Unit1Nothingventured，nothinggained-section2PartTwo:TeachingResourcesSection2:BackgroundinformationforUnit1Nothingventured,nothinggained1.AboutAntarcticaAntarcticaisacontinentsurroundingtheEarth'sSouthPole.ItisthecoldestplaceonEarthandisalmostentirelycoveredbyice;however,itisalsotheworld'slargestdesert.ItisnottobeconfusedwiththeArctic,whichislocatedneartheEarth'sNorthPoleontheoppositesideoftheplanet.AlthoughmythsandspeculationaboutaTerraAustralis("SouthernLand")gobacktoantiquity,thefirstcommonlyacceptedsightingofthecontinentoccurredin1820andthefirstverifiedlandingin1821bytheRussianexpeditionofMikhailLazarevandFabianGottliebvonBellingshausen.(SeealsoHistoryofAntarctica.)Withanareaof13,200,000km²,Antarcticaisthefifthlargestcontinent,afterAsia,Africa,NorthAmerica,andSouthAmerica.However,itisbyfarthesmallestinpopulation:indeed,ithasnopermanentpopulationatall.Itisalsothecontinentwiththehighestaveragealtitude,andthelowestaveragehumidityofanycontinentonEarth,aswellasthelowestaveragetemperature.2.ClimateofAntarctica.Antarcticaisthecoldestplaceonearth.Temperaturesreachaminimumofbetween-85and-90degreesCelsiusinthewinterandabout30degreeshigherinthesummermonths.Weatherfrontsrarelypenetratefarintothecontinent,leavingthecentercoldanddry.Thereislittleprecipitationoverthecontinent,buticetherecanlastforextendedtimeperiods.NearlyallofAntarcticaiscoveredbyanicesheetthatis,onaverage,2.5kilometersthick.Attheedgeofthecontinent,strongkatabaticwindsoffthepolarplateauoftenblowatstormforce.Intheinterior,however,windspeedsareoftenmoderate.Dependingonthelatitude,longperiodsofconstantdarkness,orconstantsunlight,meanthatclimatesfamiliartohumansarenotgenerallyavailableonthecontinent.Geography3.GeographyofAntarcticaThecontinentofAntarcticaislocatedmostlysouthoftheAntarcticCircle,surroundedbytheSouthernOcean.PhysicallyAntarcticaisdividedintwobymountainsclosetotheneckbetweentheRossSeaandtheWeddellSea.TheportionofthecontinentwestoftheWeddellSeaandeastoftheRossSeaiscalledWesternAntarcticaandtheremainderEasternAntarctica,sincetheycorrespondroughlytotheeasternandwesternhemispheresrelativetotheGreenwichmeridian.WesternAntarcticais4.SirErnestHenryShackleton(1874-1922)ErnestShackletonhasbecomeanexampleofbrilliantleadershipability.Fromanearlyage,SirErnestShackletonknewhewouldbecomeanexplorer:'IseemedtovowtomyselfthatsomedayIwouldgototheregionoficeandsnowandgoonandontillIcametooneofthepolesoftheearth,theendoftheaxisuponwhichthisgreatroundballturns.'Thisdreamexplainswhyhedidn'tbecomeadoctorashisfatherwanted.Instead,hewenttoseaattheageof16,travellingthroughtheFarEastandAmericaandbytheageof24hadqualifiedtobecomeaMaster,makinghimabletocaptainaBritishshiponanysea.用心爱心专心116号编辑OnleaveinLondonin1900,ShackletonvolunteeredforScott'sNationalAntarcticExpedition.Shackleton,havingimpressedthoseclosetotheexpeditionwithhispersonality,waschosentogowithScotttotheSouthPoleonthefamousDiscoveryexpeditioninthesummerof1901.Thetripwouldbeabittersweetone,asShackletonbecameseriouslyillonthejourneyandhadtobereturnedhome.Itwasnotanemptyjourney,however,asShackletongainedinvaluableexperienceinAntarcticexpeditioning.Oncerecovered,hewasaskedtotakeashiptorescueScottanddissuadehimfromcontinuingforanotherwinteratthePole.Shackletondeclined,wantingnottosaveScott,but'provehimselfabetterman'withhisownexpedition.HisdreamwasrealisedascommanderoftheNimrodExpedition(1907-09),duringwhichhisteamclimbedMountErebus,madenumerousimportantscientificdiscoveriesandsetarecordbycomingwithin97milesoftheSouthPole.Knightedin1909,hecommandedanothervoyagefrom1914-1916ontheEndurance.Theshipwascrushedintheicein1915,yetheledhismentosafetyagainstallodds-makinganincrediblejourneyacross800frozenmilestoSouthGeorgiatogetaid--atestamenttohisskillasaleaderofmen.Shackleton'slastjourneywouldbewiththegoalofcircumnavigatingtheAntarcticcontinent.Undergreatmentalandphysicalstress,ShackletondiedonSouthGeorgiaIslandwherehiswifeinsistedhebeburied.用心爱心专心116号编辑
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