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1、Unit1Nothingventured,nothinggainedPartTwo:TeachingResourcesSection2:BackgroundinformationforUnit1Nothingventured,nothinggained1.AboutAntarcticaAntarcticaisacontinentsurroundingtheEarth'sSouthPole.ItisthecoldestplaceonEarthandisalmostentirelycoveredbyice;
2、however,itisalsotheworld'slargestdesert.ItisnottobeconfusedwiththeArctic,whichislocatedneartheEarth'sNorthPoleontheoppositesideoftheplanet.AlthoughmythsandspeculationaboutaTerraAustralis("SouthernLand")gobacktoantiquity,thefirstcommonlyacceptedsightingof
3、thecontinentoccurredin1820andthefirstverifiedlandingin1821bytheRussianexpeditionofMikhailLazarevandFabianGottliebvonBellingshausen.(SeealsoHistoryofAntarctica.)Withanareaof13,200,000km²,Antarcticaisthefifthlargestcontinent,afterAsia,Africa,NorthAmerica,a
4、ndSouthAmerica.However,itisbyfarthesmallestinpopulation:indeed,ithasnopermanentpopulationatall.Itisalsothecontinentwiththehighestaveragealtitude,andthelowestaveragehumidityofanycontinentonEarth,aswellasthelowestaveragetemperature.2.ClimateofAntarctica.An
5、tarcticaisthecoldestplaceonearth.Temperaturesreachaminimumofbetween-85and-90degreesCelsiusinthewinterandabout30degreeshigherinthesummermonths.Weatherfrontsrarelypenetratefarintothecontinent,leavingthecentercoldanddry.Thereislittleprecipitationoverthecont
6、inent,buticetherecanlastforextendedtimeperiods.NearlyallofAntarcticaiscoveredbyanicesheetthatis,onaverage,2.5kilometersthick.Attheedgeofthecontinent,strongkatabaticwindsoffthepolarplateauoftenblowatstormforce.Intheinterior,however,windspeedsareoftenmoder
7、ate.Dependingonthelatitude,longperiodsofconstantdarkness,orconstantsunlight,meanthatclimatesfamiliartohumansarenotgenerallyavailableonthecontinent.Geography3.GeographyofAntarcticaThecontinentofAntarcticaislocatedmostlysouthoftheAntarcticCircle,surrounded
8、bytheSouthernOcean.PhysicallyAntarcticaisdividedintwobymountainsclosetotheneckbetweentheRossSeaandtheWeddellSea.TheportionofthecontinentwestoftheWeddellSeaandeastoftheRossSeaiscalledWesternAntarcticaandtheremainderEasternA
