Whyaretoday'soldermiddle-agedandelderlybecomingthenewwinners?

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.

Iftheoldmaximthatthecustomerisalwaysrightstillhasmeaning,thentheairlinesthatplytheworld’sbusiestairroutebetweenLondonandParishaveaflightontheirhands.

TheEurostartrainservicelinkingtheUKandFrenchcapitalsviatheChannelTunneliswinningcustomersinincreasingnumbers.InlateMay,itcarrieditsonemillionthpassenger,havingrunonlyalimitedservicebetweenLondon,ParisandBrusselssinceNovember1994,startingwithtwotrainsadayineachdirectiontoParisandBrussels.By1997,thecompanybelievesthatitwillbecarryingtenmillionpassengersayear,andcontinuetogrowfromthere.

FromJuly,EurostarstepsitsservicetoninetrainseachwaybetweenLondonandParis,andfivebetweenLondonandBrussels.Eachtraincarriesalmost800passengers,210oftheminfirstclass.

Theairlinesestimatethattheywillinitiallylosearound15%-20%oftheirLondon-ParistraffictotherailwaysonceEurostarstartsafullservicelaterthisyear(1995),with15trainsadayeachway.AsimilarservicewillstarttoBrussels.Thedamagewillbelimited,however,theairlinesbelieve,withpassengernumbersreturningtopreviouslevelswithintwotothreeyears.

Intheshortterm,thedamagecausedbythe1millionpeople-levelstravelingbetweenLondonandParisandBrusselsonEurostartrainsmeansthatsomeairservicesarealreadysuffering.Someofthemajorcarrierssaythattheirpassengernumbersaredownbylessthan5%andpointtotheirrivals-ParticularlyAirFrance-ashavingsufferedtheproblems.OntheBrusselsroute,therailwaycompanyhadlesssuccess,andtheairlinesreportanythingfromarounda5%droptonovisibledeclineintraffic.

Theairlines’optimismonreturningtrafficlevelsisbasedonhistoricalprecedent.BritishMidland,forexample,pointstoitsexperienceonHeathrowLeedsBradfordservicewhichsawpassengernumbersfoldby15%whenBritishRailelectrifiedandmodernizedtherailwaylinebetweenLondonandYorkshire.Twoyearslater,travelhadrisenbetweenthetwodestinationstothepointwheretheairlinewascarryingrecordnumbersofpassengers.

1.Britishairlinesconfideinthefactthat__.

A.theyaremorepowerfulthanotherEuropeanairlines.

B.theirtotallosswon’tgobeyondadropof5%passengers.

C.theirtrafficlevelswillreturnin2-3years.

D.travelingbyrailcannevercatchupwithtravelingbyair.

2.Theauthor’sattitudetowardsthedropofpassengersmaybedescribedas__.

A.worried.B.delightedC.puzzled.D.unrivaled.

3.Inthepassage,BritishRail(Para6)ismentionedto__.

A.provideacomparisonwithEurostar.

B.supporttheairlines’optimism.

C.provetheinevitabledropofairpassengers.

D.callforelectrificationandmodernizationoftherailway.

4.Therailway’sBrusselsrouteisbroughtforthtoshowthat__.

A.theEurostartrainserviceisnotdoinggoodbusiness.

B.theairlinescanwellcompetewiththerailway.

C.theEurostartrainserviceonlycausedlittledamage.

D.onlysomeairlines,suchasAirFrance,aresuffering.

5.Thepassageistakenfromthefirstofanessay,fromwhichwemaywellpredictthatinthefollowingparttheauthorisgoingto__.

A.praisetheairlines’clear-mindedness.

B.warntheairlinesofhigh-speedrailservices.

C.proposeareductionofLondon/Parisflights.

D.advisetheairlinestofollowBritishMidlandastheirmodel.

PartVWriting

Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteacompositiononthetopic:KeepingFit.Youshouldwriteatleast100—120wordsandyoushouldbaseyourcompositionontheoutline(giveninChinese)below:

1、保持健康的重要性;

2、保持健康的有效途径;

3、我的做法。

Whiledoingcalculationfortheproject,thedesigners____anewsolutiontoageologicalproblem.