_____,hecannowonlywatchitonTVathome.

ThediscoveryoftheAntarcticnotonlyprovedoneofthemostinterestingofallgeographicaladventures,butcreatedwhatmightbecalled“theheroicageofAntarcticexploration”.Bytheirtremendousheroism,mensuchasShakleton,Scott,andAmundsencausedanewcontinenttoemergefromtheshadows,andyetthatheroicage,littlemorethanacenturyold,isalreadypassing.Modernscienceandinventionsarerevolutionizingtheendurance,futurejourneysintotheseicywasteswillprobablydependonmotorvehiclesequippedwithcaterpillartractionratherthanonthedogsthatearlierdiscoverersfoundsoinvaluableandhardlycomparable.

FewrealizethatthisAntarcticcontinentisalmostequalinsizetoSouthAmerica,andenormousfieldofworkawaitsgeographersandprospectors.Thecoastsofthiscontinentremaintobeaccuratelycharted,andthemapingofthewholeoftheinteriorpresentsaformidabletasktothecartographerswhoundertakethework.Oncetheirlaborsarecompleted,itwillbepossibletoprospectthevastnaturalresourceswhichscientistsbelievewillfurnishoneofthelargesttreasurehoardsofmetalsandmineralstheworldhasyetknown,andalmostinexhaustiblesourcesofcopper,coal,uranium,andmanyotheroreswillbecomeavailabletoman.SuchdiscoverieswillusherinaneraofpracticalexploitationoftheAntarcticwastes.

Thepolardarknesswhichhidesthiscontinentforthesixwintermonthswillbedefeatedbyhugebatteriesoflight,andmakepossibletheestablishingofair-fieldsforthefutureinter-continentalairservicesbymakingtheseareasaslightasday.Presentflyingrouteswillbecompletelychanged,fortheAntarcticrefuelingbaseswillmakeflightsfromAustraliatoSouthAmericacomparativelyeasyoverthe5,000milesjourney.

Theclimateisnotlikelytoofferaninsuperableproblem,fortheexplorerAdmiralByrdhasshownthattheclimateispossibleevenformencompletelyuntrainedforexpeditionsintothosefrozenwastes.Someofhispartiesweremenwhohadneverseensnowbefore,andyetherecordsthattheysurvivedtherigorsoftheAntarcticclimatecomfortably,sothat,providedthattheappropriateinstallationsaremade,wemayassumethathumanbeingsfromallcountriescouldlivetheresafely.Byrdevenaffirmsthatitisprobablythemosthealthyclimateintheworld,fortheintensecoldofthousandsofyearshassterilizethiscontinent,andrendereditabsolutelygermfree,withtheconsequencesthatordinaryandextraordinarysicknessanddiseasesfromwhichmansuffersinotherzoneswithdifferentclimatesarehereutterlyunknown.Thereexistnoproblemsofconservationandpreservationoffoodsupplies,forthelatterkeepindefinitelywithoutanysignsofdeterioration;itmayevenbethatlatergenerationswillcometoregardtheAntarcticasthenaturalstorehouseforthewholeworld.

Plansarealreadyonfoottosetuppermanentbasesontheshoresofthiscontinent,andwhatsofewyearsagowasregardedasa“deadcontinent”nowpromisestobeamostactivecenterofhumanlifeandendeavor.

1.WhendidmanbegintoexploretheAntarctic?

A.About100yearsago.

B.Inthiscentury.

C.Atthebeginningofthe19thcentury.

D.In1798.

2.Whatmusttheexplorersbe,eventhoughtheyhavemodernequipmentandtechniques?

A.Braveandtough

B.Stubbornandarrogant.

C.Well-likedandhumorous.

D.Stoutandsmart.

3.Themosthealthyclimateintheworldis___.

A.inSouthAmerica.

B.intheArcticRegion.

C.intheAntarcticContinent.

D.intheAtlanticOcean.

4.WhatkindofmetalsandmineralscanwefindintheAntarctic?

A.Magnetite,coalandores.

B.Copper,coalanduranium.

C.Silver,naturalgasanduranium.

D.Aluminum,copperandnaturalgas.

5.Whatisplannedforthecontinent?

A.Buildingdamsalongthecoasts.

B.Settingupseveralsummerresortsalongthecoasts.

C.Mappingthecoastandwholeterritory.

D.Settinguppermanentbasesonthecoasts.

.IfyouhavereallybeenstudyingEnglishforsolong,it’sabouttimeyou_____abletowritelettersinEnglish.

Thematterisnottobe____.

Californiaisalandofvarietyandcontrast.Almosteverytypeofphysicallandfeature，sortofarcticicefieldsandtropicaljunglescanbefoundwithinitsborders.Sharplycontrastingtypesoflandoftenlieveryclosetooneanother.PeoplelivinginBakersfield，forinstance，canvisitthePacificOceanandthecoastalplain，thefertileSanJoaquinValley，thearidMojaveDesert，andthehighSierraNevada，allwithinaradiusofabout100miles.Inotherareasitispossibletogosnowskiinginthemorningandsurfingintheeveningofthesameday，withouthavingtotravellongdistance.ContrastaboundsinCalifornia.ThehighestpointintheUnitedStates(outsideAlaska)isinCalifornia，andsoisthelowestpoint(includingAlaska)。MountWhitney，14，494feetabovesealevel，isseparatedfromDeathValley，282feetbelowsealevel，byadistanceofonly100miles.Thetwoareashaveadifferenceinaltitudeofalmostthreemiles.Californiahasdeep，clearmountainlakeslikeLakeTahoe，thedeepestinthecountry，butitalsohasshallow，saltydesertlakes.IthasLakeTulainyo，12，020feetabovesealevel，andthelowestlakeinthecountry，theSaltonSea，236feetbelowsealevel.Someofitslakes，likeOwensLakeinDeathValley，arenotlakesatall：theyaredrieduplakebeds.Inadditiontomountains，lakes，valleys，deserts，andplateaus，CaliforniahasitsPacificcoastline，stretchinglongerthanthecoastlinesofOregonandWashingtoncombined.

1.WhichofthefollowingisthelowestpointintheUnitedStates?

A.LakeTulainyoB.MojavedesertC.DeathValleyD.TheSaltonSea

2.WhereisthehighestpointintheUnitedStateslocated?

A.LakeTahoe.

B.SierraNevada.C.MountWhitney.

D.Alaska.

3.HowfarawayisDeathValleyfromMountWhitney?

A.About3miles.

D.14，494feet.

4.WhichofthefollowingisNOTmentionedinthepassageasbeingwithinaradiusofabout100milesofBakersfield?

A.ThePacificOcean.

B.SanJoaquinValley.

C.MojaveDesert.

D.OregonandWashington.

5.WhichstatementbestdemonstratesthatCaliforniaisalandofvarietyandcontrast?

A.ThehighestlakeinCaliforniaisLakeTulainyo.

B.ItispossibletogosurfingandsnowskiinginsomepartsofCaliforniawithouthavingtotravellongdistance.

C.SierraNevada，SanJoaquinValley，MojaveDesertandthePacificOceanallliewithinaradiusofabout100miles.

D.OwensLake，inDeathValley，isnotreallyalakeatall.