高中外研版英语教材选修8课文文档格式.docx

1、Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. Its also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometres around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range,

2、runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the worlds ice, and most of its fresh water （70%） is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilom

3、etres thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometres.Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable place.2_Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extrem

4、e conditions.There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days （the longest period of continuous darkness on earth）, as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there.

5、 Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.3_Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window

6、 on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the worlds climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites from outer

7、space. One rock, known us the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Since most Antarctic rocks arc dark in colour, they stand out against the while background and are easy to identify and collect. 4_Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousan

8、d years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti-Arktikos, or Antarctica: the opposite of Arctic. When Europeans discovered the continent of America in the 15th century, the great age of exploration began.

9、However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18th century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole

10、 had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.5_Today scientists from many countries travel to Antarctica to study its resources. A spirit of international friendship has replaced the rivalry that existed between many of the earlier explorers. In 1961, a t

11、reaty signed by 12 countries, including Britain, France, and the USA, made Antarctica the worlds biggest nature reserve. The aim of the treaty is to prevent the commercial and military use of the continent. In particular, it aims to keep Antarctica free from nuclear tests and radioactive waste; to p

12、romote international scientific projects; and to end arguments about who owns the land. Today countries representing 80% of the worlds population have signed the treaty. Antarctica has become perhaps the most successful symbol of mans efforts to work together for progress and peace.How Failure Becam

13、e SuccessOn 8th August, 1914,27 men who had replied to an advertisement in The Times boarded a ship leaving for the Antarctic. The name of the ship was the Endurance and the captain was an Irishman called Ernest Shackleton.The aim of the journey was to cross the frozen continent via the South Polea

14、journey of 1,800 miles. Shackleton thought the journey would last six months.But when land came into sight, the Endurance became trapped in the ice and began to break up. Shackleton and his men watched the Endurance sink into the icy sea. They then headed north, pulling three lifeboats behind them.A

15、fter six days, bad weather forced them to give up and the men set up camp on a sheet of ice which began slowly moving across the Antarctic Circle.They survived on the ice for five months. Then, on 16th April, 1915,Shackleton saw land. It was Elephant Islanda large rock with nothing growing on it, bu

16、t much better than a floating piece of ice. When they reached the island, Shackleton came up with an ideait was a risk but he would have to take it. He and five men would take one of the lifeboats, and sail 800 miles to South Georgia, where there was a permanent camp. They could then return to rescu

17、e the rest of the men.It took Shackleton 17 days to reach South Georgia. Unfortunately he landed on the wrong side of the island, and had to walk 36 hours over mountains to reach the camp. The whale hunters at the camp couldnt believe their eyes when they saw the six men walking down from the mounta

18、ins.Shackleton kept his promise. More than three months later, he returned to Elephant Island to rescue the crew he had been forced to abandon. He had failed to reach the polebut he had saved the lives of all his men.Welcome to the South Poles!South Poles? How many are there?In fact, there are three

19、 South Poles: a ceremonial Pole ,which is on the moving glacier, a geographical or true Pole, and a magnetic Pole.which changes its position according to the movement of the Earth.Is it safe? Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very intense. Its also ref

20、lected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglasses and use suncream.If you dont, theres a severe risk that youll damage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.Is it cold?Yes! Be very careful out in the open air! The temperature is between minus 21 in the summer and minus 78 in the wi

21、nter, and you can become numb with cold without realising. Theres heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if its quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly and carry dry clothing and a portable radio.Is there anything good about the weather?The air is v

22、ery pure, and it doesnt snow very muchonly about four millimetres a year. Theres very little wind and the sky is usually clear. Its possibly the calmest place on Earth.Whats it like to live here?Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absenc

23、e of daylight can be tiresome, and for some, depressing. Were totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months.Where do we live?The South Pole scientific station is situated on a platform of ice, 3,0004,000 metres high, but under onl

24、y a few millimetres of snow. We have a minimum of 28 people living here in the winter and a maximum of 125 in the summer. The living quarters are modest with few luxuries,but cosy.Theres a comfortable dormitory for sleeping ,the canteen serves great food, and theres a well-stocked library of DVDs an

25、d videos. But showers and laundry are limited, because water is very valuable. We discourage you from smoking except in specific areas. Medical assistance is available in case of an emergency.Any other advice?Remember that conventional equipment doesnt always work as it should do. If you use an elec

26、tric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile and the camera battery doesnt work in the cold.Dont leave any rubbish, and dont forget that the ecology of Antarctica is very delicate, so dont take any souvenirs home with you, and be careful to leave nothing but fo

27、otprints.Finally, remember that were all visitors to the South Pole. Its a privilege, not a right to come to this extraordinary place.The Travels of Marco PoloThe year is 1271 AD. Imagine a 17- year-old boy from Venice, Italy, well- educated and trained for life as a rich trader. He sets off with hi

28、s father and uncle on a 25-year journey to mysterious, distant lands that most people in Europe have never heard of. While on their journey buying and selling spices, silks and jewels, they befriend one of the most powerful men on Earth, Kubla Khan.The boys name was Marco Polo and many years later a

29、 book about his travels was published which made him famous. Marco Polo told his fantastic stories to a writer named Rustichello who wrote them down for him. This man was well- known for his stories and romantic tales of the legendary English King Arthur, but so many people doubted the reliability o

30、f his book The Travels of Marco Polo. However, Chinese historians have found obscure names and facts in the book that could only have been known to someone intimate with the country.Many of Marcos stories were about China and its people. He told stories about the towns, cities and populations in gre

31、at detail. He described the amazing things he saw in China such as paper money and black stone that burned （coal）. With very little contact between China and the West, it is not surprising that people in a rich powerful place like Venice could not believe his stories, nor in the idea of huge, rich c

32、ity states inhabited by millions of people. There could surely be no comparison with Venice?A general myth has grown up around Marco Polo that he introduced such things as spaghetti and ice cream from China to the West. There is no truth to any of these claims and actually they are not mentioned in Marco Polos book.However, M