外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx
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外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx
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外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义
外研社选修8课文英文版
必修8
Module1DeepSouth
Antarctica:
theLastContinent
AntarcticaisthecoldestplaceonEarth.It’salsothedriest.Withannualrainfallclosetozero,Antarcticaistechnicallyadesert.Coveringabout14millionsquarekilometersaroundtheSouthPole,itisthefifthlargestcontinentintheworld.Ahighmountainrange,theTrans-Antarcticrange,runsfromeasttowest,cuttingthecontinentintwo.Therearevolcanoestoo,buttheyarenotveryactive.Antarcticaholds90%oftheworld’sice,andmostofitsfreshwater(70%)isinafrozenstate,ofcourse.98%ofthesurfaceiscoveredpermanentlyintheicecap.Onaverageitistwokilometersthick,butinsomeplacesitreachesadepthoffivekilometers.Strongwindsdrivenbygravityblowfromthepoletothecoastline,whileotherwindsblowroundthecoast.Itisdifficulttoimagineamoreinhospitableplace.
YetAntarcticaisfullwildlife,whichhasadaptedtoitsextremeconditions.Therearedifferenttypesofpenguins,flyingbirds,seals,andwhales.ButthelongAntarcticwinternight,whichlastsfor182days(thelongestperiodofcontinuousdarknessonearth),aswellastheextremecoldandlackofrainfall,meansthatfewtypesofplantscansurvivethere.Onlytwotypesoffloweringplantsarefound,whiletherearenotreesonthelargecontinent.Therestoftheplantsaremadeupofmosses,algaeandlichen.Someformsofalgaehaveadaptedtogrowonice.
Mostoftheicehasbeenthereforthousandsofyears.Asaresult,ithasbecomeawindowonthepast,andcangiveresearcherslotsofusefulinformation.Gasesandminerals,intheformofvolcanicdusttrappedintheice,cantellusalotaboutwhattheworld’sclimatewaslikeinpastages.Antarcticrocksarealsoveryimportantforresearch.Mostofthemaremeteoritesfromouterspace.Onerock,knownasthe“Alien”rock,maycontainevidenceofextra-terrestriallife.
SincemostAntarcticrocksaredarkincolour,theystandoutagainstthewhitebackgroundandareeasytoidentifyandcollect.
Antarcticawasthelastcontinenttobediscovered.ButmorethantwothousandyearsagoGreekgeographersbelievedthattherewasalargelandmassinthesouthwhichbalancedthelandinthenorth.TheycalleditAnti-Arktikos,orAntarcica:
theoppositeofArcitc.WhenEuropeansdiscoveredthecontinentofAmericain15thcentury,thegreatageofexplorationbegan.However,progresstotheSoutholewasslow.Notuntilthelate18thcenturydidtheBritishexplorerJamesCookcrosstheAntarcticCircle,butheneversawland.Thenin1895,aNorwegiancalledCarstensBorchgrevinkbecamethefirstmantosetfootontheAntarcticmainland.Theracetothepolehadbegun.Itwasfinallyreachedon11thDecember,1911bytheNorwegianRoaldAmundsen.
TodayscientistsfrommanycountriestraveltoAntarcticatostudyitsresources.Aspiritofinternationalfriendshiphasreplacedtherivalrythatexistedbetweenmanyoftheearlierexplorers.In1961,atreatysignedby12countries,includingBritain,France,andtheUSAmadeAntarcticatheworld’sbiggestnaturereserve.Theaimofthetreatyistopreventthecommercialandmilitaryuseofthecontinent.Inparticular,itaimstokeepAntarcticafreefromnucleartestsandradioactivewaste;topromoteinternationalscientificprojects;andtoendargumentsaboutwhoownstheland.Todaycountriesrepresenting80%oftheworld’spopulationhavesignedthetreaty.Antarcticahasbecomeperhapsthemostsuccessfulsymbolofman’seffortstoworktogetherforprogressandpeace.
HowFailureBecameSuccess
On8thAugust,1914,27menwhohadrepliedtoanadvertisementinTheTimesboardedashipleavingfortheAntarctic.ThenameoftheshipwastheEnduranceandthecaptainwasanIrishmancalledErnestShackleton.
TheaimofthejourneywastocrossthefrozencontinentviatheSouthPole–journeyof1,800miles.Shackletonthoughtthejourneywouldlastsixmonths.
Butwhenlandcameintosight,theEndurancebecametrappedintheiceandbegantobreakup.ShackletonandhismenwatchedtheEndurancesinkintotheicysea.Theythenheadednorth,pullingthreelifeboatsbehindthem.
Aftersixdays,badweatherforcedthemtogiveupandthemensetupcamponasheetoficewhichbeganslowlymovingacrosstheAntarcticCircle.
Theysurvivedontheiceforfivemonths.Then,on16thApril,1915,Shackletonsawland.ItwasElephantIsland–largerockwithnothinggrowingonit,butmuchbetterthanafloatingpieceofice.Whentheyreachedtheisland,Shackletoncameupwithanidea–itwasariskbuthewouldhavetotakeit.Heandfivemenwouldtakeoneofthelifeboats,andsail800milestoSouthGeorgia,wheretherewasapermanentcamp.Theycouldthenreturntorescuetherestofthemen.
IttookShackleton17daystorachSouthGeorgia.Unfortunatelyhelandedonthewrongsideoftheisland,andhadtowalk36hoursovermountainstoreachthecamp.Thewhalehuntersallthecampcouldn’tbelievetheireyeswhentheysawthesixmenwalkingdownfromthemountains.
Shackletonkepthispromise.Morethanthreemonthslater,hereturnedtoElephantIslandtorescuethecrewhehadbeenforcedtoabandon.Hehadfailedtoreachthepole–buthehadsavedthelivesofallhismen.
WelcometotheSouthPoles!
SouthPoles?
Howmanyarethere?
Infact,therearethreeSouthPoles:
aceremonialPole,whichisonthemovingglacier,ageographicalortruePole,andamagneticPolewhichchangesitspositionaccordingtothemovementoftheEarth.
Isitsafe?
BecausetheSouthPoleisahighaltitudesite,theglareofthesunlighthereisveryintense.It’salsoreflectedbythesnow,soifyougooutside,remembertowearsunglassesandusesuncream.Ifyoudon’tthere’ssevereriskthatyou’lldamageyoureyesightorgetbadlysunburnt.
Isitcold?
Yes!
Beverycarefuloutintheopenair!
Thetemperatureisbetweenminus21°Cinthesummerandminus78°Cinthewinter,andyoucanbecomenumbwithcoldwithoutrealizing.There’sheavyfrostevenonthewarmestsummerdays,andifit’squietyoucanhearyourbreathfreeze.Soifyouleavethestation,dresswarmlyandcarrydryclothingandaportableradio.
Isthereanythinggoodabouttheweather?
Theairisverypure,anditdoesn’tsnowverymuch–onlyaboutfourmillimetersayear.There’sverylittlewindandtheskyisusuallyclear.It’spossiblythecalmestplaceonEarth.
What’sitliketolivehere?
Lifeisquiteabnormal.Sunriseandsunsetcomeonceeverysixmonths,andinthewinterthetotalabsenceofdaylightcanbetiresome,andforsome,depressing.We’retotallyisolatedexceptforradioandelectroniccommunications,asnoaircraftcanflyhereforabouteightmonths.
Wheredowelive?
TheSouthPolescientificstationissituatedonaplatformofice,3,000-4,000metreshigh,butunderonlyafewmillimetresofsnow.Wehaveaminimumof28peoplelivinghereinthewinterandamaximumof125inthesummer.Thelivingquartersaremodest,withfewluxuries,butcosy.There’sacomfortabledormitoryforsleeping,thecanteenservegreatfood,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-oldboyfromVeniceItaly,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,MarcoPolo’sbookisstillauniqueinsightforitsage.Mostimportantlyitwasagreatinfluenceformanyfuturetravelers.ChristopherColumbusleftbehindawell-wor
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