Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes) Passage 1 Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage：
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 Shackleton, 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 techniques of former explorers, and, although still calling for courage and feats of 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.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 mapping of the whole of the interior presents 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 large’ treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, an 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 airfields for the future intercontinental air service by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will completely change, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flight 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 party 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 health climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilized this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sicknesses and disease 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 centre of human life and endeavor.
21.When did man begin to explore the Antarctic? A) About 100 years ago. B) In this century. C) At the beginning of the 19th century. D) In 1798.
22.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.
23.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 the whole territory. D) Setting up permanent bases on the coasts.
24.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the Antarctic? A) Magnesite, coal and oil. B) Copper, coal and uranium. C) Silver, natural gas and uranium. D) Aluminum, copper and natural gas.
25. 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
Passage One 短文大意： 人类在大约一百多年以前开始探索南极。南极的发现不仅证实了它是所有地理探险中最有趣的一个，而且创造了被称之为南极探险的英雄时代。很少有人意识到南极洲和南美洲差不多大，有许多领域有待于研究：海岸线有待于测量，丰富的矿产资源有待于开发，飞行路线将完全改变。另外，世界上最有益于健康的气候也是在南极地区。现在人们已计划在南极建立永久性基地，不久前被认为是“死亡之洲”的南极大陆现在将成为人类生活和奋斗的最活跃的中心。 21. 【参考译文】人类在什么时候开始探索南极的？【试题分析】本题测试的是文章的细节部分。【详细解答】在本文第一段中的第二个句子中可以找出本题的答案。By their tremendous heroism, men such as Shackleton, 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.(谢克雷登，斯戈特和艾门得逊等人以他们大无畏的英雄创举使这块新大陆从阴影中清晰地出现在人们的面前，而这个不到一百年的英雄时代已经过去。)从中可以看出，人们探索南极早在大约一百年以前就已经开始了，因此A最符合本题的题意。 22. 【参考译文】即使探险者用现代化的装备和技术，他们也必须做到什么？【试题分析】本题测试的是对句意的理解。【详细解答】在南极探险，探险者不仅需要现代化的装备，而且要有足够的勇气和坚忍不拔的精神，二者缺一不可。正如文中所述：Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the techniques of former explorers, and, although still calling for courage and feats of endurance, … （现代化和发明正在使以前的探险者的技术发生革命性的变化，虽然仍需要勇气和忍受力。）从文中可以看出，革命化加现代化才是探险者克服困难进行探索的必备条件。由此可见，A项选择符合本题题意。 23. 【参考译文】对该大陆有什么计划？【试题分析】本题是道细节分析题。【详细解答】第三段文中对该题所问有明确的答复：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.（目前的飞行路线将彻底改变，因为南极加油站将使从澳大利亚到南美的5000多英里的航程变得相当容易。）在南极建简易机场、地面站，进行洲际通航是人类计划做或正在做的事情。因此D项为最佳选择。 24. 【参考译文】我们可以在南极找到什么样的金属和矿物？【试题分析】本题测试的是文中的细节部分。【详细解答】在第二段文字中，我们可以知道何种金属可以在南极找到：… and almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man.（几乎是取之不尽的铜、煤、铀和许多其他矿物资源供人类使用。）这里取之不尽的矿物资源主要是指铜、煤和铀。至于其他矿物，并没有具体指出其名字，因此，B项为本题正确选择。 25. 【参考译文】世界上最有益于健康的气候是在哪里。【试题分析】本题为细节题。【详细解答】在文中第四段中作者直接地告诉人们：Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilized this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sicknesses and diseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown.（伯德甚至断言南极大概是世界上最有益于健康的地方，因为千万年以来严寒已经给这个大陆进行了消毒，使这一地区没有细菌生长，结果使得在其他气候各异的大陆所患的一般性和重大疾病在这个地区却闻所未闻。）由此可见世界上最有益于健康的气候是在南极而不是在其他任何地方。
