BBC随身英语:No cold feet 英国的南极探险者

To make sure they'll stay on the surface of the ice shelf, two skiers will lead the way, on the lookout for crevasses using a small radar system.

To get Foreign Office permission to go to Antarctica the team had to prove they could be self-sufficient. In the Antarctic winter there's no way of being rescued.

"That means everything from vehicle spares down to a toothbrush," says Brian Newham, who's been organising the gear for the expedition. He's even been counting the number of sheets on a toilet roll.

"We're taking 165 rolls. That's one for all of us for every 2.25 days," he says.

And nothing is left to chance. Their luggage also includes 20 kg of dried egg, 7,300 tea bags, 230 kg of chocolate and 30 toothbrushes.

There's enough food to last a year including dried fruits, sports nutrition products, and dried foods like lasagne. They can't take tins with them as they'd freeze and burst.

And there'll be no empty suitcases on their return. Everything the explorers take with them will be removed from the ice at the end of the expedition, including the human waste.

Quiz 测验 1. Look at the article. What adventures has the British explorer had in the past?

He has travelled from one pole to the other and has climbed Everest.

2. What particular danger on the ice does the expedition have to be aware of as it advances?

The existence of crevasses.

3. Is the following statement true, false or not given? The explorers are carrying more food than they need in case they get in trouble and have to wait to be saved.

True.

4. Look at the article. What word describes an area difficult to live in?

Inhospitable.

5. What word means equipment?

Gear.

Glossary 词汇表 to pack打点行李 a trek跋涉，旅行 to bear in mind记住 a challenge挑战 the explorer探险者 the expedition远征，探险 the adventurer冒险者 a feat功勋，壮举 a pensioner一个领养老金的人 inhospitable不适于居住的 a bulldozer推土机 a sledge雪橇 on the lookout寻找 a crevasse一个裂缝 a radar system一个雷达系统 self-sufficient自给自足的 to rescue营救 the gear（专用）一套装备 to be left to chance侥幸，碰运\气 human waste（人的）粪便