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.

Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Someyearsagothecaptainofashipwasveryinterestedinmedicine.Healwaystookmedicinebookstoseaandlikedtotalkaboutdifferentdiseases.

Onedayalazysailoronhisshippretendedtobeill.Helayonhisbunk(铺)andgroanedasifhewereverysick.Thecaptaincametoseehimandwasverypleasedtohaveapatienttolookafter.Hetoldthemantorestforafewdaysandmadetheothersailorsdohiswork.Threedayslateranothersailorpretendedthathehadsomethingwrongwithhischest.Oncemorethecaptainlookedinhismedicalbooksandtold“sick”mantohavearest.

Theothersailorswereveryangrybecausetheyhadmoreworktodo.Thepatientshadthebestfoodandlaughedattheirfriendswhenthecaptainwasnotlooking.Atlastthemate(船长副手)decidedtocurethe“sick”men.Hemixedupsomesoap,soot(烟灰),glue(胶水)andotherunpleasantthings.Thenheobtainedpermissionfromthecaptaintogivehismedicinetothe“sick”men.Whentheytastedthemedicine,theyreallydidfeelill.Itwassohorriblethatoneofthepatientsjumpedoutofhibunk,ranupondeskandclimbedthehighestmastontheship.Hedidnotwantanymoremedicine.

Thematetoldbothofthementhattheymusttakethemedicineeveryhalfanhour,nightandday.Thissooncuredthem.Theybothsaidtheyfeltbetterandwantedtostartwordagain.Thecaptainrealizedthatthementriedtodeceivehimsohemadethemworkveryhardfortherestofthevoyage.

1.Thefirstsailorpretendedtobeillbecausehewantedto.

A.testthecaptain’sknowledgeofmedicine

B.befreefromwork

C.havethebestfoodontheship

D.playajokeonhisfriends

2.Whenthecaptainknewasailorwasill,he.

A.didn’tcaremuch

B.sentforadoctor

C.lookedafterhimandtoldhimtohavearest

D.gavehimsomemedicine

3.Thepatientsfeltbetterquicklybecause.

A.theyhadbeengivenpropermedicine

B.theylearnedthatthecaptainhadfoundoutthetruth

C.theywerelaughedatbytheirfriends

D.themedicinethemategavewashorrible

4.Whenthecaptainknewhehadbeendeceived,he.

A.toldthemnottodosoagain

B.losthistemper

C.madethemworkharder

D.firedthem

5.Whichofthefollowingbestsummarizesthepassage?

A.AsuddenCure.

B.TwoPatients.

C.CaptainandSailors.

D.ADifficultVoyage.

Thevisitorsplannedto________________(花最少的时间游览公园以外的地方).

翻译：

Thecaptainrealizedthatthementriedtodeceivehimsohemadethemworkveryhardfortherestofthevoyage.(PassageOne)

翻译：

如今，中国正步入老龄化社会，因此独生子女一代面临着巨大的工作和生活压力。中国政府开始适当调整计划生育政策，允许一些家庭在特殊情况下生育二胎。但调查显示，很多夫妻迫于不断加重的经济压力，放弃生育二胎。因此，要从根本上解决老龄化的问题不能依靠出生率的上升，最有效的办法是建立有效的社会保障制度。