综合英语Book IV unit 8 Antarctica.pptVIP

Unit 8 Antarctica Antarctica 1. Lead-in 2. Background 3. Text analysis 4. Stylistic analysis 5. Oral work 6. Homework Pre-reading question: What are the four oceans and the seven continents in the world? Brief introduction to Antarctica The word “Antarctica” came from Greek. Geography The fifth-largest continent Surrounded by the Southern Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans Covers more than 14 million Km2 [1.3 times as large as Europe ] About 98% is covered by ice sheet [about 98% of the world’s ice ] Climate The coldest place on Earth mean temperature is generally about -88 ℃, colder than those areas in an equivalent latitude of the Arctic. lowest temperature recorded was -89.2 ℃ A frozen desert with little precipitation which is only 200mm Resources About 220 kinds of minerals, Such as coal, iron, copper，gold . Population There are no permanent residents, but a number of research stations. The number of people conducting and supporting scientific research is about 1000-5000. A Long History of Exploration It was first sighted in the early 19th century. Scientists explored only fragments of its coasts by the end of the 19th century. Explorers first reached the South Pole in 1911 . The first permanent settlements (scientific stations) were established in the early 1940s. In recent years increasing numbers of tourists have visited Antarctica. A Long History of Exploration The earliest explorations of the south polar seas were made in 1772--1775 by a British expedition commanded by Captain James Cook. Exploration of the Antarctic intensified in the 1820s and 1830s. Donald Gordon Payne Born in 1924 in London British novelist and writer of documentaries Pen names: James Vance Marshall, Ian Cameron, and Donald Gordon Major works The Midnight Sea [1958] Walkabout (1959) [masterpiece ] The Lost Ones (1969) The Wind at Morning [1973 ] The Last Continent [1974] White-Out (1999) Riders of the Storm (2002) Listen to the recording of the text