1、Module 1Antarctica:the last continentAntarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It's also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometres around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high m

2、ountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world's ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permane

3、ntly in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometres thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometres.Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable place.Yet Antarctica is full

4、 of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions.There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days (the longest period of continuous darkness on earth), as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, mean

5、s that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.Most of the ice has been there for thousands of

6、 years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the worlds climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for resear

7、ch. Most of them are meteorites from outer space. One rock, known us the “ Alien rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Since most Antarctic rocks arc dark in colour, they stand out against the while background and are easy to identify and collect.Antarctica was the last continent to

8、be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti-Arktikos , or Antarctica: the opposite of Arctic. When Europeans discovered the continent of America in the 15th cent

9、ury, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18th century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the

10、 Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.Today scientists from many countries travel to Antarctica to study its resources. A spirit of international friendship has replaced the rivalry that existed between many

11、 of the earlier explorers. In 1961, a treaty signed by 12 countries, including Britain, France, and the USA, made Antarctica the world's biggest nature reserve. The aim of the treaty is to prevent the commercial and military use of the continent. In particular, it aims to keep Antarctica free fr

12、om nuclear tests and radioactive waste; to promote international scientific projects; and to end arguments about who owns the land. Today countries representing 80% of the world 's population have signed the treaty. Antarctica has become perhaps the most successful symbol of man's efforts to

13、 work together for progress and peace.How Failure Became SuccessOn 8th August, 1914,27 men who had replied to an advertisement in The Times boarded a ship leaving for the Antarctic. The name of the ship was the Endurance and the captain was an Irishman called Ernest Shackleton.The aim of the journey

14、 was to cross the frozen continent via the South Polea journey of 1,800 miles. Shackleton thought the journey would last six months.But when land came into sight, the Endurance became trapped in the ice and began to break up. Shackleton and his men watched the Endurance sink into the icy sea. They t

15、hen headed north, pulling three lifeboats behind them.After six days, bad weather forced them to give up and the men set up camp on a sheet of ice which began slowly moving across the Antarctic Circle.They survived on the ice for five months. Then, on 16th April, 1915,Shackleton saw land. It was Ele

16、phant Islanda large rock with nothing growing on it, but much better than a floating piece of ice. When they reached the island, Shackleton came up with an idea it was a risk but he would have to take it. He and five men would take one of the lifeboats, and sail 800 miles to South Georgia, where the

17、re was a permanent camp. They could then return to rescue the rest of the men.It took Shackleton 17 days to reach South Georgia. Unfortunately he landed on the wrong side of the island, and had to walk 36 hours over mountains to reach the camp. The whale hunters at the camp couldn't believe thei

18、r eyes when they saw the six men walking down from the mountains.Shackleton kept his promise. More than three months later, he returned to ElephantIsland to rescue the crew he had been forced to abandon. He had failed to reach the polebut he had saved the lives of all his men.Welcome to the South Po

19、les!South Poles? How many are there?In fact, there are three South Poles: a ceremonial Pole ,which is on the moving glacier, a geographical or true Pole, and a magnetic Pole.which changes its position according to the movement of the Earth.Is it safe?Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, t

20、he glare of the sunlight here is very intense. It 'aslso reflected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglassesand use suncream.If you don' tt,here 'assevere risk that you' lldamage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.Is it cold?Yes! Be very careful out in the ope n

21、 air! The temperature is betwee n mi nus 21 °C in the summer and minus 78 C in the win ter, and you can become numb with cold without realising. There's heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly an

22、d carry dry clothing and a portable radio.Is there anything good about the weather?The air is very pure, and it doesn't snowveornylymaubcohut four millimetres ayear. There's very little wind and the sky is usually clear. It's possibly the calmest place on Earth.What's it like to live

23、 here?Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some,depressing. We 're totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months.Where

24、do we live?The South Pole scientific station is situated on a platform of ice, 3,000's a comfortable dormitory for sleeping ,the canteen serves great food, and there's a well- stocked library of DVDs and videos. But showers and laundry are limited, because water is very valuable. We discoura

25、ge you from smoking except in specific areas. Medical assistance is available in case of an emergency.Any other advice?Remember that conventional equipment doesn' t always work as it should do. If youuse an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile a

26、nd the camera battery does'nt work in the cold.Don't leave any rubbish, and don't forget that the ecology of Antarctica is very delicate, so don't take any souvenirs home with you, and be careful to leave nothing but footprints.Finally, remember that we' re all visitors to the So

27、uth Pole. It's a privilege, not ato come to this extraordinary place.The Travels of Marco PoloThe year is 1271 AD. Imagine a 17- year-old boy from Venice, Italy, well- educated and trained for life as a rich trader. He sets off with his father and uncle on a 25year journey to mysterious, distant

28、 lands that most people in Europe have never heard of. While on their journey buying and selling spices, silks and jewels, they befriend one of the most powerful men on Earth, Kubla Khan.The boy' sname was Marco Polo and many years later a book about his travels was published which made him famo

29、us. Marco Polo told his fantastic stories to a writer named Rustichello who wrote them down for him. This man was well- known for his stories and romantic tales of the legendary English King Arthur, but so many people doubted the reliability of his book The Travels of Marco Polo. However, Chinese hi

30、storians have found obscure names and facts in the book that could only have been known to someone intimate with the country.Many of Marco 's stories were about China and its people. He told stories about the towns, cities and populations in great detail. He described the amazing things he saw i

31、n China such as paper money and black stone that burned (coal). With very little contact between China and the West, it is not surprising that people in a rich powerful place like Venice could not believe his stories, nor in the idea of huge, rich city states inhabited by millions of people. There c

32、ould surely be no comparison with Venice?A general myth has grown up around Marco Polo that he introduced such things as spaghetti and ice cream from China to the West. There is no truth to any of these claims and actually they are not mentioned in Marco Polo' s book.However, Marco Polo ' s

33、book is still a unique insight for its age. Most importantly it was a great influence for many future travellers.Christopher Columbus left behind a well- worn copy that he read as inspiration on his own voyages to America.Last Part of Journey for First Women to Cross AntarcticaThe first two women to

34、 cross the Antarctic continent on foot have begun the last part of their long journey. Liv Arnesen, who is 47 and comes from Norway, and Ann Bancroft, who is a 45-year-old from the USA, have been skiing across the ice since 13th November. They have been using sails to help them pull their equipment,

35、 which weighs 110 kilos, behind them.On Sunday they reached the Ross Ice Shelf, 90 days after they first left home. The Ross Ice Shelf is a flat piece of floating ice which is bigger than France. There are 750 kilometres of dangerous ice left to cross before they reach McMurdo Station. They must arr

36、ive there by 22nd February in order to board the ship which will be waiting for them. If they are late, the ship risks being trapped in the ice.The temperature is,on average, minus 34°C, but this is not extreme in polar exploration. When the wind blows it can be much colder. But it is summer in

37、 the Antarctic at the moment, so the sun never goes down it slays light 24 hours a day. There is no sound apart from the wind and sometimes a loud noise like a thunderstorm when a giant piece of ice breaks away from the shelf and falls into the sea. The main risk to polar explorers is not the cold;

38、it is sunburn. There are no clouds or pollution to hide the sun, so the air is very dear; you can see for 70 kilometres.Both the explorers used to be teachers. They have a satellite phone, so that they can talk around the world. As they cross the ice, heading towards the South Pole, schoolchildren f

39、rom all over the world are following them on the Internet. Miss Bancroft said that they did not feel alone knowing that so many people had made friends with them using the Internet.The two women have had to eat dried food, which they mix with snow and then cook. The food is enough for the body'

40、sneeds, but does not taste very good. “We are feeling very tired because of spending 91 days fighting the ice and wind. We are both a little thinner than when we started ，said Miss Bancroft, “it 's a dream come true for us but it will be good to get home, see our families and have a hot bath!Mod

41、ule 2The RenaissanceFor many people, the Renaissance means 14th to 16th century Italy, and the developments in art and architecture, music and literature which took place there at that time. But there is one work which, perhaps more than any other, expresses the spirit of the Renaissance: the Mona L

42、isa. It is believed to be the best example of a new lifelike style of painting that amazed people when it was first used. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the years 1503 1506, the Mona Lisa is a mysterious masterpiece. People want to know who Mona Lisa is, and why she is smiling. Even if people do no

43、t know much about the Renaissance, they have heard of this painting. But the Renaissance is, of course, more than just Mona Lisa. Renaissance is a French word which means “ rebirth it firasnt dappeared in English in the 19th century. The word was used to describe a period in European history which b

44、egan with the arrival of the first Europeans in America, an age of exploration, and the beginning of the modern world. It was as if Europe was waking up after the long sleep of the Middle Ages. From Italy, the ideas of the Renaissance rapidly spread northwards to France, Germany, England, and the re

45、st of Europe.Trade with other parts of the world meant that Europe was getting richer, too. This meant that people had money to spend on the arts; and it became easier for artists to find people who could afford to buy their works or employ them. Leonardo worked for important people such the Duke of

46、 Milan, and, towards the end of his life, theKing of France.Renaissance artists found new ideas for their work in classical Greece and Rome. But they looked forward, too, by opening new frontiers in the arts. Painters discovered how to perspective and the effects of light; composers put different vo

47、ices together and create polyphony (“ maneys"v)o; iacrchitects preferred designing buildings withmore light which contrasted with the heaviness of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages.The sense of exploration which motivated the artists went hand in hand with a new type of philosophy. After

48、 centuries of accepting a medieval world view in which human life was considered of little value compared with the greatness of God, philosophers began asking questions like“What isoar p“eWrshoyna?m I here? For the first time, they put people, not religion, at the centre of the universe.The Renaissa

49、nce was a time of scientific invention, too. Leonardo, as well as being one of the greatest painters the world has ever known, was also a skilled inventor. Wherever he went, he carried a notebook around with him, in which he wrote down his ideas. They included detailed drawings of the human body, pl

50、ans for engineers to build canals and bridges, and astonishing drawings of machines which were not to be built until hundreds of years later, such as aeroplanes, parachutes,submarines and tanks. Towards the end of his life he was employed by the King of 65 France to do scientific research, and he di

51、d not have a lot of time for painting.In short, Leonardo was an extraordinary genius, an example of what has been described as “Renaissanceman: someone interested in everything and with many different talents. But even if his only contribution to history had been the Mona Lisa, it would have been ge

52、nius enough for all time.READING AND WRITING (2)ThursdayWe arrived on the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland and took a train to Amsterdam Central Station. It was only a short ride. It ' s noetasy to find your way around the town. A lot of the roads follow the canals, which are n'sttraig

53、ht but are shaped like horseshoes. So you can walk along a street for half an hour or so and endup five minutes from where you started. However, most people don there a'ret walkthree million bikes in town and a good bus and tram system. There are boats, too. About half of them are for tourists,

54、the others are houseboats with people living on them. We spent the whole day walking. Tomorrow we're going to rent bikes.FridayWe spent today looking at houses. The architecture is astonishing, quite different from other European countries we've been to. The houses are tall and thin, and man

55、y of them have a fantastically ornate Renaissanceappearance.In the Middle Ages the houses were made of wood. Then, at the end of the 15th century there was a huge fire and about three quarters of the town was destroyed. After that, houses were made of brick. Unlike other places in Europe, where hous

56、e owners were taxed on the size of their windows, here the taxes depended on the width of the house so they kept them narrow, but built them tall. Well, that's what Claire says, and she read it in the guidebook.SaturdayWe visited the Van Gogh Museum, instead of the more famous Rijksmuseum. It wa

57、s astonishing. 1 hadn't really looked at any of Van Gogh 's paintings before. He seems to have re-invented the art. It doesn'mt atter whether he is doing a portrait or a landscape he'sa genius. In the last 70 days of his life before he shot himself he produced 70paintings, and I reck

58、on they're almost all masterpiecaellsh. iYselitfeinVan Gogh only ever sold one painting! We must have spent three hours in that museum. When we came out I told Claire I thought Van Gogh was the greatest painter in history. She reminded me that we were leaving for Paris tomorrow, where we were go

59、ing to see the most famous painting in the world .The Puzzle of the Mona LisaThe Mona Lisa is the subject of many stories, but there is one anecdote which remains a puzzle. Is the painting in the Louvre the authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci. or just a copy?The story began one day in 1911 when some

60、one noticed the Mona Lisa was missing. A spokesman said, “ The burglar left the antique frame and the glass behind.uHset m have gone through the basement to the main courtyard. A passerby saw a man with a moustache, carrying a parcel under his arm, dash over the street crossing, along to the crossroads.He then