单选题
英语六级
2017-03-11
根据下面资料,回答题
Countries Rush for Upper Hand in Antarctica
[A] On a glacier-filled island with fjords (峡湾) and elephant seals, Russia has built Antarctica's first Orthodox church on a hill overlooking its research base. Less than an hour away by snowmobile,Chinese labourers have updated the Great Wall Station, a vital part of China's plan to operate five bases on Antarctica, complete with an indoor badminton court and sleeping quarters for 150 people. Not to be outdone, India's futuristic new Bharathi base, built on stilts (桩子) using 134 interlocking shipping containers, resembles a spaceship. Turkey and Iran have announced plans to build bases, too.
[B] More than a century has passed since explorers raced to plant their flags at the bottom of the world, and for decades to come this continent is supposed to be protected as a scientific preserve,shielded from intrusions like military activities and mining. But an array of countries are rushing to assert greater influence here, with an eye not just towards the day those protective treaties expire,but also for the strategic and commercial opportunities that already exist.
[C] The newer players are stepping into what they view as a treasure house of resources. Some of the ventures focus on the Antarctic resources that are already up for grabs, like abundant sea life.South Korea, which operates state-of-the-art bases here, is increasing its fishing of krill (磷虾),found in abundance in the Southern Ocean, while Russia recently frustrated efforts to create one of the world's largest ocean sanctuaries here.
[D] Some scientists are examining the potential for harvesting icebergs from Antarctica, which is estimated to have the biggest reserves of fresh water on the planet. Nations are also pressing ahead with space research and satellite projects to expand their global navigation abilities.
[E] Building on a Soviet-era foothold, Russia is expanding its monitoring stations for Glonass, its version of the Global Positioning System (GPS). At least three Russian stations are already operating in Antarctica, part of its effort to challenge the dominance of the American GPS, and new stations are planned for sites like the Russian base, in the shadow of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity.
[F] Elsewhere in Antarctica, Russian researchers boast of their recent discovery of a freshwater reserve the size of Lake Ontario after drilling through miles of solid ice. "You can see that we're here to stay," said Vladimir Cheberdak,57, chief of the Bellingshausen Station, as he sipped tea under a portrait of Fabian Gottlieb yon Bellingshausen, a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Navy who explored the Antarctic coast in 1820.
[G] Antarctica's mineral, oil and gas wealth are a longer-team prize. The treaty banning mining here, shielding coveted ( 令人垂涎的 ) reserves of iron ore, coal and chromium, comes up for review in 2048. Researchers recently found kimberlite (金伯利岩 ) deposits hinting at the existence of diamonds. And while assessments vary widely, geologists estimate that Antarctica holds at least 36 billion barrels of oil and natural gas.
[H] Beyond the Antarctic treaties, huge obstacles persist to tapping these resources, like drifting icebergs that could jeopardise offshore platforms. Then there is Antarctica's remoteness, with some mineral deposits found in windswept locations on a continent that is larger than Europe and where winter temperatures hover around minus 55 degrees Celsius.
[I] But advances in technology might make Antarctica a lot more accessible three decades from now.And even before then, scholars warn, the demand for resources in an energy-hungry world could raise pressure to renegotiate Antarctica's treaties, possibly allowing more commercial endeavours here well before the prohibitions against them expire. The research stations on King George Island offer a glimpse into the long game on this ice-blanketed continent as nations assert themselves, eroding the sway long held by countries like the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
[J]Being stationed in Antarctica involves adapting to life on the planet's driest, windiest and coldest continent, yet each nation manages to make itself at home. Bearded Russian priests offer regular services at the Orthodox church for the 16 or so Russian speakers who spend the winter at the base, largely polar scientists in fields like glaciology and meteorology. Their number climbs to about 40 in the warmer summer months. China has arguably the fastest-growing operations in Antarctica. It opened its fourth station last year and is pressing ahead with plans to build a fifth. It is building its second ice-breaking ship and setting up research drilling operations on an ice dome13,422 feet above sea level that is one of the planet's coldest places. Chinese officials say the expansion in Antarctica prioritises scientific research, but they also acknowledge that concerns about "resource security" influence their moves.
[K] China's newly renovated Great Wall Station on King George Island makes the Russian and Chilean bases here seem outdated. "We do weather monitoring here and other research," Ning Xu,53, the chief of the Chinese base, said over tea during a fierce blizzard (baofengxuE. in late November.The large base he leads resembles a snowed-in college campus on holiday break, with the capacity to sleep more than 10 times the 13 people who were staying on through the Antarctic winter.Yong Yu, a Chinese microbiologist, showed off the spacious building, with empty desks under an illustrated timeline detailing the rapid growth of China's Antarctic operations since the 1980s. "We now feel equipped to grow," he said.
[L] As some countries expand operations in Antarctica, the United States maintains three year-round stations on the continent with more than 1,000 people during the southern hemisphere's summer, including those at the Amundsen-Scott station, built in 1956 at an elevation of 9,301 feet on a plateau at the South Pole. But US researchers quietly complain about budget restraints and having far fewer icebreakers than Russia, limiting the reach of the United States in Antarctica.
[M] Scholars warn that Antarctica's political drift could blur the distinction between military and civilian activities long before the continent's treaties come up for renegotiation, especially in parts of Antarctica that are ideal for intercepting (拦截) signals from satellites or retasking satellite systems, potentially enhancing global electronic intelligence operations.
[N] Some countries have had a hard time here. Brazil opened a research station in 1984, but it was largely destroyed by a fire that killed two members of the navy in 2012, the same year that a diesel-laden Brazilian barge sank near the base. As if that were not enough, a Brazilian C-130 Hercules military transport plane has remained stranded near the runway of Chile's air base here since it crash-landed in 2014.
[O] However, Brazil's stretch of misfortune has created opportunities for China, with a Chinese company winning the $100 million contract in 2015 to rebuild the Brazilian station.
[P] Amid all the changes, Antarctica maintains its allure. South Korea opened its second Antarctic research base in 2014, describing it as a way to test robots developed by Korean researchers for use in extreme conditions. With Russia's help, Belarus is preparing to build its first Antarctic base. Colombia said this year that it planned to join other South American nations with bases in Antarctica.
[Q] "The old days of the Antarctic being dominated by the interests and wishes of white men from European, Australasian and North American states are over," said Klaus Dodds, a politics scholar at the University of London who specialises in Antarctica. "The reality is that Antarctica is geopolitically contested."
According to Chinese officials, their activities in Antarctica lay greater emphasis on scientific research.
参考答案
J
答案解析
全文翻译
各国在南极洲争占上游
[A]在这个有着峡湾和海象的冰川之岛上,俄罗斯在俯瞰其研究基地的山顶上建立了南极洲的第一座东正教堂。乘坐机动雪橇不到一个小时的距离,中国工人翻新了长城站,这是中国在南极洲计划的五个基地中最关键的部分,现在已经完善,拥有一个室内羽毛球馆和能容纳150人的睡眠区。印度也不甘示弱,其未来主义的新巴拉迪基地是用134个连锁船运集装箱建在桩子上的,形似太空飞船。土耳其和伊朗也宣布了建设基地的计划。
[B]自探险家争相在地球的尽头插上自己国家的旗帜以来,一个多世纪已经过去了,未来几十年,这个大陆应当会被保护起来用于科学研究,避免军事和采矿活动的侵入。(42)但是很多国家急于在此扩张影响力.不仅着眼于保护条约期限内的利益,更是觊觎已经存在的战略和商业机会。
[C]新的玩家也在进入这片被其视为资源宝库的地方。一些企业也盯上了供人攫取的南极洲资源,比如丰富的海洋生物。拥有此处最先进基地的韩国,正在加大对南大洋丰富的磷虾的捕捞力度。(37)而俄罗斯最近也倾尽全力阻止在此建立世界上最大的海洋保护区之一。
[D](40)一些科学家正在研究从南极洲采集冰山的可能性,据估测,南极冰山蕴藏着地球上最大的淡水资源。各国纷纷争先恐后地在此开展太空研究,设立卫星项目,扩大各自的全球导航能力。
[E](38)在苏联时代的据点之上,俄罗斯正在扩展它的格洛纳斯监测站,也就是俄罗斯版本的全球定位系统。目前在南极洲至少已经有三个运营的站点,这也是俄罗斯为挑战美国GPS全球定位系统的统治地位而做出的努力。在东正教圣三一教堂脚下,新的类似俄罗斯基地的监测站正在筹建之中。
[F]在南极洲的另一处,俄罗斯研究人员自诩近期在钻透了几英里坚冰之后发现了一处如安大略湖般大小的淡水储备区。“我们就在这里留下了”,57岁的别林斯高晋站站长弗拉基米尔·切博达克在一幅法比安·戈特利布·冯·别林斯高晋的肖像画下抿了口茶说道。法比安·戈特利布·冯·别林斯高晋是俄罗斯帝国海军上将,曾在1820年到南极沿海地区探险。
[G]南极洲丰富的矿物质、石油和天然气储备对各国而言都是长期的利益所在。禁止在此处采矿、保卫令人垂涎的铁矿石、煤矿和铬矿的条约预计将于2048年到期。最近研究者发现了金伯利岩矿藏,这也就意味着可能有钻石的存在。(39)尽管评估各不相同,但是据地质学家预测,南极洲至少蕴藏了360亿桶石油和天然气。
[H](43)除了南极条约,开发这些资源也面临着一些其他的巨大阻碍,比如可能会危及近海平台的漂移冰山。此外,南极洲过于广袤,一些矿藏所在地饱受暴风吹袭。这片大陆面积比欧洲还要大,冬季气温常在-55℃左右。
[I]但是,科技的进步很有可能会让三十年后的南极洲更容易开发。(41)甚至在那之前,学者们警告,在这样一个急需能源的世界,对于资源的需求可能会促使各国重新协商南极条约,使之在禁令到期之前就允许更多商业上的诉求。乔治王岛上的研究工作站让人得以一窥在这个被冰封的大陆上进行的长期博弈。在这里,各国实力角逐,撼动了长期以来美国、英国、澳大利亚和新西兰等国在此的统治地位。
[J]在南极洲建立监测站需要适应这个地球上最干、最多风、最冷的大陆上的生活,然而每个国家都成功地适应了这里。留着络腮胡的俄罗斯牧师在东正教堂为在南极基地过冬的约16名俄罗斯成员提供定期服务,他们大部分是冰河学和气象学的极地科学家。在更加温暖的夏季,极地科学家的数量会达40人左右。中国大概是在南极洲相关活动增加最快的国家。去年,中国在南极洲开设了第四座观测站,并且要继续开设第五座。中国正在建造它的第二艘破冰船,并在一处冰穹上进行研究钻探作业。这处冰穹位于海平面13422英尺以上,是地球上最寒冷的地方之一。(36)中国官员表示,在南极的拓展以科学研究为重点。不过,他们也承认,对于“资源安全”的考虑影响了他们的行动。
[K]中国最近翻新了乔治王岛上的长城站,相比之下.俄罗斯和智利的基地就显得有些落伍了。“我们在这里做天气监测和其他的研究工作”,53岁的中国基地负责人徐宁喝着茶说道,此时正值十一月末一场猛烈的暴风雪期间。一到放假休息的时候,他领导的这个巨大的基地就像个冰雪覆盖的大学校园。整个南极洲的冬季,只有13个人住在这个足以容纳十倍以上人员的地方。中国微生物学家余勇向我们展示了这座宽敞的建筑物,在空桌子上,一张有插图的时间表详细介绍了自20世纪80年代以来中国在南极相关活动的快速增长。“现在我们感觉已经准备好扩张了,”他说。
[L]就在一些国家加大在南极洲的活动力度时.美国在这里则始终保持着三个基站的全年运作,南半球夏日期间驻扎在此的人数超过1000人,其中包括那些驻扎在阿蒙森一史考特站的人员。该站建于1956年,位于南极的一座海拔高9301英尺的高原之上。(45)不过,美国研究人员悄悄抱怨称,他们的预算相当紧张,而且破冰设备数量也远不及俄罗斯,这些因素限制了美国在南极洲的开拓进程。
[M]学者们警告,在南极条约重新谈判期限到来之前,南极洲的政治摇摆就有可能会模糊军事活动和民事活动之间的界限,尤其是在某些拦截卫星信号或者重设卫星系统的理想地点,这些活动或许能够加强全球电子情报活动的能力。
[N]一些国家在这里并不顺利。1984年,巴西在南极洲开设了一处考察站,但在2012年,一场大火几乎将其付之一炬,烧死了两名海军成员。同年,一艘满载柴油的巴西驳船在基地附近沉没。似乎这样还不够,在2014年,巴西一架C-130军用运输机在紧急迫降后,就一直搁浅在智利空军基地附近的跑道上。
[O]不过巴西的厄运倒是给中国创造了机会。2015年,一家中国公司赢得了价值1亿美元的巴西基站重建合同。
[P]尽管经历了这些变化,但南极洲仍保持着它的吸引力。2014年,韩国开设了其在南极洲的第二处研究基地,称该基地可以用于测试韩国研究人员开发的用于极端条件下的机器人。在俄罗斯的帮助之下,白俄罗斯正准备建设其第一座南极基地。哥伦比亚今年宣布,他们也计划加入其他南美洲国家的队伍,开始在南极洲建设基地。
[Q](44)“南极洲被来自欧洲、澳大利亚和北美的白种人的利益和意愿主宰的时代已经结束了,”伦敦大学一位专门研究南极洲的政治学者克劳斯·多兹说道,“事实上,南极洲已经成为地缘政治的一大竞争目标。”
详解详析
According to Chinese officials,their activities in Antarctica lay greater emphasis oil scientific research.
中国官员称,他们在南极洲的活动重点放在科学研究方面。
由题干关键词Chinese officials定位到原文画线处。
[J]段最后一句提到,中国官员表示,在南极洲的拓展以科学研究为重点。题干中的lay greater emphasis om对应原文中的prioritkses,故答案为[J]。
各国在南极洲争占上游
[A]在这个有着峡湾和海象的冰川之岛上,俄罗斯在俯瞰其研究基地的山顶上建立了南极洲的第一座东正教堂。乘坐机动雪橇不到一个小时的距离,中国工人翻新了长城站,这是中国在南极洲计划的五个基地中最关键的部分,现在已经完善,拥有一个室内羽毛球馆和能容纳150人的睡眠区。印度也不甘示弱,其未来主义的新巴拉迪基地是用134个连锁船运集装箱建在桩子上的,形似太空飞船。土耳其和伊朗也宣布了建设基地的计划。
[B]自探险家争相在地球的尽头插上自己国家的旗帜以来,一个多世纪已经过去了,未来几十年,这个大陆应当会被保护起来用于科学研究,避免军事和采矿活动的侵入。(42)但是很多国家急于在此扩张影响力.不仅着眼于保护条约期限内的利益,更是觊觎已经存在的战略和商业机会。
[C]新的玩家也在进入这片被其视为资源宝库的地方。一些企业也盯上了供人攫取的南极洲资源,比如丰富的海洋生物。拥有此处最先进基地的韩国,正在加大对南大洋丰富的磷虾的捕捞力度。(37)而俄罗斯最近也倾尽全力阻止在此建立世界上最大的海洋保护区之一。
[D](40)一些科学家正在研究从南极洲采集冰山的可能性,据估测,南极冰山蕴藏着地球上最大的淡水资源。各国纷纷争先恐后地在此开展太空研究,设立卫星项目,扩大各自的全球导航能力。
[E](38)在苏联时代的据点之上,俄罗斯正在扩展它的格洛纳斯监测站,也就是俄罗斯版本的全球定位系统。目前在南极洲至少已经有三个运营的站点,这也是俄罗斯为挑战美国GPS全球定位系统的统治地位而做出的努力。在东正教圣三一教堂脚下,新的类似俄罗斯基地的监测站正在筹建之中。
[F]在南极洲的另一处,俄罗斯研究人员自诩近期在钻透了几英里坚冰之后发现了一处如安大略湖般大小的淡水储备区。“我们就在这里留下了”,57岁的别林斯高晋站站长弗拉基米尔·切博达克在一幅法比安·戈特利布·冯·别林斯高晋的肖像画下抿了口茶说道。法比安·戈特利布·冯·别林斯高晋是俄罗斯帝国海军上将,曾在1820年到南极沿海地区探险。
[G]南极洲丰富的矿物质、石油和天然气储备对各国而言都是长期的利益所在。禁止在此处采矿、保卫令人垂涎的铁矿石、煤矿和铬矿的条约预计将于2048年到期。最近研究者发现了金伯利岩矿藏,这也就意味着可能有钻石的存在。(39)尽管评估各不相同,但是据地质学家预测,南极洲至少蕴藏了360亿桶石油和天然气。
[H](43)除了南极条约,开发这些资源也面临着一些其他的巨大阻碍,比如可能会危及近海平台的漂移冰山。此外,南极洲过于广袤,一些矿藏所在地饱受暴风吹袭。这片大陆面积比欧洲还要大,冬季气温常在-55℃左右。
[I]但是,科技的进步很有可能会让三十年后的南极洲更容易开发。(41)甚至在那之前,学者们警告,在这样一个急需能源的世界,对于资源的需求可能会促使各国重新协商南极条约,使之在禁令到期之前就允许更多商业上的诉求。乔治王岛上的研究工作站让人得以一窥在这个被冰封的大陆上进行的长期博弈。在这里,各国实力角逐,撼动了长期以来美国、英国、澳大利亚和新西兰等国在此的统治地位。
[J]在南极洲建立监测站需要适应这个地球上最干、最多风、最冷的大陆上的生活,然而每个国家都成功地适应了这里。留着络腮胡的俄罗斯牧师在东正教堂为在南极基地过冬的约16名俄罗斯成员提供定期服务,他们大部分是冰河学和气象学的极地科学家。在更加温暖的夏季,极地科学家的数量会达40人左右。中国大概是在南极洲相关活动增加最快的国家。去年,中国在南极洲开设了第四座观测站,并且要继续开设第五座。中国正在建造它的第二艘破冰船,并在一处冰穹上进行研究钻探作业。这处冰穹位于海平面13422英尺以上,是地球上最寒冷的地方之一。(36)中国官员表示,在南极的拓展以科学研究为重点。不过,他们也承认,对于“资源安全”的考虑影响了他们的行动。
[K]中国最近翻新了乔治王岛上的长城站,相比之下.俄罗斯和智利的基地就显得有些落伍了。“我们在这里做天气监测和其他的研究工作”,53岁的中国基地负责人徐宁喝着茶说道,此时正值十一月末一场猛烈的暴风雪期间。一到放假休息的时候,他领导的这个巨大的基地就像个冰雪覆盖的大学校园。整个南极洲的冬季,只有13个人住在这个足以容纳十倍以上人员的地方。中国微生物学家余勇向我们展示了这座宽敞的建筑物,在空桌子上,一张有插图的时间表详细介绍了自20世纪80年代以来中国在南极相关活动的快速增长。“现在我们感觉已经准备好扩张了,”他说。
[L]就在一些国家加大在南极洲的活动力度时.美国在这里则始终保持着三个基站的全年运作,南半球夏日期间驻扎在此的人数超过1000人,其中包括那些驻扎在阿蒙森一史考特站的人员。该站建于1956年,位于南极的一座海拔高9301英尺的高原之上。(45)不过,美国研究人员悄悄抱怨称,他们的预算相当紧张,而且破冰设备数量也远不及俄罗斯,这些因素限制了美国在南极洲的开拓进程。
[M]学者们警告,在南极条约重新谈判期限到来之前,南极洲的政治摇摆就有可能会模糊军事活动和民事活动之间的界限,尤其是在某些拦截卫星信号或者重设卫星系统的理想地点,这些活动或许能够加强全球电子情报活动的能力。
[N]一些国家在这里并不顺利。1984年,巴西在南极洲开设了一处考察站,但在2012年,一场大火几乎将其付之一炬,烧死了两名海军成员。同年,一艘满载柴油的巴西驳船在基地附近沉没。似乎这样还不够,在2014年,巴西一架C-130军用运输机在紧急迫降后,就一直搁浅在智利空军基地附近的跑道上。
[O]不过巴西的厄运倒是给中国创造了机会。2015年,一家中国公司赢得了价值1亿美元的巴西基站重建合同。
[P]尽管经历了这些变化,但南极洲仍保持着它的吸引力。2014年,韩国开设了其在南极洲的第二处研究基地,称该基地可以用于测试韩国研究人员开发的用于极端条件下的机器人。在俄罗斯的帮助之下,白俄罗斯正准备建设其第一座南极基地。哥伦比亚今年宣布,他们也计划加入其他南美洲国家的队伍,开始在南极洲建设基地。
[Q](44)“南极洲被来自欧洲、澳大利亚和北美的白种人的利益和意愿主宰的时代已经结束了,”伦敦大学一位专门研究南极洲的政治学者克劳斯·多兹说道,“事实上,南极洲已经成为地缘政治的一大竞争目标。”
详解详析
According to Chinese officials,their activities in Antarctica lay greater emphasis oil scientific research.
中国官员称,他们在南极洲的活动重点放在科学研究方面。
由题干关键词Chinese officials定位到原文画线处。
[J]段最后一句提到,中国官员表示,在南极洲的拓展以科学研究为重点。题干中的lay greater emphasis om对应原文中的prioritkses,故答案为[J]。