时间:2018-12-04 作者:英语课 分类:21世纪大学英语读写教程


英语课


 Unit 5

Text A

Ernest Shackleton made many great achievements in his life as an explorer. The following story does not tell us, however, what he achieved but how he managed to rescue his men after his failure to reach his goal.
Perhaps being a hero does not necessarily lie in what you do but in how you do it.

Shipwrecked in Antarctica

When Ernest Shackleton packed for his trip to Antarctica in July 1914, he seemed ready for anything. Among the items he and his crew stowed in his ship were cans of meat, a bicycle and soccer balls. Shackleton hoped to become the first person to travel across the frozen continent at the bottom of the world.
But nothing could have prepared Shackleton or his crew for what did happen. Instead of crossing Antarctica, they made history in one of the most incredible survival stories ever.

Stuck in Miles of Ice
Shackleton was already famous when he prepared for the 1914 trip. In 1908 he had come within 100 miles of the South Pole but had turned back because of bad weather.
By 1914, he was eager for another adventure. Nearly 5,000 people volunteered to go with him. Shackleton chose a crew of 26 sailors and scientists, plus a photographer, Frank Hurley. On the way to Antarctica, he picked up at least 69 sled dogs to pull the explorers on the long trek 2 across land.
Shackleton's last stop before heading for Antarctica was a whaling station on South Georgia Island. Norwegian whalers told the crew that it was "a bad year for ice."
They were right. Upon entering the Weddell Sea, Shackleton was forced to zigzag 3 through dangerous ice sheets, sometimes passing more than 400 icebergs 5 a day! On January 18, 1915, the ice closed around the ship. It was stuck, as one sailor put it, "like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar."
Although he was less than 100 miles from Antarctica, Shackleton soon realized he could not possibly cross the continent that winter. The crew would just have to wait.

Fighting Boredom 6 and Cold
As the ship slowly drifted with the ice, the sailors played cards, listened to records and held singing contests. "This was before TV," says Armstrong. "People were used to entertaining themselves." On the snow outside, the men built fancy "doghouses" with porches and domes 8. Some even slept with the dogs for warmth.
Meanwhile Frank Hurley kept busy taking photos. Often braving the cold while others stayed indoors, "he would do anything to get his shot," says Armstrong.
The ship was locked in ice for 10 months. By October 1915, the ice was crushing its thick wooden walls. "It was a sickening sensation," Shackleton wrote in his diary. He ordered the crew to leave. They grabbed what they could, including 150 of Hurley's precious photos.

A Heroic Rescue
The sailors struggled to reach land on three lifeboats they dragged across ice and rowed through frigid 9 waters. They shivered in their thin coats, which often froze solid. At times they had to crawl through slush to avoid sinking. While killer 10 whales swam around them, Shackleton and his men ate penguin 11 and burned seal blubber for fuel. Sadly, when they ran out of food for the dogs, the crew had to shoot them.
Eventually, the crew landed on Elephant Island. But it was deserted 12. So Shackleton bravely set out again with five of his strongest men. They sailed and rowed 800 miles in a tiny boat, battling high waves, winds and severe thirst. Finally they landed at South Georgia Island, where they almost died climbing jagged peaks for three days before reaching the whaling station. "The thought of those fellows on Elephant Island kept us going," said Shackleton.
Four months after Shackleton sailed away, one of the men on Elephant Island spotted 13 a ship offshore 14. When it came closer, the crew recognized Shackleton. They began to laugh and hug. They were rescued!
To the world's amazement 15, all 28 members of the expedition arrived home safely. How? Armstrong and others say it is because Shackleton was a true hero. As the explorer said, "If you're a leader, you've got to keep going."
(638 words)

New Words

shipwreck 1
vt. 使…遭受海难

item
n. one of a list of objects (清单上或一组事物中的)一项,一件

crew
n. 1. a group of people working together 一队工作人员
2. 全体船员(或机务人员)

stow
vt. pack or store away 堆垛;装载;装填

soccer
n. 英式足球

incredible
a. unbelievable or very hard to believe 难以置信的

survival
n. the act, state or fact of surviving 幸存

adventure
n. an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous journey, experience, etc. 冒险活动(或经历等)

volunteer
n. sb. who does work, esp. socially useful work, for which they are not paid 志愿者

plus
prep.1. increased by 加,加上
2. in addition to 外加;另有

photographer
n. a person who takes photographs esp. as a professional or as an artist 摄影师

sled
n. 雪橇

explorer
n. sb. who travels for the purpose of discovery 探险者

trek
n. a long and hard journey 长途跋涉

head
vi. move or go toward 朝…行进

whale
vi. engage in the activity of hunting whales 捕鲸

Norwegian
挪威人

whaler
n. 捕鲸人

zigzag
vi. move forward by going at an angle first to the right and then to the left 曲折行进

iceberg 4
n. 冰山,浮在海洋上的巨大冰块

almond
n. 杏仁

bar
n. 条;块

boredom
n. the state of being bored 厌倦

drift
vi. be carried along or driven by wind, waves or currents 飘;飘流

entertain
vt. keep interested or amused 给…娱乐;使快乐

doghouse
n. 狗窝

* porch
n. 门廊

* dome 7
n. 圆屋顶;穹顶

meanwhile
ad. in the intervening period of time; at the same time 在间隔时间里;(与此)同时

brave
vt. face or risk facing (danger, pain, or trouble) without showing fear 勇敢地面对

indoors
ad. inside a building 在室内

shot
n. a photograph 照相,快照;拍摄

crush
vt. press so as to break or destroy 压碎,压坏

sickening
a. very unpleasant, disgusting 令人厌恶的

* sensation
n. a general feeling caused by a particular experience 感觉,知觉

grab
vt. take or pick up suddenly and roughly 抓取,攫取

precious
a. of great value or worth 贵重的;珍贵的

heroic
a. brave and courageous 16 英雄的;英勇的

rescue
n. a successful attempt to save sb. or sth. from a difficult or dangerous situation 营救,救援
vt. save; set free 营救,救出

lifeboat
n. 救生艇

drag
vt. pull along with effort or difficulty (用力地或慢慢地)拖,拉

frigid
a. very cold, icy 寒冷的

shiver
v. shake slightly, esp. because of cold or fear 颤抖,哆嗦

crawl
vi. move slowly on hands and knees 爬,爬行

slush
n. partly melted snow 半融化的雪;雪泥

avoid
vt. keep away or to prevent from happening 避免;防尘

killer whale
n. 逆戟鲸

* penguin
n. 企鹅

seal
n. 海豹

blubber
n. 鲸脂,海兽脂

eventually
a. in the end; at last, finally 终于,最终

desert
vt. abandon, leave; go away from (a place) without intending ever to return 抛弃;遗弃;离弃(某地方)

deserted
a. with no one present; abandoned 无人的;被离弃的;被遗弃的

severe
a. serious; extreme 严重的;剧烈的

thirst
n. a feeling of needing to drink water 渴

jagged
a. having a rough and sharp edge 参差不齐的;嶙峋的

peak
n. the pointed 17 top of a mountain 山峰

spot
vt. catch sight of; recognize; discover 看出;认出;发现

offshore
a. & ad. a small distance away from the coast (在)离岸一定距离的(地方)

* hug
vt. hold (sb.) tightly in the arms 拥抱

amazement
n. great surprise, astonishment 18 惊奇,惊诧

* expedition
n. a long journey for a certain purpose 远征

leader
n. a person who guides or directs a group, team, organization, etc. 领导者

Phrases and Expressions

be ready for
be prepared for (对…)有准备

at the bottom of
at the lowest part of 在…底部

prepare sb. for sth.
put sb. into a suitable state for a purpose, event, or experience 使…为…做好准备

instead of
in place of 代替…,而不是…

make history
do sth. important that will be recorded in history 彪炳史册

be eager for
showing a strong desire for (sth.) 急于(做某事)

on the way to
going towards 去…途中

pick up
come to have; gain, buy, learn, etc. 获得;得到;买到;学会

head for
move towards 朝…前进

be forced to
be made to (do sth.) 被迫(做)

less than
fewer than 少于

be used to
习惯于

at times
sometimes 有时

run out of
use up a supply of 把…用完

have to
must 不得不

set out
begin a journey or course 出发;开始

to sb.'s amazement
to sb's surprise 让某人惊讶的是

Proper names

Antarctica
南极洲(地名)

Ernest Shackleton
欧内斯特·沙克尔顿(1874—1922,美国探险家)

Frank Hurley
弗兰克·赫尔利(人名)

South Georgia
南乔治亚岛(在南极洲附近,是捕鲸业基地)

Weddell sea
威德尔海(南极洲的边缘海)

Armstrong
阿姆斯特朗(人名)

Elephant Island
象岛(在南极洲附近)



1 shipwreck
n.船舶失事,海难
  • He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
  • The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。
2 trek
vi.作长途艰辛的旅行;n.长途艰苦的旅行
  • We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
  • It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。
3 zigzag
n.曲折,之字形;adj.曲折的,锯齿形的;adv.曲折地,成锯齿形地;vt.使曲折;vi.曲折前行
  • The lightning made a zigzag in the sky.闪电在天空划出一道Z字形。
  • The path runs zigzag up the hill.小径向山顶蜿蜒盘旋。
4 iceberg
n.冰山,流冰,冷冰冰的人
  • The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
  • The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
5 icebergs
n.冰山,流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )
  • The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句
6 boredom
n.厌烦,厌倦,乏味,无聊
  • Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
  • A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。
7 dome
n.圆屋顶,拱顶
  • The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
  • They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。
8 domes
n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 );像圆屋顶一样的东西;圆顶体育场
  • The domes are circular or ovoid in cross-section. 穹丘的横断面为圆形或卵圆形。 来自辞典例句
  • Parks. The facilities highlighted in text include sport complexes and fabric domes. 本书重点讲的设施包括运动场所和顶棚式结构。 来自互联网
9 frigid
adj.寒冷的,凛冽的;冷淡的;拘禁的
  • The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨,他在下面呆不了太长时间。
  • She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。
10 killer
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
  • Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
  • The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
11 penguin
n.企鹅
  • The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
  • He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。
12 deserted
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
13 spotted
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
14 offshore
adj.海面的,吹向海面的;adv.向海面
  • A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
  • A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。
15 amazement
n.惊奇,惊讶
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
16 courageous
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的
  • We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
  • He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。
17 pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
18 astonishment
n.惊奇,惊异
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
学英语单词
15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase
A. O. A.
abrasive grain
acidology
adphen
alpha-oestradiol
angakok
annual inflation rate
articularly
bacillus cloacae jordan b.zeae (burril) comes
bestestestest
bill collection
bipoiar taxis
black edging
blimming
bocas
buxuss
C. of C.
Caistor
Camellia acuticalyx
cann't
cantilever beam impact tester
cathode drop
cheq.
contredances
Corydalis trifoliata
cotton blushing
cotton tie
crosshead-pin
designator storage word
destruens mole
dispersed record
domain name system poisoning
driveabilities
drowned in
ellipsoid resonator
engine piston
esthiomenous
eulogious
experimental safety vehicle
folk-memories
g-sharp
gage location
gangliolytic
generate income
Grace City
gram force
groundwater
guide strip
highest-profile
hong kong identity card
hybrid transformer array
ice shove
imidie acid
initial mark up
innocenter
joyeusity
leconotide
limited information instrumental variables
line scanning waveform distortion
log charging
main products
make-up oil
mean-value theorem
microcide
modcom
module interconnection language
multichine
multinomial trials
net outflow of fund
one-dimensional structure
operating reports
ovc
parallel work flow
pelvicephalograph
placental
racewear
recontextualizing
regenerative detection
rehearing
reticulated tortrix
ribbon grass
robshaw
rotatory drier
sea notch
second c/d
self dual circuit
shearing wave
slow-down ions
sodium bromoiridite
spend ... on
support screw cap
sympathisers
Sysmä
teletels
ultraintuitionists
unitarded
upstream monopoist
uralloy
uranium(iii) sulfide
vertebrate palaeontology
yudofsky