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1、CoolAntarcticaAntarcticaisanamazingplace.Itmaybecoldandremote,butthisfrozenlandishometosomegreatwildlife.Readthearticletofindoutmoreaboutthisincrediblecontinent.IntroductionAntarcticaisafrozencontinent.Itisasfarsouthasyoucangetanditsurroundsthesouthpole.Antar
2、cticaiscoveredbyagreaticesheetandisaboutthetoughestplaceyoucouldchoosetolive.ThecontinentisdividedintwopartsbytheTransantarcticMountains.Thismountainchainis3,540kmlongandcontainsanactivevolcano:MountErebus.ThehighestmountainonAntarcticaistheVinsonMassif(5,140
3、m)intheEllesworthMountains.Theeasternpartofthecontinentisthelargest,andthewesternparthasapeninsulathatsticksoutasfaras965km(600miles)fromthepole.Antarcticaistheleastpopulatedandleastpollutedoftheworld'scontinents,butisnotuntouched.Infact,itiswheretheholeinthe
4、ozonelayerisfound.In1959theAntarcticTreatywassignedinordertotryandpreservetheuniquefeaturesofthecontinent.ExplorationAntarcticawasthelastcontinenttobediscoveredbymodernman.Ancientpeopleshadlongpasseddownlegendsofamysterioussouthernlandbutitwasfirstofficiallys
5、ightedin1820.Duringthe19thcentury,peoplestartedtoexploititsresources,byhuntingwhalesandseals.Thenintheearly1900s,thegreatexplorers,includingScott,ShackletonandAmundsentookupthechallengetoreachthesouthpole.AmundsenactuallygottherefirstinDecember1911,butScott’s
6、expeditionisperhapsmorefamous.Histeammadeittothepolejustamonthlater,onlytofindtheNorwegianflagalreadyinplace.Scottandhiscompanionsalldiedonthereturnjourney.MawsonandByrdwerethefirstexplorerstoconsiderflyingtothesouthpole.Nowthatwehavemodernaircraftequippedwit
7、hthelatesttechnology,it’smucheasiertofindoutaboutAntarctica.Therehavebeenanumberofscientificstudiesinthelast50years.ClimateAntarcticaiscolderanddrierthananyothercontinent.Thecoldesttemperatureeverrecordedwas-89.2ºC(-128.6ºF)atVostockresearchstation.AlthoughAn
8、tarcticaistheworld’ssmallestcontinent,itislargeenoughfortheclimatetovaryfromoneareatothenext.Insummer,temperaturescanriseto+15ºC(59ºF)inthepeninsulabutonlyreachabout-20ºC(-4ºF)intheinteri
