstokeepAntarcticafreefromnucleartestsandradioactivewaste;
topromoteinternationalscientificprojects;
andtoendargumentsaboutwhoownstheland.Todaycountriesrepresenting80%oftheworld’spopulationhavesignedthetreaty.Antarcticahasbecomeperhapsthemostsuccessfulsymbolofman’seffortstoworktogetherforprogressandpeace.
HowFailureBecameSuccess
On8thAugust,1914,27menwhohadrepliedtoanadvertisementinTheTimesboardedashipleavingfortheAntarctic.ThenameoftheshipwastheEnduranceandthecaptainwasanIrishmancalledErnestShackleton.
TheaimofthejourneywastocrossthefrozencontinentviatheSouthPole-ajourneyof1,800miles.Shackletonthoughtthejourneywouldlastsixmonths.
Butwhenlandcameintosight,theEndurancebecametrappedintheiceandbegantobreakup.ShackletonandhismenwatchedtheEndurancesinkintotheicysea.Theythenheadednorth,pullingthreelifeboatsbehindthem.
Aftersixdays,badweatherforcedthemtogiveupandthemensetupcamponasheetoficewhichbeganslowlymovingacrosstheAntarcticCircle.
Theysurvivedontheiceforfivemonths.Then,on16thApril,1915,Shackletonsawland.ItwasElephantIsland-alargerockwithnothinggrowingonit,butmuchbetterthanafloatingpieceofice.Whentheyreachedtheisland,Shackletoncameupwithanidea-itwasariskbuthewouldhavetotakeit.Heandfivemenwouldtakeoneofthelifeboats,andsail800milestoSouthGeorgia,wheretherewasapermanentcamp.Theycouldthenreturntorescuetherestofthemen.
IttookShackleton17daystoreachSouthGeorgia.Unfortunatelyhelandedonthewrongsideoftheisland,andhadtowalk36hoursovermountainstoreachthecamp.Thewhalehuntersatthecampcouldn’tbelievetheireyeswhentheysawthesixmenwalkingdownfromthemountains.
Shackletonkepthispromise.Morethanthreemonthslater,hereturnedtoElephantIslandtorescuethecrewhehadbeenforcedtoabandon.Hehadfailedtoreachthepole-buthehadsavedthelivesofallhismen.
WelcometotheSouthPoles!
SouthPoles?
Howmanyarethere?
Infact,therearethreeSouthPoles:
aceremonialPole,whichisonthemovingglacier,ageographicalortruePole,andamagneticPole.whichchangesitspositionaccordingtothemovementoftheEarth.
Isitsafe?
BecausetheSouthPoleisahighaltitudesite,theglareofthesunlighthereisveryintense.It’salsoreflectedbythesnow,soifyougooutside,remembertowearsunglassesandusesuncream.Ifyoudon’t,there’sasevereriskthatyou’lldamageyoureyesightorgetbadlysunburnt.
Isitcold?
Yes!
Beverycarefuloutintheopenair!
Thetemperatureisbetweenminus21℃inthesummerandminus78℃inthewinter,andyoucanbecomenumbwithcoldwithoutrealising.There’sheavyfrostevenonthewarmestsummerdays,andifit’squietyoucanhearyourbreathfreeze.Soifyouleavethestation,dresswarmlyandcarrydryclothingandaportableradio.
Isthereanythinggoodabouttheweather?
Theairisverypure,anditdoesn’tsnowverymuch-onlyaboutfourmillimetresayear.There’sverylittlewindandtheskyisusuallyclear.It’spossiblythecalmestplaceonEarth.
What’sitliketolivehere?
Lifeisquiteabnormal.Sunriseandsunsetcomeonceeverysixmonths,andinthewinterthetotalabsenceofdaylightcanbetiresome,andforsome,depressing.We’retotallyisolatedexceptforradioandelectroniccommunications,asnoaircraftcanflyhereforabouteightmonths.
Wheredowelive?
TheSouthPolescientificstationissituatedonaplatformofice,3,000-4,000metreshigh,butunderonlyafewmillimetresofsnow.Wehaveaminimumof28peoplelivinghereinthewinterandamaximumof125inthesummer.Thelivingquartersaremodestwithfewluxuries,butcosy.There’sacomfortabledormitoryforsleeping,thecanteenservesgreatfood,andthere'
sawell-stockedlibraryofDVDsandvideos.Butshowersandlaundryarelimited,becausewaterisveryvaluable.Wediscourageyoufromsmokingexceptinspecificareas.Medicalassistanceisavailableincaseofanemergency.
Anyotheradvice?
Rememberthatconventionalequipmentdoesn’talwaysworkasitshoulddo.Ifyouuseanelectricdrill,thepowercordwillsnap.Photographyistrickytoo,asfilmisfragileandthecamerabatterydoesn’tworkinthecold.
Don’tleaveanyrubbish,anddon’tforgetthattheecologyofAntarcticaisverydelicate,sodon’ttakeanysouvenirshomewithyou,andbecarefultoleavenothingbutfootprints.
Finally,rememberthatwe’reallvisitorstotheSouthPole.It’saprivilege,notarighttocometothisextraordinaryplace.
TheTravelsofMarcoPolo
Theyearis1271AD.Imaginea17-year-oldboyfromVenice,Italy,well-educatedandtrainedforlifeasarichtrader.Hesetsoffwithhisfatheranduncleona25-yearjourneytomysterious,distantlandsthatmostpeopleinEuropehaveneverheardof.Whileontheirjourneybuyingandsellingspices,silksandjewels,theybefriendoneofthemostpowerfulmenonEarth,KublaKhan.
Theboy’snamewasMarcoPoloandmanyyearslaterabookabouthistravelswaspublishedwhichmadehimfamous.MarcoPolotoldhisfantasticstoriestoawriternamedRustichellowhowrotethemdownforhim.Thismanwaswell-knownforhisstoriesandromantictalesofthelegendaryEnglishKingArthur,butsomanypeopledoubtedthereliabilityofhisbookTheTravelsofMarcoPolo.However,Chinesehistorianshavefoundobscurenamesandfactsinthebookthatcouldonlyhavebeenknowntosomeoneintimatewiththecountry.
ManyofMarco’sstorieswereaboutChinaanditspeople.Hetoldstoriesaboutthetowns,citiesandpopulationsingreatdetail.HedescribedtheamazingthingshesawinChinasuchaspapermoneyandblackstonethatburned(coal).WithverylittlecontactbetweenChinaandtheWest,itisnotsurprisingthatpeopleinarichpowerfulplacelikeVenicecouldnotbelievehisstories,norintheideaofhuge,richcitystatesinhabitedbymillionsofpeople.TherecouldsurelybenocomparisonwithVenice?
AgeneralmythhasgrownuparoundMarcoPolothatheintroducedsuchthingsasspaghettiandicecreamfromChinatotheWest.ThereisnotruthtoanyoftheseclaimsandactuallytheyarenotmentionedinMarcoPolo’sbook.
However,M
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