Question

【題目】

Antarctica (南極洲) is the fifthlargest continenton Earth. It is also the coldest, windiest, driest and highest. It is an ice-covered place where no large plants grow, and no land animals live there. Antarctica covers an area of more than 13.6 million square kilometres. It is nearly twice the size of Australia, or one-and-a-half times the size of the United States of America.

Antarctica does not belong to one country, and it has no government. People visit Antarctica – usually as tourists, or to do scientific research – but no one lives there all the time.

Antarctica was the last place to be discovered. It is not certain who first saw Antarctica, but sailors began to map Antarctica’s coast from their ships in the 1800s. The first proved landing was in the mid-1890s.

Over the next few years, several men tried but failed to reach the South Pole, which is the Earth’s southernmost point.

Finally, a team led by Norwegian Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911. By then, countries around the world were becoming more and more interested in the frozen place, and soon Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom had laid claim（聲稱）to parts of Antarctica.

As so many nations had made a claim to govern in Antarctica, it was clear that fighting might break out. Diplomats(外交官) from different countries wanted to stop a war from starting, so they began talking about a treaty for Antarctica. A treaty is a written agreement signed by two or more nations.

Several countries had already set up research stations in Antarctica where scientists could live and work. Most scientists worked during the summer months when it was not as cold as in winter. Scientists hoped a treaty would allow them to continue their work and to exchange information with scientists from other countries.

Answer the following questions. (No more than six words)

【1】What’s the area ofAntarctica?

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【2】When did sailors begin to map Antarctica’s coast from their ships?

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【3】What do we call the Earth’s northernmost point?

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【4】How many nations had laid claim to parts of Antarctica?

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【5】Why did diplomats from different countries begin talking about a treaty for Antarctica?

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Answer 1

【答案】

【1】More than/ over 13.6 million square kilometres.

【2】In the 1800s.

【3】The North Pole.

【4】Seven / Seven nations/ 7.

【5】To stop/ prevent/keep a war from starting.

【解析】

文章主要介紹了南極洲是世界上第五大洲，非常寒冷，并介紹了其相關(guān)的一些信息。

【1】

根據(jù)文中Antarctica covers an area of more than 13.6 million square kilometres.可知，南極洲的面積超過1360萬平方公里，故答案為More than/ over 13.6 million square kilometres.

【2】

根據(jù)文中It is not certain who first saw Antarctica, but sailors began to map Antarctica’s coast from their ships in the 1800s.可知，在19世紀(jì)，水手們開始從他們的船上繪制南極洲的海岸圖，故答案為In the 1800s.

【3】

根據(jù)文中Over the next few years, several men tried but failed to reach the South Pole, which is the Earth’s southernmost point. 在接下來的幾年里，幾名男子試圖到達南極，但未能到達地球最南端�？芍�地球的最南端指的是南極，最北端則是北極故答案為The North Pole.

【4】

根據(jù)文中By then, countries around the world were becoming more and more interested in the frozen place, and soon Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom had laid claim（聲稱）to parts of Antarctica. 那時，世界各國對這片冰凍的土地越來越感興趣，很快阿根廷、澳大利亞、智利、法國、新西蘭、挪威和英國都對南極洲的部分地區(qū)提出了主權(quán)要求�？芍�有七個國家提出了主權(quán)要求，故答案為Seven / Seven nations/ 7.

【5】

根據(jù)文中Diplomats(外交官) from different countries wanted to stop a war from starting, so they began talking about a treaty for Antarctica. 來自不同國家的外交官希望阻止戰(zhàn)爭的爆發(fā)，所以他們開始討論南極洲條約�？芍�討論條約是為了阻止戰(zhàn)爭的爆發(fā)，故答案為To stop/ prevent/keep a war from starting.