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.
翻译训练:普通话与方言
中国土地广阔,人口众多。尽管全国都讲汉语,但是不同地区的人说汉语的方式不同,这被称为方言。方言一般被称为地方话,是汉语在不同地区的分支,只在特定地区使用。汉语方言非常复杂。它们有以下三方面不同:发音、词汇和语法。发音的区别最为显著。2000多年前,中国人发现社交时应该使用统一的语言。和方言相比,普通话(mandarin)能被所有人理解。普通话有利于不同种族、地区人民之间的信息传递和文化交流。
PartIVTranslation
Thecaptainrealizedthatthementriedtodeceivehimsohemadethemworkveryhardfortherestofthevoyage.(PassageOne)
Passage4
Questions16to20arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
Cultureshockisanoccupationaldisease(职业病)forpeoplewhohavebeensuddenlytransplantedabroad.
Cultureshockiscausedbytheanxietythatresultsfromlosingallfamiliarsignsandsymbolsofsocialintercourse.Thosesignsareasfollowing:whentoshakehandsandwhattosaywhenmeetpeople,whenandhowtogivetips,howtomakepurchases,whentoacceptandrefuseinvitations,whentotakestatementsseriouslyandwhennot.Thesesigns,whichmaybewords,gestures,facialexpressions,orcustoms,areacquiredbyallofusinthecourseofgrowingupandasmuchapartofourcultureasthelanguagewespeakorthebeliefsweaccept.Allofusdependonhundredsofthesesignsforourpeaceofmindandday-to-dayefficiency,butwedonotcarrymostatthelevelofconsciousawareness.
Nowwhenanindividualentersastrangeculture,allormostofthesefamiliarsignsareremoved.Nomatterhowbroadmindedorfullofgoodwillyoumaybeaseriesofsupportshavebeenknockedfromunderyou,followedbyafeelingoffrustration.Whensufferingfromcultureshockpeoplefirstrejecttheenvironmentwhichcauseddiscomfort.Thewaysofthehostcountryarebadbecausetheymakeusfeelbad.Whenforeignersinastrangelandgettogetherincomplainaboutthehostcountryitspeople,youcanbesurethattheyaresufferingfromcultureshock.
16.Accordingtothepassage,cultureshockis.
A.anoccupationaldiseaseofforeignpeopleB.mayleadtoveryserioussymptoms
C.actuallynotadiseaseD.incurable
17.Accordingtothepassage,cultureshockresultfrom.
A.thesuddenchangeofsocialatmosphereandcustoms
B.thesuddenchangeofourdailyhabits
C.thesuddenlossofourownsignsandsymbols
D.thediscomfortthatwefeelwhenfacedwithaforeigner
18.Whichoneofthefollowingmaynotbeasymptomofcultureshock?
A.Youdon’tknowhowtoexpressyourgratitude.
B.Youdon’tknowhowtogreetotherpeople.
C.Yousuddenlyforgetwhatawordmeans.
D.Youdon’tunderstandwhyaforeignershrugs.
19.Accordingtothepassage,howwouldapersonwhostaysabroadmostprobablyreactwhenheisfrustratedbythecultureshock?
A.Heismostlikelytorefusetoabsorbthestrangeenvironmentatfirst.
B.Heisreallytoacceptthechangeandadapthimselftothenewenvironment.
C.Althoughhetakestheculturedifferenceforgranted,hestilldoesn’tknowhowtodowithit.
D.Hemaybegintohatethepeopleorthingsaroundhim.
20.Themainideaofthispassageisthat.
A.cultureshockisanoccupationaldisease
B.cultureshockiscausedbytheanxietyoflivinginastrangeculture
C.cultureshockhaspeculiarsymptoms
D.itisveryhardtocopewithlifeinanewsetting
Ifyourcar_____anyattentionduringthefirst12months,takeittoauthorizeddealer.