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The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, but created what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration”. By their tremendous heroism, men such as Shakleton, Scott, and Amundsen caused a new continent to emerge from the shadows, and yet that heroic age, little more than a century old, is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the endurance, future journeys into these icy wastes will probably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar traction rather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable and hardly comparable.

Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America, and enormous field of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted, and the maping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, and almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.

The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light, and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.

The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd has shown that the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness and diseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown. There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may even be that later generations will come to regard the Antarctic as the natural storehouse for the whole world.

Plans are already on foot to set up permanent bases on the shores of this continent, and what so few years ago was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active center of human life and endeavor.

1.When did man begin to explore the Antarctic
A.About 100years ago.
B.In this century.
C.At the beginning of the 19th century.
D.In 1798.

2.What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniques
A.Brave and tough
B.Stubborn and arrogant.
C.Well-liked and humorous.
D.Stout and smart.

3.The most healthy climate in the world is___.
A.in South America.
B.in the Arctic Region.
C.in the Antarctic Continent.
D.in the Atlantic Ocean.

4.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the Antarctic
A.Magnetite, coal and ores.
B.Copper, coal and uranium.
C.Silver, natural gas and uranium.
D.Aluminum, copper and natural gas.

5.What is planned for the continent
A.Building dams along the coasts.
B.Setting up several summer resorts along the coasts.
C.Mapping the coast and whole territory.
D.Setting up permanent bases on the coasts.

答案和词汇讲解

答案：AACBD

词汇讲解

1. caterpillar 链轨, 履带车; 坦克车; 履带拖拉机

A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.
蝴蝶是由毛虫蜕变而成的。

Jacob was a hairy man; a hairy caterpillar.
雅各是个多毛的男人；毛虫。

2. formidable 可怕的, 可畏的

To grapple with an unexpectedly formidable opponent.
遇上劲敌与一名出乎意料难对付的对手拼搏

The king's mother was formidable old lady.
国王的母亲是个令人望而生畏的老妇人。

3. inexhaustible 无穷尽的, 用不完的

I shall die again and again to know that life is inexhaustible.
我将死了又死，以明白生是无穷无尽的。

These guerrilla units are powerful auxiliaries to the main force and serve as inexhaustible reserves for its continuous growth.
这种广大的游击部队，造成这个主力的丰富的羽翼，又是这个主力继续扩大的不断的源泉。

4. insuperable 不能克服的, 难以超越的

Your 15th difficulty not insuperable expect your utmost endeavor advise result
15日电悉，困难并非不可克服，望尽最大努力并电告结果。