外研社选修8课文英文版Word文档下载推荐.docx

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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.Unfortunatelyhe