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

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Module1

Antarctica:

thelastcontinent

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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

“Alienrock,”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,1914,27menwhohadrepliedtoanadvertisementinTheTimes

boardedashipleavingfortheAntarctic.ThenameoftheshipwastheEndurance

andthecaptainwasanIrishmancalledErnestShackleton.

TheaimofthejourneywastocrossthefrozencontinentviatheSouthPole－a

journeyof1,800miles.Shackletonthoughtthejourneywouldlastsixmonths.

Butwhenlandcameintosight,theEndurancebecametrappedintheiceandbegan

tobreakup.ShackletonandhismenwatchedtheEndurancesinkintotheicysea.

Theythenheadednorth,pullingthreelifeboatsbehindthem.

Aftersixdays,badweatherforcedthemtogiveupandthemensetupcampona

sheetoficewhichbeganslowlymovingacrosstheAntarcticCircle.

Theysurvivedontheiceforfivemonths.Then,on16thApril,1915,Shackletonsaw

land.ItwasElephantIsland－alargerockwithnothinggrowingonit,butmuch

betterthanafloatingpieceofice.Whentheyreachedtheisland,Shackletoncame

upwithanidea－itwasariskbuthewouldhavetotakeit.Heandfivemenwould

takeoneofthelifeboats,andsail800milestoSouthGeorgia,wheretherewasa

permanentcamp.Theycouldthenreturntorescuetherestofthemen.

IttookShackleton17daystoreachSouthGeorgia.Unfortunatelyhelandedonthe

wrongsideoftheisland,andhadtowalk36hoursovermountainstoreachthecamp.

Thewhalehuntersatthecampcouldn’tbelievetheireyeswhentheysawthesixmen

walkingdownfromthemountains.

Shackletonkepthispromise.Morethanthreemonthslater,hereturnedtoElephant

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Islandtorescuethecrewhehadbeenforcedtoabandon.Hehadfailedtoreachthepole－buthehadsavedthelivesofallhismen.

WelcometotheSouthPoles!

SouthPoles?

Howmanyarethere?

Infact,therearethreeSouthPoles:

aceremonialPole,whichisonthemovingglacier,

ageographicalortruePole,andamagneticPole.whichchangesitsposition

accordingtothemovementoftheEarth.

Isitsafe?

BecausetheSouthPoleisahighaltitudesite,theglareofthesunlighthereisveryintense.It’alsoreflectedbythesnow,soifyougooutside,remembertowearsunglassesandusesuncream.Ifyoudon’t,there’assevereriskthatyou’lldamageyoureyesightorgetbadlysunburnt.

Isitcold?

Yes!

Beverycarefuloutintheopenair!

Thetemperatureisbetweenminus21℃in

thesummerandminus78℃inthewinter,andyoucanbecomenumbwithcold

withoutrealising.There’sheavyfrostevenonthewarmestsummerdays,andifit’s

quietyoucanhearyourbreathfreeze.Soifyouleavethestation,dresswarmlyand

carrydryclothingandaportableradio.

Isthereanythinggoodabouttheweather?

Theairisverypure,anditdoesn’tsnow－veryonlymuchaboutfourmillimetresa

year.There’sverylittlewindandtheskyisusuallyclear.It’spossiblythecalmestplaceonEarth.

What’sitliketolivehere?

Lifeisquiteabnormal.Sunriseandsunsetcomeonceeverysixmonths,andinthewinterthetotalabsenceofdaylightcanbetiresome,andforsome,depressing.We’retotallyisolatedexceptforradioandelectroniccommunications,asnoaircraftcanflyhereforabouteightmonths.

Wheredowelive?

TheSouthPolescientificstationissituatedonaplatformofice,3,000－4,000metreshigh,butunderonlyafewmillimetresofsnow.Wehaveaminimumof28people

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livinghereinthewinterandamaximumof125inthesummer.Thelivingquarters

aremodestwithfewluxuries,butcosy.There’sa

comfortabledormitoryfor

sleeping,thecanteenservesgreatfood,andthere'sawell-stockedlibraryof

DVDs

andvideos.Butshowersandlaundryarelimited,becausewaterisveryvaluable.We

discourageyoufromsmokingexceptinspecificareas.Medicalassistanceisavailable

incaseofanemergency.

Anyotheradvice?

Rememberthatconventionalequipmentdoesn

’talwaysworkasitshoulddo.Ifyou

useanelectricdrill,thepowercordwillsnap.Photographyistrickytoo,asfilmis

fragile

andthecamerabatterydoesn’tworkinthecold.

Don’t

leaveanyrubbish,anddon’tforgetthattheecologyofAntarctica

isvery

delicate,sodon’ttakeanysouvenirshomewithyou,andbecarefultoleavenothing

butfootprints.

Finally,rememberthatwe

’reallvisitorstotheSouthPole.It

’saprivilege,nota

tocometothisextraordinaryplace.

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）.Withverylittle

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contactbetweenChinaandtheWest,itisnotsurprisingthatpeopleinarichpowerfulplacelikeVenicecouldnotbelievehisstories,norintheideaofhuge,richcitystatesinhabitedbymillionsofpeople.TherecouldsurelybenocomparisonwithVenice?

AgeneralmythhasgrownuparoundMarcoPolothatheintroducedsuchthingsasspaghettiandicecreamfromChinatotheWest.Thereisnotruthto