After discovering the American land, people went on exploring. Read the text on P 158 and find out what the unknown southern land refers to, Australia or Antarctica? ( Antarctica.)

Read more carefully and answer more questions.

1. Who was the first to put the land of Antarctica, as we know now, on the map?

2. What did they think of the land? How did Captain Cook prove that there was no southern continent like that?

3. Did Captain Cook reach Antarctica? Did he discover it? What did he put on the map instead?

1. A Greek map maker.

2. It was surrounded by a ring of fire with a mild climate and wealthy people.He saw icebergs on 10 December, 1772 and for the next two summers, he sailed between iceberg.

3. Yes, he did. No, he didn’t. He put Australia on the map istead.

Now, time goes to the 1920s. By the middle of the 1920s, the farthest corners of the earth had already been explored. That is the seven continents and the four oceans had been mapped. Then what did people explore? Turn to P 16 and have a look at the title. Going high: The Pioneer of the third pole. Can you guess the meaning of going high? (climbing the mountains) So where is the third pole? Mount Qomolangma or Antarctica? (Mount Qomolangma)

Read the text quickly and find out the answer to this question: Who was the first to reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma? When and what nationality were they?

Scanning

Title Going High: the Pioneers of the Third Pole

P1 By the middle of 1920s, Mount Qomolangma remained to be greatest challenge for human beings.

P2 Climbing Mount Qomolangma was dangerous and it seemed almost impossible because of its extreme conditions.

P3 Sherpas prove to be the ideal guide since the first attempt.

P4 Though several attempt failed in 1920s, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their first successful attempt to the summit in 1953.

P5 After the first successful attempt to conquer Mount Qomolangma, it remains man’s great challenges until now.

P6 The Chinese successfully reached the summit of it in 1960.

P7 Over the past 40 years, other 29 Chinese reached the summit for scientific research or sport.

Read the text and answer the following questions.

Why do you think the writer call Mount Qomolangma the third pole?

(First, the North Pole and the South Pole lie respectively in the southernmost and northernmost points of the world, while Mount Qomolangma stands the highest in the world. Second, like the North Pole and the South Pole, it is hard for people to conquer because of the extreme conditions.)

Why can the Tibetans live at ease in such extreme conditions?

Because they have lived there for centuries and have adjusted to the condition.

What makes Sherpas the most reliable guides in every attempt to climb Mount Qomolangma?

Because they are strong, skillful, honest and dedicative.

What might have been the possible reasons that made British expeditions fail in 1922 and 1924?

They were not prepared for many unexpected difficulties and they were not very familiar with Mount Qomolangma.

Why could the two Newzealanders make it to the summit of Mount Qomolangma?

After World War 2, technological advances in clothing and equipment had been made and more was known about the mountain itself.

When did Chinese first reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma? Who were they?

On May 25 of 1960. Gongbu, Wang Fuzhou, and Qu Yinhua.

What evidence does the Chinese team have to prove that they really reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma?

An iron container with the national flag and a portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong.

By now, how many Chinese have climbed Mount Qomolangma successfully, 29, 32 or more than that?

More than 32.

How to understand these sentences and phrases?

Going to Mount Qomolangma was like going to the moon.

Going to Mount Qomolangma was regarded as difficult as going to the moon.

The death Zone

People find it impossible to live in the area.

They had no idea what they were up against.

They didn’t know what conditions they were going to face.

English air

Oxygen brought by the British expeditons.

Like winning in the Olympic Games, climbing a mountain such as Mount Qomolangma is a great personal achievment.

Mountain climbing itself means exploring human possibilities and every success proves the conqueror’s courage, endeavor and ability.

Language points

1. suggest vt.

建議,提議[+v-ing][+(that虛擬)][+n]

I suggested a visit.

I suggest our going to the park on Sunday.

我建議我們星期天去公園。

The dentist suggested that she (should) come another day. 牙醫建議她改天再來。

暗示; 啟發[+(that陳述)，不能接不定式],

Her expression suggested pleasure./that she was pleased. 她面露喜色。

使人想起,使人聯想到[(+to)]

That cloud suggests a boat to me. 那朵云使我聯想到船。

2. accomplish vt.

完成,實現,達到

They didn't accomplish the purpose desired. 沒有達到預期的目的。

They have accomplished their mission successfully. 他們成功地完成了任務。

走完,度過

She has accomplished 95 years of her life. 她已達九十五高齡。

The journey was accomplished in five weeks. 花了五個禮拜走完全部旅程。

3.apart from 除了，≈besides

Apart from Beijing, they have visited Tianjing,Nanjing,Jinan and Qingdao.

4.adjust to

The foreignners have adjusted to life in Beijing.

5.refer to

查閱，參閱

A person refers to a dictionary to find the meaning of the words.

指……而言，指的是

I knew the lady was referring to Bill when she spoke of a bright young boy.

把……稱作(as)

Don’t refer to your sister as a silly cow!

refer…to

指導；讓……找

Our teacher refers us to many good books.

If he needs any further information, refer him to me.

歸功于；歸咎于

He referred his success to the good teaching he’s had.

6. make it be successful in one’s career

He had never made it as a film star but he at last made it as a president.

7.arise (arose, arisen) vi.

升起,上升

A heavy mist arose from the lake. 湖面起了濃霧。

產生,出現,形成[(+from/out of)]

Unexpected difficulties arose in the course of their experiment.

在他們進行實驗的過程中,出現了意想不到的困難。

Between the copartners serious disagreements arose.

合伙人之間產生了嚴重分歧。

8. be praised as =be honored as

The athletes who won medals in the Olympics are praised as national heroes.