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.

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

PartIIICloze

Directions:Therearetwentyblanksinthefollowingpassage.Foreachblanktherearefourchoices.ChoosetheonethatbestfitsintothepassageandthenmarksyouranswerontheAnswerSheet.

In1982,MarkThatcher,thesonofMrs.Thatcherwasreported61intheSaharaDesertwhilecompetingintheGrandPrixmotorracefromParistoDakar.Thissadnews,so62,shooktheusuallycalmandunperturbedseasonedpolitician63herbalance.Thoughshedidherbesttopretendasif64hadhappenedandmadeherpublicappearancesasusual,peoplecouldnot65tonoticethatshewasnolongertheold66primeministerwhoalwayshadeverything67control.68shehadbecomeaverysadmotherwhowasunabletorecoverfromhershock.

Oneday,whenshewastospeakataluncheonparty,areportercaughther69herguardby70upthesubjectofhermissingsonagain.Shewastotallymentally71forthequestionandlostherselfcontrol.Tearswererollingdownhereyesasshesobbinglytoldthereporterthatthere72stillnonewsofMarkandthatshewasveryworriedabouthim.Shesaidthatallthecountries73hadpromisedtodotheirbesttohelpherfindherson.74thatshebrokedowncompletelyandsobbedsilentlyforquiteawhile.Graduallyshe75downandstartedtospeakas76.itwasaverymovingscenewhich77anewsideofMrs.Thatcher’scharacterthepublicdonotusuallysee,78peoplebegantotalkabouttheIronWoman’smaternallove,asentimentthatis79toallhumankind.

LaterMarkreturned80andsoundtohismother’sside,good-humoredandallsmilesasusual,asifnothingunusualhadeverhappened.TheIronWoman,however,brokedownagainaswassobbingforthesecondtime.

61.A.missingB.missedC.wantingD.wanted

62.A.expectedB.expectingC.unexpectedD.unexpecting

63.A.withB.onC.outD.off

64.A.somethingB.anythingC.nothingD.everything

65.A.missB.failC.pretendD.expect

66.A.reassuredB.self-assuredC.assuringD.self-assuring

67.A.forB.beneathC.belowD.under

68.A.InsteadB.howeverC.ThereforeD.So

69.A.intoB.outofC.onD.off

70.A.puttingB.bringingC.takingD.giving

71.A.readyB.preparedC.unpreparedD.unexpected

72.A.wasB.wereC.shouldbeD.wouldbe

73.A.concerningB.concernedC.worryingD.worried

74.A.AtB.BeforeC.AfterD.With

75.A.satB.brokeC.calmedD.became

76.A.plannedB.planningC.plansD.aplan

77.A.explainedB.exposedC.excludedD.exclaimed

78.A.howeverB.insteadC.soD.but

79.A.universalB.uniqueC.singleD.strange

80.A.safeB.safelyC.sightD.hearing

Thematterisnottobe____.

PartIVTranslation

Itwouldhavebeendifficultforthemtoavoidtheconclusionthatthehorseandmulepopulationwoulddeclinerapidly.(PassageFour)