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1、精品_精品资料_Module 1 Antarctica:the last continent1 Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. Its also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarcticais technicallya desert. Covering about 14millionsquare kilometres around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high
2、 mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs fromeast 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 i
3、n the ice cap. On average it is two kilometres 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 roundthe coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable place. 2 Yet Antarctica is full of
4、wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme 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
5、 few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are notrees 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 year
6、s. As a result, it has become a window 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. Mo
7、st of them are meteorites from outer space. One rock, known us the“ Alien r”ock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Since most Antarcticrocks 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 di
8、scovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called itAnti-Arktikos, or Antarctica:the opposite of Arctic. When Europeans discovered the continent of America in the 15th century, the
9、 great age of exploration began. 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 Antarct
10、ic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.5 可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_Today scientists from many countries travel to Antarctica to study its resources. A spirit of international friendship has replaced the rivalry that ex
11、isted between many of the earlier explorers. In 1961, a treaty 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 Antar
12、ctica free from nuclear tests and radioactive waste; to promote international scientific projects; and to end arguments about who owns the land. Today countries representing 80% of the world s population have signed the treaty. Antarctica has become perhaps the most successful symbol of mans efforts
13、 to work together for progress and peace.How Failure Became 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 jour
14、ney was to cross the frozen continent via the South Poleajourney 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
15、then headed north, pulling three lifeboats behind them.After 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 sawland. It was Ele
16、phant Islanda large rock with nothinggrowing on it, but much better than a floating piece of ice. When they reached the island, Shackleton came up with an idea it 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 ther
17、e was a permanent camp. They could then return to rescue 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
18、 when they saw the six men walking down from the mountains.Shackleton kept his promise. More than three months later, he returned to Elephant可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_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.Welco
19、me to the South Poles.South Poles. How many are there.In fact, there are three South Poles: a ceremonial Pole ,which is on the moving glacier, a geographicalor truePole, 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
20、altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very intense. It aslso reflected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglassesand use suncream.If you don tt,here assevere risk that you lldamage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.Is it cold.Yes. Be very careful out in the open air.
21、 The temperature is between minus 21 in the summer and minus 78 in the winter, and you can become numb with coldwithout realising. There s heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it s quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly andcarry dry clothing a
22、nd a portable radio.Is there anything good about the weather.The air is very pure, and it doesn t snowveornylymaubcohut four millimetres a year. Theres very littlewind and the sky isusually clear. It s possibly the calmest place on Earth.Whats it like to live here.Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and
23、 sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some,depressing. We re 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 i
24、s situated on a platform of ice, 3,000 s a comfortable dormitory for sleeping ,the canteen serves great food, and theres a well-可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_stocked library of DVDs and videos. But showers and laundry are limited, because water is very valuable. We discourage you from smoking except in sp
25、ecific areas. Medical assistance is available in case of an emergency.Any other advice.Remember that conventional equipment doesn t always work as it should do. If you use an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film isfragile and the camera battery doesnt work in
26、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 footprints.Finally, remember that we re all visitors to the South Pole. It s a privilege, not to come to this extraordinary
27、place.TheTravelsofMarcoPoloThe 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 his father and uncle on a 25- year journey to mysterious, distant lands that most people in Europe have never heard of. While on their
28、 journey buying and selling spices, silks and jewels, they befriend one of the most powerful men on Earth, Kubla Khan.The boy sname was Marco Polo and many years later a book about his travels waspublished which made him famous. Marco Polo told his fantastic stories to a writer named Rustichello who
29、 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 reliabilityof his book The Travels of Marco Polo. However, Chinese historians have found obscure names and facts in the book that could only have
30、 been known to someone intimate with the country.Many of Marco s stories were about China and its people. He told stories about thetowns, cities and populations in great detail. He described the amazing things he saw in China such as paper money and black stone that burned coal. With very little con
31、tact 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 city states inhabited by millions of people. There could surely be no comparison with Venice.可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_A general myth has
32、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 Polo s book.However, Marco Polo s book is still a unique insight for its age. Most importantly itwas a gr
33、eat influence for many future travellers.Christopher Columbus left behind a well- worn copy that he read as inspiration on his own voyages to America.Last Part of Journey for First Women to Cross Antarctica 1 The first two women to cross the Antarctic continent on foot have begun the last part ofthe
34、ir long journey. Liv Arnesen, who is 47 and comes from Norway, and Ann Bancroft, who is a 45-year-old from the USA, have been skiing across the ice since 13th November. They have been using sails to help them pull their equipment, which weighs 110 kilos, behind them.2 On Sunday they reached the Ross
35、 Ice Shelf, 90 days after they first left home. The Ross Ice Shelf is a flat piece of floating ice which is bigger than France. There are 750 kilometres of dangerous ice left to cross before they reach McMurdo Station. They must arrive there by 22nd February in order to board the ship which will be
36、waitingfor them. If they are late, the ship risks being trapped in the ice. 3 The temperature is,on average, minus 34,but this is not extreme inpolarexploration. When the wind blows it can be much colder. But it is summer in the Antarctic at the moment, so the sun never goes down it slays light 24 h
37、ours a day. There isno sound apart fromthe windand sometimes a loudnoise likea thunderstorm when a giant piece of ice breaks away from the shelf and falls into the sea. The main risk to polar explorers is not the cold; it is sunburn. There are no clouds or pollution to hide the sun, so the air is ve
38、ry dear; you can see for 70 kilometres.4 Both the explorers used to be teachers. They have a satellite phone, so that they can talk around the world. As they cross the ice, heading towards the South Pole,可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_schoolchildren from all over the world are following them on the Interne
39、t. Miss Bancroft said that they did not feel alone knowing that so many people had made friends with them using the Internet.5 The two women have had to eat dried food, which they mix with snow and then cook. The food is enough for the body sneeds, but does not taste very good. “We are feeling very
40、tired because of spending 91 days fighting the ice and wind. We are both a little thinner than when we started ,”said Miss Bancroft, “its a dream come truefor us but it will be good to get home, see our families and have a hot bath.”Module 2The RenaissanceFor many people, the Renaissance means 14th
41、to 16th century Italy,and the developments in art and architecture, music and literature which took place there at that time. But there is one work which, perhaps more than any other, expresses the spirit of the Renaissance: the Mona Lisa. It is believed to be the best example of a new lifelike styl
42、e of painting that amazed people when it was first used. Painted by Leonardo da Vinciinthe years 1503 1506, the Mona Lisa is a mysteriousmasterpiece. People want to know who Mona Lisa is, and why she is smiling. Even ifpeople do not know much about the Renaissance, they have heard of this painting.
43、But the Renaissance is, of course, more than just Mona Lisa. Renaissance is a Frenchword which means“ rebirthi”t firasnt dappeared in English in the 19th century. Theword was used to describe a period in European history which began with the arrival of the first Europeans in America, an age of explo
44、ration, and the beginning of the modern world. It was as if Europe was waking up after the long sleep of the Middle Ages. From Italy, the ideas of the Renaissance rapidly spread northwards to France, Germany, England, and the rest of Europe.Trade with other parts of the world meant that Europe wasge
45、tting richer, too. This meant that people had money to spend on the arts; and it became easier for artists to find people who could afford to buy their works or employ them. Leonardo workedfor important people such the Duke of Milan, and, towards the end of his life, the可编辑资料 - - - 欢迎下载精品_精品资料_King
46、of France.Renaissance artists found new ideas for their work in classical Greece and Rome. But they looked forward, too, by opening new frontiers in the arts. Painters discovered how to perspective and the effects of light; composers putdifferent voices together and create polyphony “ maneysvo; iacr
47、chitects preferred designing buildings with more light which contrasted with the heaviness of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages.The sense of exploration which motivated the artists went hand in hand with a new type of philosophy. After centuries of accepting a medieval world view in which hum
48、an life was considered of littlevalue compared withthe greatness of God, philosophers began asking questions like“ What isoar p“eWrshoyna.m I ”here. ” For the first time, they put people, not religion, at the centre of the universe.The Renaissance was a time of scientific invention, too. Leonardo, as well as being one of the greatest painters the world has ever known, was also a skilled inventor. Wherever he went, he carried a notebook around with hi