1 . For as long as they can remember, Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica. This winter, they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation (NSF). But they didn't, as scientists. Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist. They went to Antarctica as participants in the NSF's Artists and Writers Program, which makes it possible for artists, including filmmakers and musicians, to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
“It's important for scientists and artists to work together,” says Surgent, who spent six weeks at Palmer Station, the smallest of the U.S. research bases. “You need a lot of different ways and points of view to explain the world.”
Martin followed four scientific teams on the ice and wrote articles and poems inspired by her experience. “Each day was the new ‘best day of my life’.” said Martin, who said she also loved spending time in the library at the McMurdo Station reading the journals of early explorers.
Today's scientists write articles for scientific journals. Unlike the early explorer's journals, scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand. Writers in Antarctica work to explain the research to the public. Peter Rejcek is editor, writer, and photographer for the Antarctic Sun, an online magazine devoted to news about the U.S. Antarctic Program. He goes to the South Pole every year, interviewing the scientists about their research.
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific, historical, and personal. People such as Martin, Surgent, and Rejcek are making an effort to bring those stories to as many people as they can.
“Some people are going to be scientists, some people are going to be artists, some people are going to be journalists, but we can all work together,” says Surgent, "to celebrate this extraordinary place.”
1. What is the main purpose of the NSF's Artists and Writers Program?| A．To increase people's understanding of Antarctica. |
| B．To develop a relationship between scientists and artists. |
| C．To encourage artists and writers to learn science. |
| D．To make the scientists in Antarctica known to the public. |
| A．The world is full of different people. | B．The world should move in harmony. |
| C．The world is full of different opinions. | D．The world should be seen in different ways. |
| A．At the Antarctic Sun. | B．At a research base in the USA. |
| C．At a research base in Antarctica. | D．At the National Science Foundation. |
| A．are hard for people to understand | B．are easy for people to understand |
| C．have nothing to do with the research | D．are mainly about early explorers |
