In the most southern part of our planet, there’s a place that’s covered with snow and ice all year round. But it has the clearest and cleanest air. Amazingly, in this place, the sun sometimes hangs even in the midnight sky. This place is Antarctica (南极洲): the coldest, windiest and harshest (恶劣的) place on the Earth.

As the world’s least-known place, Antarctica is of great interest to scientists around the world. In 1983, China joined the Antarctic Treaty (《南极条约》). The treaty made Antarctica a peaceful place for member countries to do scientific research. During 30 years, China has sent many scientists to Antarctica. They mostly look at the resources under the icy land and do research about climate change and marine (海洋的) biology.
Antarctica is a place with fantastic views. However, life there is very hard. Food is one of the biggest problems. Frozen (速冻) food which can be heated easily is people’s daily food. Fresh vegetables are hard to grow in the cold weather. Therefore, scientists often eat dried or canned vegetables.
Sleep is also troublesome. In Antarctica, summer lasts from November to March. During this period, Antarctica points to the sun and receives sunlight 24 hours a day. In order to get some sleep, scientists cover the windows with black plastic cloth to create “night”.
Working in Antarctica is dangerous, especially when meeting gale-force (七级以上的) winds. Sometimes the wind is even stronger than a typhoon. It can easily blow people away. So there are ropes that connect buildings of some research stations. People can hold these ropes to keep their balance in forceful winds.
What’s more, communicating with others is difficult. Without cables and Internet in some research stations, two-way radios are the only tools to communicate. If people want to say hello to friends and relatives, they can use satellite phones.
Although it is challenging to work in Antarctica, scientists’ passion to learn about this mysterious land will never end. It is hopeful that one day they will step every corner of this icy land.
小题1:From Paragraph 1, we learn that the Antarctica ______.

A．is covered with snow and ice

B．rains heavily from time to time

C．has little wind most of the time

D．has sunshine during every night

小题2:Scientists from China go to Antarctica to _____.

A．find out ways to control water pollution

B．research climate change and marine biology

C．grow plants and vegetables in special condition

D．stop the hunters from killing the marine biology

小题3:In order to sleep well in Antarctica, the scientists have to _____.

A．wear more clothes to keep warm

B．cover the windows with black cloth

C．connect research stations with ropes

D．eat more fried and canned vegetables

小题4:We can replace (替换) the underlined word passion in the last paragraph with       .

A．strong love

B．full preparation

C．pleasant introduction

D．amazing imagination

小题5:The passage is mainly about       .

A．view of the Antarctica

B．exploring the Antarctica

C．how to survive in the Antarctica

D．climate changes of the Antarctica

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard NASA’s Space Elevator. We’re going to leave soon. The entire ride will take about five hours, so sit back and enjoy the trip. As we rise, be sure to look out the window. You’ll see the sky change from deep blue to black. It is one of the most wonderful views（景色）you will ever see! ”
Does this sound like the Sci-Fi Channel? Well, it’s not. Scientists are thinking that a “space elevator” will be possible toward the end of the 21st century. A space elevator will consist of a long cable (电缆) from the Earth’s surface into space to an altitude(高度) of about 35,786 km. “Elevators” will travel along the cable and move people and loads between Earth and space. One of the greatest advantages is that the cost will be much less. Researchers estimate (估计) that a passenger with baggage at 150 kg might cost only $222! Compare that to today’s cost of around $3.3 million for the same weight. It would make “cheap” space travel possible. Scientists believe carbon nanotubes (纳米管) may be used to make high-strength materials for the cables, although they are still being studied.
It was Arthur C. Clarke who brought this idea to the general public. In his science fiction novel Fountains of Paradise, engineers build a space elevator on top of a mountain peak on an island. One day, Clarke was asked a question by a student during his speech. The student asked when the space elevator would become a reality. Clarke answered, “Probably about 50 years after everybody stops laughing.” He’s got a point. When we stop thinking of something as impossible, then we start working on its development.
小题1:Why should passengers in a space elevator look out the window while they are moving into space?

A．Because the blue sky is very beautiful.

B．Because the view outside is wonderful.

C．Because the sky changes from black to blue.

D．Because the trip will take about seven hours.

小题2:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Scientists haven’t used carbon nanotubes to make the cables.

B．Traveling in space elevators will cost much less in the future.

C．Passengers will be able to travel in space elevators with baggage.

D．Space elevators will travel for 35,786 km around the Earth’s surface.

小题3:What is the best title for this passage?

A．Possible Now: Space Travel	B．Cheap Space Travel
C．Going into Space in an Elevator	D．Space Travel — Impossible