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.
AACBD
暂无解析
PartIVTranslation
Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.(PassageTwo)
Advertisementsareaimedatpeoplesufferingfrommildcomplaintsbecause________.
Whichfactorpusheduphouseprices?
Thefirstparagraphisintendedto________.
Recentresearchhasclaimedthatanexcessofpositiveionsintheaircanhaveanilleffectonpeople’sphysicalorpsychologicalhealth.Whatarepositiveions?Well,theairisfullofions,electricallychargedparticles,andgenerallythereisaroughbalancebetweenthepositiveandthenegativecharged.Butsometimesthisbalancebecomesdisturbedandalargerproportionofpositiveionsarefound.Thishappensnaturallybeforethunderstorm,earthquakeswhenwindssuchastheMistral,HamsinorSharavareblowingincertaincountries.Oritcanbecausedbyabuild-upofstaticelectricityindoorsfromcarpetsorclothingmadeofman-madefibres,orfromTVsets,duplicatorsorcomputerdisplayscreens.
Whenalargenumberofpositiveionsarepresentintheairmanypeopleexperienceunpleasanteffectssuchasheadaches,fatigue,irritability,andsomesensitivepeoplesuffernauseaorevenmentaldisturbance.Animalsarealsoaffected,particularlybeforeearthquakes,snakeshavebeenobservedtocomeoutofhibernation,ratstofleefromtheirburrows,dogshowlandcatsjumpaboutunaccountably.ThishasledtheUSGeographicalSurveytofundanetworkofvolunteerstowatchanimalsinanefforttoforeseesuchdisastersbeforetheyhitvulnerableareassuchasCalifornia.
Conversely,whenlargenumbersofnegativeionsarepresent,thenpeoplehaveafeelingofwell-being.Naturalconditionsthatproducetheselargeamountsarenearthesea,closetowaterfallsorfountains,orinanyplacewherewaterissprayed,orformsaspray.Thisprobablyaccountsforthebeneficialeffectofaholidaybythesea,orinthemountainswithtumblingstreamsorwaterfalls.
Toincreasethesupplyofnegativeionsindoors,somescientistsrecommendtheuseofionisers:smallportablemachines,whichgeneratenegativeions.Theyclaimthationisersnotonlycleanandrefreshtheairbutalsoimprovethehealthofpeoplesensitivetoexcesspositiveions.Ofcourse,therearethedetractors,otherscientists,whodismisssuchclaimsandareskepticalaboutnegative/positiveionresearch.Thereforepeoplecanonlymakeuptheirownmindsbyobservingtheeffectsonthemselves,oronothers,ofanegativerichorpoorenvironment.Afterallitisdebatablewhetherdependingonseismicreadingstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethanwatchingthecat.
1.Whateffectdoesexceedingpositiveionizationhaveonsomepeople?
A.Theythinktheyareinsane.
B.Theyfeelratherbad-temperedandshort-fussed.
C.Theybecomeviolentlysick.
D.Theyaretootiredtodoanything.
2.Inaccordancewiththepassage,staticelectricitycanbecausedby___.
A.usinghome-madeelectricalgoods.
B.wearingclothesmadeofnaturalmaterials.
C.walkingonartificialfloorcoverings.
D.copyingTVprogramsonacomputer.
3.Ahighnegativeioncountislikelytobefound___.
A.nearapoundwithawaterpump.
B.closetoaslow-flowingriver.
C.highinsomebarrenmountains.
D.byarotatingwatersprinkler.
4.Whatkindofmachinecangeneratenegativeionsindoors?
A.Ionisers.
B.Air-conditioners.
C.Exhaust-fans
D.Vacuumpumps.
5.Somescientistsbelievethat___.
A.watchinganimalstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethandependingonseismography.
B.theunusualbehaviorofanimalscannotbetrusted.
C.neitherwatchingnorusingseismographsisreliable.
D.earthquake