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  3. North Pole Explorations If Santa Clans really does reside at the North Pole, he must live a lonely life. The North Pole isn’

North Pole Explorations If Santa Clans really does reside at the North Pole, he must live a lonely life. The North Pole isn’

admin2010-07-24  43
问题                       North Pole Explorations
    If Santa Clans really does reside at the North Pole, he must live a lonely life. The North Pole isn’t what most of us would consider a hospitable place as the average winter temperature there is 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (华氏温度) (-40 Celsius). And while Santa’s reindeer are considered Arctic animals, not much life actually calls the North Pole its permanent home.
    For adventurers, the North Pole is comparable to outer space: an unknown frontier that’s ripe for exploration--and exploitation. The region doesn’t belong to any one country, so there are always disputes about who can lay claim to the untapped natural resources there. And although the prospect of melting ice around. the North Pole isn’t pleasant from a global warming standpoint, it could make those resources easier to reach.
North pole location
    There are two North Poles. The one most people think of is the geographic North Pole, which is located approximately 450 miles (724 kilometers), north of Greenland, at 90 degrees north latitude. The magnetic North Pole is based on the Earth’s magnetic field and is slowly drifting across the Canadian Arctic.
    Because all lines of longitude converge (向中聚集) at the North Pole, it’s not technically in any time zone (or, it’s in every time zone, del)ending on your perspective). As a result, we generally use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) at the. North Pole. Coordinated Universal Time is used mostly in astronomy and navigation: It’s similar to Greenwich Mean Time (the time kept on the Greenwich meridian, longitude zero) but scientifically more precise.
    The sun sets at the North Pole in early October. The next sunrise is in early March. In between, there’s a continuous twilight as the Earth moves on its axis. As a result of all this, the North Pole is obviously cold. In the winter, when the North Pole is farthest from the sun on the Earth’s axis, the average temperature is -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 Celsius) during December and January, but can dip into the negative 50s. The seawater beneath the ice of the North Pole is a relatively mild-28 degrees F (-33 C). In the summer, the Pole averages 32 degrees F (0 C). But the North Pole isn’t as cold as it used to be.
History of North Pole expeditions
    People have always had the desire to explore new plies. Explorers throughout history have been motivated--at least in part--by the promise of fame and fortune, and North Pole exploration is no exception. The first North Pole explorers were in search of the Northwest Passage, a route through the Arctic that would create easier trade--and great wealth--for the country that discovered it. When these explorers came back with tales of diamonds and coal near the Pole, the world started seeing the Arctic as a frozen treasure chest. In fact, a U. S. Geological Survey estimates that nearly 25 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas are buried in the Arctic, which is a big reason for the disputes among the countries that are eager to claim the region for themselves.
    There were occasional North Pole expeditions in the 18th century (in 1755, the British Parliament offered a reward to the first ship to come within a degree of the Pole), but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that things really got going. In 1908, American Frederick Albert Cook was the first person to claim to have reached the North Pole. But his countryman Robert Edwin Peary, with support from Cook’s traveling companions, disputed the claim, and Cook was widely discredited.
    Peary (with a team of 24 men, 19 sledges and 133 sled dogs) ended up making the first undisputed visit to the North Pole on April 6, 1909. But there’s still some controversy attached to the claim, mostly because of Peary’s improbable 37-day time frame. Most expeditions of the era took months--at least--to come close to the goal. However, in April 2005, explorer Tom Avery recreated Peary’s sled expedition with the same materials and supplies; he beat Peary’s time by five hours. Some still doubt that Peary actually made it to the exact geographic North Pole, but he usually gets the credit for being first.
Trekking (艰苦跋涉)to the North Pole
    So, have we inspired you to brave the elements and make your own trek to the North Pole? You’re definitely going to want a heavy-duty coat and the best gear, but the most important part of your preparation may be making a warm fat layer on your own body. So start eating. Whatever your method of travel--skiing, hiking, road biking, dog sledding--you can expect to consume a couple thousand calories a day more than that dining training. The fat layer you build up will also help maintain your internal temperature--your body has to work extra hard to do this in subzero temperatures.
    While you’re making a few extra trips to the buffet, you can start planning your trek. We’ll begin with the gear. You’ll need several layers of clothing for the same reason you need the extra fat. The problem with such a demanding trek is that if your layers are too heavy, you could overheat, and sweat would immediately freeze to your skin. So, thinner, loose-fitting base layers made of sweatwicking material are your best bet. For your feet, you’ll probably want to invest in some snowshoes, because the snow and ice can get pretty deep. And so you don’t get lost, you’ll definitely want to bring a GPS system.
Planning a North Pole expedition
    You also need to know when to go. The two-month period between March and May is your best bet. If you make the trip before March, don’t expect a lot of sightseeing, because it will be dark the entire time--not to mention a lot colder. But if you go much later than May, you’ll encounter melting conditions. There isn’t any actual land underneath the North Pole, so you probably shouldn’t attempt that unless you feel like swimming in the Arctic Ocean.
    Now that you have the time, you’ll need a place to begin your journey. If you’re coming from the Canadian side, Resolute Bay is where you’ll start. From there, you’ll take a four-hour ride in a small plane, after which you’ll refuel and fly the rest of the way to your jumping-off place, Ward Hunt Island.
    Time frames for North Pole trips vary, depending on your mode of transportation. If you take a dog-sledding or skiing trip to the North Pole with Polar Adventures, for example, expect a weeklong training camp and a two-to-three-week trek. The cost for a dogsled trek can top $ 50,000.
What has caused the disputes among countries at the North Pole?
选项 A、The rich natural resources.
B、The unknown frontier.
C、The melting ice.
D、The global warming effect.
答案A
解析 事实细节处设题。本题考查各国关于什么而起纷争。根据about后的内容可知，各国纷争的原因是为了北极富饶的自然资源。因此选项A为答案。
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