高中外研版英语教材选修8课文.docx

高中外研版英语教材选修8课文.docx

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高中外研版英语教材选修8课文

Module1

Antarctica:

thelastcontinent

1

AntarcticaisthecoIdestpIaceonEarth.It'saIsothedriest.WithannuaIrainfaIIcIosetozero,AntarcticaistechnicaIIyadesert.Coveringabout14millionsquarekiIometresaroundtheSouthPoIe,itisthefifthIargestcontinentintheworld.Ahighmountainrange,theTransAntarcticrange,runsfromeasttowest,cuttingthecontinentintwo.TherearevoIcanoestoo,buttheyarenotveryactive.AntarcticahoIds90%oftheworId'sice,andmostofitsfreshwater（70%）isinafrozenstate,ofcourse.98%ofthesurfaceiscoveredpermanentIyintheicecap.OnaverageitistwokiIometresthick,butinsomepIacesitreachesadepthoffivekilowindsdrivenbygravitybIowfromthepoIetothecoastIine,whileotherwindsblowroundthecoast.ItisdifficulttoimagineamoreinhospitablepIace.

2

YetAntarcticaisfulIofwildlife,whichhasadaptedtoitsextremearedifferenttypesofpenguins,flyingbirds,seals,andwhaIes.ButtheIongAntarcticwinternight,whichIastsfor182days（theIongestperiodofcontinuousdarknessonearth）,asweIIastheextremecoldandIackofrainfaII,meansthatfewtypesofpIantscansurvivethere.OnIytwotypesoffIoweringplantsarefound,whiletherearenotreesonthelargecontinent.TherestofthepIantsaremadeupofmosses,aIgaeandIichen.SomeformsofaIgaehaveadaptedtogrowonice.

3

Mostoftheicehasbeenthereforthousandsofyears.Asaresult,ithasbecomeawindowonthepast,andcangiveresearchersIotsofusefuIinformation.GasesandmineraIs,intheformofvolcanicdusttrappedintheice,cantelIusalotaboutwhattheworIdscIimatewasIikeinpastages.AntarcticrocksareaIsoveryimportantforresearch.Mostofthemaremeteoritesfromouterspace.Onerock,knownusthe“Alien”rock,maycontainevidenceofextra-terrestriaIIife.SincemostAntarcticrocksarcdarkincoIour,theystandoutagainstthewhilebackgroundandareeasytoidentifyandcollect.

4

AntarcticawastheIastcontinenttobediscovered.ButmorethantwothousandyearsagoGreekgeographersbeIievedthattherewasaIargeIandmassinthesouthwhichbaIancedtheIandinthenorth.TheycalleditAnti-ArktikoSyorAntarctica:

theoppositeofArctic.WhenEuropeansdiscoveredthecontinentofAmericainthe15thcentury,thegreatageofexpIorationbegan.However,progresstotheSouthPoIewassIow.NotuntiItheIate18thcenturydidtheBritishexpIorerJamesCookcrosstheAntarcticCircle,butheneversawIand.Thenin1895,aNorwegiancalledCarstensBorchgrevinkbecamethefirstmantosetfootontheAntarcticmainland.Theracetothepolehadbegun.ItwasfinalIyreachedon11thDecember,1911bytheNorwegianRoaIdAmundsen.

5

TodayscientistsfrommanycountriestraveItoAntarcticatostudyitsresources.AspiritofinternationaIfriendshiphasreplacedtherivalrythatexistedbetweenmanyoftheearIierexpIorers.In1961,atreatysignedby12countries,includingBritain,France,andtheUSA,madeAntarcticatheworld'sbiggestnaturereserve.TheaimofthetreatyistopreventthecommercialandmiIitaryuseofthecontinent.Inparticular,itaimstokeepAntarcticafreefromnucIeartestsandradioactivewaste;topromoteinternationaIscientificprojects;andtoendargumentsaboutwhoownstheland.Todaycountriesrepresenting80%oftheworld'spopulationhavesignedthetreaty.AntarcticahasbecomeperhapsthemostsuccessfuIsymboIofman'seffortstoworktogetherforprogressandpeace.

HowFailureBecameSuccess

On8thAugust,1914,27menwhohadrepIiedtoanadvertisementinTheTimesboardedashipIeavingfortheAntarctic.ThenameoftheshipwastheEnduranceandthecaptainwasanIrishmancalledErnestShackIeton.

TheaimofthejourneywastocrossthefrozencontinentviatheSouthPoIe-ajourneyof1,800miles.

ShackIetonthoughtthejourneywouIdlastsixmonths.

ButwhenIandcameintosight,theEndurancebecametrappedintheiceandbegantobreakup.ShackIetonandhismenwatchedtheEndurancesinkintotheicysea.Theythenheadednorth,pullingthreeIifeboatsbehindthem.

Aftersixdays,badweatherforcedthemtogiveupandthemensetupcamponasheetoficewhichbeganslowlymovingacrosstheAntarcticCircle.

Theysurvivedontheiceforfivemonths.Then,on16thApri1,1915,ShackIetonsawland.11wasElephantIsIand-aIargerockwithnothinggrowingonit,butmuchbetterthanafIoatingpieceofice.WhentheyreachedtheisIand,ShackIetoncameupwithanidea-itwasariskbuthewouIdhavetotakeit.HeandfivemenwouIdtakeoneofthelifeboats,andsaiI800milestoSouthGeorgia,wheretherewasapermanentcamp.TheycouIdthenreturntorescuetherestofthemen.

IttookShackIeton17daystoreachSouthGeorgia.

UnfortunateIyheIandedonthewrongsideoftheisIand,andhadtowaIk36hoursovermountainstoreachthecamp.

ThewhaIehuntersatthecampcouldn'tbeIievetheireyeswhentheysawthesixmenwalkingdownfromthemountains.

ShackIetonkepthispromise.Morethanthreemonthslater,hereturnedtoElephantIsIandtorescuethecrewhehadbeenforcedtoabandon.HehadfailedtoreachthepoIe—buthehadsavedtheIivesofaIIhismen.

WeIcometotheSouthPoles!

SouthPolesHowmanyarethere

Infact,therearethreeSouthPoles:

aceremoniaIPoIe,whichisonthemovingglacier,ageographicaIortruePoIe,andamagneticchangesitspositionaccordingtothemovementoftheEarth.

Isitsafe

BecausetheSouthPoIeisahighaItitudesite,theglareofthesunIighthereisveryintense.It'saIsorefIectedbythesnow,soifyougooutside,remembertowearsunglassesanduseyoudon't,there'sasevereriskthatyou'IIdamageyoureyesightorgetbadIysunburnt.

/s71cold

Yes!

BeverycarefuIoutintheopenair!

Thetemperatureisbetweenminus21Cinthesummerandminus78Cinthewinter,andyoucanbecomenumbwithcoIdwithoutreaIising.There?

sheavyfrostevenonthewarmestsummerdays,andifit'squietyoucanhearyourbreathfreeze.SoifyouIeavethestation,dresswarmlyandcarrydrycIothingandaportableradio.

Isthereanythinggoodabouttheweather

Theairisverypure,anditdoesn'tsnowverymuch-onlyaboutfourmillimetresayear.There'sveryIittIewindandtheskyisusuaIIycIear.It'spossiblythecaImestpIaceonEarth.

What9s71liketo/7vehere

LifeisquiteabnormaI.Sunriseandsunsetcomeonceeverysixmonths,andinthewinterthetotaIabsenceofdayIightcanbetiresome,andforsome,depressing.We'retotaIIyisoIatedexceptforradioandelectroniccommunications,asnoaircraftcanfIyhereforaboute\ghtmonths.

Wheredowe/ive

TheSouthPoIescientificstationissituatedonapIatformofice,3,000—4,000metreshigh,butunderonIyafewmiIIimetresofsnow.Wehaveaminimumof28peopleIivinghereinthewinterandamaximumof125inthesummer.TheIivingquartersaremodestwithfewIuxuries,but'sacomfortabIedormitoryforsIeeping,thecanteenservesgreatfood,andthere'saweII-stockedIibraryofDVDsandvideos.ButshowersandIaundryareIimited,becausewaterisveryvaIuabIe.Wediscourageyoufromsmokingexceptinspecificareas.MedicaIassistanceisavaiIabIeincaseofanemergency.

Anyotheradvice

RememberthatconventionaIequipmentdoesn'taIwaysworkasitshoulddo.Ifyouuseanelectricdrill,thepowercordwiIIsnap.Photographyistrickytoo,asfilmisfragiIeandthecamerabatterydoesn'tworkinthecoId.

Don'tIeaveanyrubbish,anddon'tforgetthattheecoIogyofAntarcticaisverydelicate,sodon'ttakeanysouvenirshomewithyou,andbecarefuItoIeavenothingbutfootprints.

FinalIy,rememberthatwe'reaIIvisitorstotheSouthPoIe.It'saprivilege,notarighttocometothisextraordinarypIace.

TheTravelsofMarcoPolo

Theyearis1271AD.Imaginea17-year-oldboyfrom

Venice,Italy,well-educatedandtrainedforIifeasarichtrader.HesetsoffwithhisfatheranduncIeona25-yearjourneytomysterious,distantIandsthatmostpeopIeinEuropehaveneverheardof.Whileontheirjourneybuyingandsellingspices,silksandjeweIs,theybefriendoneofthemostpowerfuImenonEarth,KubIaKhan.

Theboy'snamewasMarcoPoIoandmanyyearsIaterabookabouthistraveIswaspubIishedwhichmadehimfamous.MarcoPoIotoldhisfantasticstoriestoawriternamedRustichelIowhowrotethemdownforhim.Thismanwaswell-knownforhisstoriesandromantictaIesoftheIegendaryEnglishKingArthur,butsomanypeopledoubtedthereliabilityofhisbookTheTravelsofMarcoPolo.However,ChinesehistorianshavefoundobscurenamesandfactsinthebookthatcouIdonIyhavebeenknowntosomeoneintimatewiththecountry.

ManyofMarco'sstorieswereaboutChinaanditspeopIe.

HetoIdstoriesaboutthetowns,citiesandpopuIationsingreatdetaiI.Hedescribedtheamazingthingshesawin

ChinasuchaspapermoneyandbIackstonethatburned（coaI）•WithveryIittIecontactbetweenChinaandtheWest,itisnotsurprisingthatpeopIeinarichpowerfuIpIaceIikeVenicecouIdnotbeIievehisstories,norintheideaofhuge,richcitystatesinhabitedbymiIIionsofpeopIe.TherecouIdsureIybenocomparisonwithVenice

AgeneraImythhasgrownuparoundMarcoPoIoth