外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx

外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx

《外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《外研社选修8课文英文版上课讲义.docx（18页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

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