高中外研版英语教材选修8课文文档格式.docx

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