This past January, Captain Preet Chandi set foot on a historic, though decidedly icy, trail by becoming the first African woman to reach the South Pole alone, without assistance. While others might have been content to make history with this singular accomplishment, “Polar Preet” Chandi is not one to rest on her laurels (桂冠). The journey to the South Pole was merely “phase one” of a larger and even more extraordinary goal for the adventurous British Army officer.
For “phase two”, the 33-year-old has set her sights on crossing Antarctica — once again doing the journey alone and unsupported to become the first woman to achieve this goal.
On November 14, Chandi departed from Hercules Inlet, an ice-filled bay at the southwestern section of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf bordering the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Her goal is to reach Reedy Glacier within 75 days, a coast-to-coast journey consisting of roughly 1,100 miles. And “roughly” is the operative (关键的) word here — she’ll be pulling a sled with equipment, weighing about 264 pounds altogether, and she’ll be doing so in temperatures that can sink to minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
Her journey thus far required years of training. Prior to her 700-mile South Pole journey, she prepared by attending a polar survival course in Norway. She continued her training back home in the U.K. by dragging tires, the closest thing to pulling a sled, and a month-long practice run in Greenland. Ultimately, Chandi went on to finish her first South Pole expedition in 40 days, a full eight days ahead of schedule.
When not otherwise setting records of human endurance in extreme conditions, Chandi tries to inspire others in her day-to-day work.
Chandi will be posting interval voice blog updates of her phase two progress on her website, polarpret.com, where a live tracking map will also provide her current location at every point along her journey.
“Nothing is impossible. I’ve always had this idea that I can achieve something great, something that allows me to be a role model,” Chandi shared on her blog.
1. What made Chandi want to cross Antarctica?| A．Sticking to a promise. | B．Trying challenging things. |
| C．Raising money for poor women. | D．Realizing her childhood dream. |
| A．To hide the author’s bad memory of numbers. |
| B．To indicate there are more challenges facing Chandi. |
| C．To explain there is no proper word to describe the journey. |
| D．To show there is no official figure about the distance to Antaretica. |
| A．Survival training is a hard process. |
| B．Chandi got trained by pulling sleds. |
| C．The journey to the South Pole was eventful. |
| D．Chandi made full preparations for her adventure. |
| A．Inspiring and friendly. | B．Active and creative. |
| C．Confident and determined. | D．Adventurous and modest. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Carl Allamby, owner of two auto-repair shops with 11 employees, had become anxious, wishing for something more. At first, he thought it must have to do with growing his business even further. Therefore, the Ohio resident decided to go for his bachelor's degree in business management.
After taking classes part-time over the next five years, Allamby was told, unexpectedly, he had to take biology to get his degree. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. The biology class rekindled a childhood aspiration that he had put away somewhere deep within himself. “After the first day, I remembered this feeling of wanting to be a doctor back,” Allamby says.
Growing up in a poor African American neighborhood, he faced low expectations and numerous barriers to pursuing his dream. His school didn't offer the advanced science classes that might have led him on a medical path. Even if it had, doing well in school could prove unsafe—students who brought books back home would always be robbed. So he set aside thoughts of becoming a doctor in favor of a more realistic career path—fixing cars.
Years later, a different Carl Allamby, with the support of his wife and family, decided to skip business school in favor of the science classes he'd need for a second career as a health-care worker.
And in 2015, Allamby cut ties with his past, selling his two shops and everything that was in them. Then he started at Northeast Ohio Medical University. At the age of 47, as a medical doctor, he took a job in emergency medicine at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
“I heard so many that say you couldn't or shouldn't be a doctor”, he says. “Whether it's because of my age, my race, my upbringing, my past career—these are all good reasons why I shouldn't be here. And yet, here I am.”
1. Why did Carl take business management classes?| A．To hire more employees. | B．To get a bachelor's degree. |
| C．To better manage his two shops. | D．To expand his car fixing business. |
| A．Released. | B．Promoted. | C．Brought back. | D．Carried away. |
| A．The robbery happened to him. | B．Establishment of another career. |
| C．School's inability to offer related classes. | D．Low expectations from his neighborhood. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. |
| B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．A man owes his success to his family support. |
| D．A great effort of determinnation is the key to success. |
【推荐2】My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Carolina to spend a week with my husband in Florida. We were excited about the trip because we hadn’t seen him for five months, and my daughter missed her dad terribly.
As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle (过道). I asked two passengers in my row if they would exchange places with Kallie and me so that we could be together. They refused, saying they thought they should stay in their own seats. Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a panic several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, and therefore the whole family had been split up. The passengers in her row also refused to move elsewhere. She was very concerned about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody offered to help her. There were a troop of Boy Scouts (童子军) on board. Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, “Ma’am, I think we can help you.” He then spent five minutes rearranging his group so that enough space was left for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without complaint, and the mother’s relief was obvious.
Kallie, however, was beginning to worry at the thought of not being next to me. I told her that there wasn’t anything I could do. Amazingly, the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster, turned around to me and asked, “Would you and your daughter like our seats?” referring to himself and the Scoutmaster. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie’s window seat.
1. What made Kallie excited?| A．Travelling to Florida for the first time. | B．Seeing her father very soon. |
| C．Enjoying the beautiful scenery. | D．Having fun with other kids. |
| A．keep herself away from danger | B．stop her daughter from crying |
| C．make herself less nervous | D．sit together with her daughter |
| A．He made room for them. | B．He kept chatting with them. |
| C．He bought them tickets. | D．He carried luggage for them. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Humorous. | C．Creative. | D．Caring. |
【推荐3】Vegetable gardens may not be as visually pleasing as the variety of flowers, but Floridians looking to save some green by growing their own salad fixings can soon do so without fear. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed a law that bans local governments from carrying orders against homeowners from raising veggies in their yards.
The law, which takes effect July 1, puts an end to that particular power of towns and cities across the state to prohibit vegetable gardens for “aesthetic（审美的）purposes”.
The issue became a cause after a couple living in Miami Shores Village opposed the decision of a $ 50 a day fine for growing vegetables in their front yard, as they’d done for years.
Hermine Ricketts and her husband Tom Carroll fought City Hall in a case that wound its way up the state’s court system, with judges consistently ruling against their money-saving and health-conscious project.
After the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of Miami Shores’ right to control design and landscaping standards, the couple replaced their vegetables with pink flamingos (红鹳花) .
Their cause was not lost, however. State lawmakers proposed and passed a law that effectively voids the court rulings, with Rob Bradley, who sponsored the bill, reportedly calling the village’s action a “vast overreach”.
The lawmaker noted the difficulty that many families experience getting fresh and affordable food, calling bans against vegetable and fruit gardens ridiculous.
About a third of all households in the U. S. grow some of their own food, according to the National Gardening Association. The group says a 600-square-foot garden that costs around $ 70 a year to keep can grow 300 pounds of fresh produce worth about $ 600 annually.
1. Why will some Floridians plant salad fixings?| A．To protect the environment. | B．To beautify their home. |
| C．To build their own gardens. | D．To cut daily expenses. |
| A．They started a public health-conscious campaign. |
| B．They never gave in to the Miami Shores’ demand. |
| C．They paid a $50 daily fine to Miami Shores Village. |
| D．They were not backed by the Florida Supreme Court. |
| A．It’s sensible. | B．It’s ridiculous. |
| C．It’s ambitious. | D．It’s costly. |
【推荐1】Last winter, I visited my sister and brother-in-law’s house and had to park in a nearby parking lot because they didn’t have accessible parking. The snow was extremely heavy and there was lots of ice on the ground — not many people had ventured out that evening!
When I returned to my car around 11pm, I noticed that only my car was left there. Nervously, I quickly got into the car and let it warm up a bit. When I finally tried to drive away, my wheels began to spin. I was stuck! I spun and spun and wondered what to do.
All of a sudden, in my rear view mirror (后视镜), I saw four teen-aged boys approaching my car. They were walking side by side in a line and dressed a bit like gang members — at least I thought that’s what they looked like. My car was in a very isolated area and I began to panic. I was certain they were coming to my car to harm me. Terrified, I just froze. One of the young men tapped on my window and said “Excuse me, Ma’am, can we help you? You seem stuck.” Still afraid and fearing the worst, I said “I am stuck.” And the young man said “It’s okay, stay in your car and we’ll push you out of the snow.” And they did!
When they finally got me out of the snow, they smiled and waved. I rolled down my window and thanked them, embarrassed to have judged them so poorly.
1. What happened to the author when she wanted to drive home?| A．Her car wouldn’t start up. |
| B．Her car was stuck in the icy snow. |
| C．She was lost in the darkness. |
| D．She was too cold to drive away. |
| A．She was afraid of being harmed. |
| B．She sat in her car for too long. |
| C．She was cold on that freezing evening. |
| D．She knew they would rob her of the car. |
| A．One of the four teenagers was a gang member. |
| B．They were all from a military school. |
| C．They wanted to give the author a hand. |
| D．They enjoyed pushing cars out of the snow. |
| A．Terrified and upset. |
| B．Worried and hopeless. |
| C．Happy but sorry. |
| D．Thankful but ashamed. |
【推荐2】“She is a girl, not a boy,” my grandfather said, expressing his disappointment. Like most families in China, he believed that his bloodline passes down through the male side. Because of China’s one-child policy, my mother wouldn’t have a second chance to have a boy.
In keeping with the traditional family hierarchy(等级制度), my grandfather had the honor of naming me. He chose Xiǎoxiá which means “early morning light”—the time of my birth. “Xiá also shares the same character as Dānxiá Mountain, referring to the place where I was born.”
But my parents didn’t like the name. They thought it sounded dull and it didn’t resonate with their expectations for me. As the eldest son, my dad performed his right to name me next, naming me Chénshī. The two characters together mean “an early morning poem.” It reflects a saying in China: There is bread and butter in life, but also poems and dreams. But in the Hakka dialect spoken by my family, the name sounded like the phrase for “a floating dead body.”
On the third day after my birth, my mom decided on Shūrán. It stuck. My name means nature, comfort, and harmony. It means to go with the flow. She knew that I, as the only child, would carry the expectations of both sides of our families on my tiny shoulders and it would be difficult not to feel crushed by the weight of those expectations. Like my dad, she hoped that I would be able to freely pursue my dreams. She wanted me to become an independent and strong woman just like her.
A month after I was born, she wrote an acrostic poem about my name and her wishes for me:
A DIARY FOR MY DAUGHTER’S NAME
As an ancestor of the Yellow Emperor
Shuran follows the flow with a clear mind and bright eyes
She will become beautiful and look just like Xī Shí
When she grows up, she will be a great success and do great things
1. What can be inferred about the author’s grandfather?| A．Her grandfather is a positive person. |
| B．Her grandfather is conventional and traditional. |
| C．Her grandfather determines to change his thoughts. |
| D．Her grandfather is responsible for Shuran. |
| A．Help. | B．Ask. |
| C．Match. | D．Recognize. |
| A．Because the mother expected her daughter’s life was natural, comfortable and harmonious. |
| B．Because the mother hoped that her daughter would be able to freely pursue dreams. |
| C．Because the mother wanted her daughter to become independent and strong. |
| D．Because the mother knew that her daughter can’t take on her expectations. |
| A．Shuran shares the stories behind her own name. |
| B．Shuran’s opinions about her own name. |
| C．Shuran’s families compete with each other for her own name. |
| D．Shuran’s mother is careful about Shuran’s name. |
【推荐3】In 1948, Ladies Home Journal selected our family for its “How America Lives” feature. The reporter and photographer arrived at the end of May and followed all of us (Mom, Dad, my brother, sister and me) for a week, recording our every move. Everyone was pretty excited about it, especially in our town of 6,000, where things like this just didn’t happen.
Since the article would be published in early December, we had to pretend it was already autumn. The reporter asked mom to cook and serve a complete Thanksgiving meal. She told Mom to “go all out” and use her best holiday dishes for the feast.
Mom’s face fell. She didn’t want to admit that our best dishes weren’t exactly the best, let alone suitable for a national magazine. While the reporter continued with her interview, the photographer quietly excused himself and slipped away for over an hour. When he came back, he had a large box, which he placed on the floor, telling Mom to open it.
Her mouth wide open, her face lit up as if it was Christmas. Inside was a beautiful set of 12 dishes, each painted with patterns of flowers and golden brims (金边), made by the Homer Laughlin China Co. There was even a soup bowl, something we kids had never seen before. Mom was near tears as she lovingly handled each piece.
When it came time to serve dinner, Mom walked slowly from the kitchen with the lovely new plate, which contained a small “turkey” (in reality, a large chicken).
From that day on, Mom made sure they never saw the light of day unless it was a major event, though they were a must at every Thanksgiving.
I carry on the tradition, using the dishes for our Thanksgiving feast. But I serve a real turkey, and I serve it on the real Thanksgiving Day.
1. Where did the photographer possibly go while mom was interviewed?| A．A bookstore. | B．A china store. | C．A flower shop. | D．A candy shop. |
| A．She was calm as usual. | B．She was moved into tears. |
| C．She had a mix of feelings. | D．She thought little of them. |
| A．Cozy. | B．Leisured. | C．Troubled. | D．Badly-off. |
| A．To persuade readers to buy the same dishes her family cherishes. |
| B．To tell us about the moving story behind the family-cherished dishes. |
| C．To contribute an article concerning her family to a popular magazine. |
| D．To write something down in memory of her mother and good days. |
【推荐1】The Arctic is not a safe place to be by any stretch of the imagination. Essentially a vast, floating block of ice, with only a small area of land, the landscape can be almost totally different from year to year. Even the most experienced explorers are lucky to return with all their fingers and toes, not to mention their lives.
Into this extreme environment stepped Nabil Al Busaidi. In fact, he didn’t just step—he stepped and skied his way across 650km, pulling 50kg of equipment. He also carried the flag of the Sultanate of Oman, which he held in the air at the North Pole, becoming the first Arab to achieve this impressive feat (壮举).
On the way to the North Pole, Nabil was driven by the reward of success and the pain at the thought of failure. “Through the 20-whatever days , every minute there was a different thing that kept me going, either the fear of failure, the fear of dying or the reward of finishing and getting somewhere warm. ”
The ever-present cold, averaging around -40℃ but dropping as low as a recorded -81℃, is his overriding (首要的) memory of the experience. As an Omani, Nabil had an additional 20℃ drop in temperature to get used to, compared to his British teammates. Apart from the extreme cold, polar bears were a common feature of the journey, and Nabil and the team had their fair share of bear encounters. “Polar bears are dangerous, but they are not that threatening because they don’t intend to harm humans. They’re usually either curious or just don’t care. We saw five bears, and none were aggressive,” said Nabil.
One final problem Nabil faced was the stress put on team relations by the severity of the conditions, especially during the first three stages of the journey. However, during the fourth and final leg, the team worked so well together that they travelled 130km in only two and a half days.
1. What does Paragraph 1 show?| A．Nabil’s hard-won success. | B．The value of Arctic exploration. |
| C．Nabil’s good luck. | D．The change of the Arctic. |
| A．Gradually rising sea level. | B．Frequent polar bear attacks. |
| C．Constantly changing climate. | D．The heavy psychological burden. |
| A．He had gone on an Arctic journey before. |
| B．He explored the Arctic with pretty light packs. |
| C．He finished the exploration of the Arctic all alone. |
| D．He suffered more from extreme cold than his teammates. |
| A．Life in the Arctic. |
| B．Climate of the Arctic. |
| C．The first Arab to step into the Arctic. |
| D．Achievements scientists made in the Arctic. |
Read the title, background and three diaries quickly. Then find out the main ideas referring to the following table.
Basic information about the expedition | |
| Time | 1914.10.31→1915.11.21→1916.5.20 |
| Destination | To Antarctica |
| Leader | Sir Ernest Shackleton |
| The author’s name | Perce Blackborow |
| The ship | Endurance |
A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
Perce Blackborow joined an expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica on the ship Endurance in 1914. Shackleton was one of the most famous explorers of his day and it was considered a great honour to be part of his expeditions. Below are some of Blackborow’s diary entries.
31 Oct 1914
… Well, it so happened that one morning I bought a newspaper and read the advertisement about the Antarctic expedition.
An expedition to the South Pole with the great Sir Ernest Shackleton — this is the adventure that I have been dreaming of. And I was ready for it. At the age of 19, I am fit and full of vigour. However, when I applied to join the expedition, Shackleton turned me down because he thought I was too young and wasn’t qualified. But I was so enthusiastic about the idea of going along with them that I secretly went aboard his ship, the Endurance, and hid in a small cupboard. Unfortunately, three days after we set off I was discovered. Shackleton did not want to turn back so he offered me a job, but only after he promised me, “If anyone has to be eaten, then you will be the first!” He assigned me to be a steward, and I now serve meals for twenty-eight men, three times a day.
How everyone will envy me when I come back and tell them about the amazing places I have been to!
21 Nov 1915
The journey has not been easy. Endurance became stuck in the ice as we approached Antarctica. The ice froze around us and we were well and truly stuck! We saw the ship get crushed by the ice. And when the ship sank, our hearts sank with it.
Before we abandoned the ship, Shackleton calmly called us together and told us to rescue our most essential supplies — the small boats, our food, the cook stove, candles, clothes, and blankets. This was no time to panic. We were not allowed to take most of our personal belongings, and Shackleton himself threw away all his gold. But to our surprise, he allowed Hussey to keep his banjo. Hussey often plays it to keep our spirits up.
We are now camped on the ice and we have been managing to survive, but spring is coming, and the ice will soon begin to melt.
20 May 1916
We have been struggling for days, but things on Elephant Island are going from bad to worse. We are now crowded together under one of our boats on the rocky shore of this miserable place. Soon after we arrived, Shackleton left us to find help on South Georgia Island, 1,320 kilometres away — the voyage was too dangerous and difficult for all of us to make it in our small boats. If Shackleton fails, will we have any hope of rescue? No. No navy in the world ever stops at Elephant Island, and no one else knows that we are here.
I feel low. It’s cold and windy. The island has no plants. Sometimes we are able to catch a seal or a penguin to eat. Otherwise, there is no food. I try to think of happier things: decent food, warm and dry clothes, a cosy bedroom, sunny days, and my mother’s face… However, these happy memories are soon interrupted by a sudden cold rush of air.
I shouted, “Shut the door!”
“Hold on now, Perce. Don’t you go turning into another Tom,” came the reply. “We’ve caught another penguin, so it’s penguin soup tonight!”
Bless Frank Wild, the kindest man there is after our leader, Ernest Shackleton. How could I become as selfish and bad-tempered as Thomas Orde-Lees!
Without Frank and Ernest, we’d all be dead by now. Their genuine concern for others, their perseverance, and their resolve fill me with hope.
Perhaps there is a chance we will return home, after all.
| Diary | Date | Main idea |
1 | 1914.10.31 | The first diary is about how |
2 | 1915.11.21 | The second diary is about how |
3 | 1916.5.20 | The third diary mainly describes |
【推荐3】In 2004, Pen Hadow became the first person to trek (跋涉) to the North Pole alone, without being resupplied on the way. That meant swimming through cold waters, and risking meeting polar bears. Just eight months later, he made a similar trip to the South Pole. Now he is back in the Arctic again, preparing for a more ambitious expedition (远征). This time, however, more significance is attached. Pen and two colleagues will set out on a three-month, 1000-kilometre trek to the North Pole, taking detailed measurements of the thickness and density of the ice. Nobody has ever done this before, and he knows the results will be of vital significance to the scientific community. This will be the truest picture so far of what global warming is doing to the ice that covers the polar region.
Pen and his wife, Mary, live in the country with their two children. “It’s much harder to be away from them this time,” he admits. They were one and five when I last went, and I made a mistake in the way I said goodbye. I thought it would be a good idea to say to my son, “You’re the man of the house now, look after your mum and your sister.” He absolutely took it to heart, asking his mum how she was all the time, but the stress eventually became too much. While it was well intentioned, it was an unfair thing to do.
He is spending these last days before departure preparing his things. With him will be Ann Daniels, one of the world’s leading polar explorers, and the photographer, Martin Hartley. They will be supported by a crew of six, flying in supplies. Being part of a team is actually more stressful to someone like him. Besides, something else is on his mind too. “I’m going to be 47 on Thursday. I’ve done far less training.” Why? “Organizational things always seem more urgent. So I’m almost fearful of what I’m going to ask of myself.”
Pen believes his mission reconnects exploration with the search for knowledge that drove previous generations into the unknown. “Making it to the North Pole was a personal ambition and of limited value to anyone beyond the polar adventuring community. This time, scientists will profit from the data, and we’re creating a platform to expose as many people as possible to what’s happening in the Arctic Ocean. This is important work, and nobody can do it but us,” he says. “Our skills, which are otherwise not that necessary, have become really relevant. Suddenly, we’re socially useful again.”
1. What can we learn about Pen Hadow’s opinion of the new expedition in paragraph 1?| A．He is aware of its huge importance. |
| B．He feels certain that it will be stressful. |
| C．He thinks it similar to his previous journeys. |
| D．He is confident with the help of a regional picture. |
| A．He started to feel unwell. |
| B．He memorized his father’s words. |
| C．He was afraid of the responsibility. |
| D．He carried out his father’s words carefully. |
| A．Whether he will be mentally prepared. |
| B．Whether supplies will be enough in time. |
| C．Whether he will still be fit enough to take part. |
| D．Whether the arrangements will turn out well. |
| A．uncertain if it will collect information |
| B．doubtful about its long-term usefulness |
| C．proud that they can contribute to scientific research |
| D．relieved that the general public will be more supportive |
