Ⅰ. 阅读理解
As a boy, I wanted to go to the South Pole. As a teenager, I decided I'd like to go to the North Pole too. And yet, I haven't done either. It had taken me 31 years to just make it to the Arctic.
I was travelling with a film crew from Northern Ireland, following the footsteps of Lord Dufferin who, in the 1850s, sailed from Scotland to the Arctic. As an early adventure tourist, he was driven by the desire to see what lay at the ends of the world.
As we sailed north, icebergs of the size of buses floated past our small boat. Finally, we reached our destination — English Bay, where Dufferin landed — and stepped off onto the horseshoeshaped beach.
This was what I'd dreamt of: standing somewhere so pure and primitive. However, for many early polar explorers, the results were far less pleasant. The south, in particular, was the source of extreme danger.
My childhood interest in the South Pole was fuelled by the unsuccessful yet heroic adventures of Ernest Shackleton. He died in 1922 while preparing for his fourth adventure. The stories of Robert Falcon Scott are also wellknown: he and four companions died on their way back from the South Pole.
So why do explorers put themselves at such risk?
Much of it seems to lie in the purity of the challenge. Scott talked of the appeal of a place that had been “unreached and unseen by humans”. “With a view over shining lands covered by icesheets of inconceivable extent, you have the feeling of living over the control of death，” said Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer.
On the homeward journey the weather turned and we were left for a few days at the mercy of a storm. We experienced a small taste of helplessness when faced with the raw power of nature. We should be grateful for the great explorers' spirit and stories. I know I am.
【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者为了实现童年去南极的梦想，跟随一个来自北爱尔兰的电影摄制组旅行并介绍了他一路上的所见所闻和所感。
1. Why did the author begin his adventure tour?
A. To assist a film crew.
B. To realise a childhood dream.
C. To memorise Lord Dufferin.
D. To challenge a world record.
B 细节理解题。根据第一段的内容以及第四段中的“This was what I'd dreamt of: standing somewhere so pure and primitive.”可知，作者开始他的冒险之旅是为了实现童年的梦想。故选B。
2. Which of the following best explains “inconceivable” underlined in Paragraph 7?
A. Hard to control.
B. Too far to reach.
C. Hard to imagine.
D. Too bright to view.
C 词义猜测题。根据画线词所在段中的“Scott talked of the appeal of a place that had been ‘unreached and unseen by humans’．”可知，斯科特认为南极是人类无法触及和看不见的地方，故可推测画线词意思和选项C“难以想象”最接近。故选C。
3. What happened during the writer's journey?
A. They were trapped in icebergs.
B. They were kept off the destination.
C. They were attacked by a storm.
D. They were rescued by explorers.
C 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“On the homeward journey the weather turned and we were left for a few days at the mercy of a storm.”可知，作者在旅途中被暴风雨袭击了。故选C。
4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. The Appeal of the Ends of the World
B. The Dream of Travelling to the Arctic
C. The Victory over the Control of Death
D. The Gratitude to Great Explorers' Spirit
A 标题归纳题。根据第一段的内容并结合文章主要讲述了作者为了实现童年去南极的梦想，跟随一个来自北爱尔兰的电影摄制组旅行并介绍了一路上他的所见所闻和所感。可知，选项A“世界尽头的吸引力”最适合作文章的标题。故选A。
