英语专四阅读理解练习（十八）附答案解析

　　英语专四阅读提分的技巧来源于多做练习，不仅是为了高质快速选择答案正确，更重要的是希望同学们能从阅读理解练习中分析文章的布局安排，作者的意图，换位思考自己在专四写作中会如何运用。希望能对考生们有所帮助。

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

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

　　The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated byhuge 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 becompletely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights from Australia to SouthAmerica comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.

　　The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd hasshown that the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into thosefrozen wastes. Some of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet herecords that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, providedthat the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from allcountries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate inthe world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and renderedit absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness anddiseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterlyunknown. There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, forthe latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may even be that latergenerations 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 whatso few years ago was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active centerof 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：BDCBA

　　词汇讲解

　　1. comparatively 比较地,相当地,多少

　　All this was comparatively slow until, with thecoming of science, the tempo was suddenly raised.

　　所有这些发展都比较缓慢，直到出现了科学，其速度才突然加快。

　　The Norwegians live in a comparatively cold zone.

　　挪威人生活在比较寒冷的地区。

　　2. insuperable 不能制胜的, 不能克服的

　　The difficulties that confront us seem insuperable.

　　我们面临的困难似乎是不可克服的。

　　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。

　　3. sterilize 使成不毛,断种,杀菌

　　After her fourth child she decided to be/have herself sterilized.

　　她生了第四个孩子後决定做绝育手术.

　　The doctor performs operations with sterilized surgical instruments.

　　医生用消过毒的外科手术器械做手术。

　　4. deterioration 恶化,降低,退化

　　Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

　　恶化，败坏系统或社会不可避免的无法逆转的恶化或败坏

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