人教全日制普通高中英语（必修）高三UNIT2-2

 By the middle of the 1920s the farthest corners of the earth had already been explored: the continents and the oceans had been mapped, the North and South Poles had been reached, and the origins, of the world's major rivers had been discovered. All that was left to be conquered¹ was the "third pole", the highest mountain on earth, Mount² Qomolangma. Some suggested it could not be accomplished³. At that time, going to Mount Qomolangma was like going to the moon.
 
      Climbing at such high altitudes requires great skill and is not without risk. Apart from the cold, thin air and low oxygen levels can cause mountain sickness, which can kill. Some people can never go above 4,000 metres because their body is unable to adjust to these extreme conditions. Above about 5,200 metres, in the "death zone", humans can only survive for a couple of days, even with extra oxygen.
 
      The Tibetans have lived in the Himalayas for centuries and have adjusted to the conditions at such a great height. To them, the mountains were sacred, and they would not climb them for that reason. When Westerners came to climb Mount Qomolangma, the Sherpas, who live in Tibet, northern India and Nepal, acted as guides. From the first British Qomolangma expedition in 1921, Sherpa strength, skill, honesty and dedication⁴ have made them ideal⁵ companions on the mountain. Every Qomolangma expedition since then has relied on Sherpa support.
 
      One of the first foreign expeditions to climb Mount Qomolangma arrived in Tibet in 1921. They had no idea what they were up against. Two British expeditions made the attempt in 1922 and 1924, but failed to reach the top. The local Tibetans and Sherpas laughed at the strange bottles containing what they referred to as "English air". In 1924 two British men were lost. When their oxygen ran out, they had no chance of surviving. After World War II, technological⁶ advances in clothing and equipment had been made, and more was known about the mountain itself, which by now had been flown over several times by aircraft. The New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, as members of a British team, were the first to make it to the summit⁷ of Mount Qomolangma. They reached the top on May 29, 1953.
 
      In later years the question arose who was the first to reach the top. Whenever he was asked, Sheba Tenzing Norgay's answer was, "We climbed as a team, period." Like winning in the Olympic Games, climbing a mountain such as Mount Qomolangma is a great personal achievement. Climbing the mountain is still one of man's greatest challenges. After 1953 several hundred people have succeeded in climbing the mountain, some to be the first of their nation and many in attempts to climb the mountain over different slopes.
 
      The Chinese made their first successful attempt in 1960. On May 25 of that year, Gongbu, Wang Fuzhou and Qu Yinhua reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma. As it was dark and they were unable to take photos to prove that they had reached the top, they left an iron container with the national flag and a portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. At the age of 25, Qu Yinhua was the youngest ever to have reached the summit. On their return, they were praised as national heroes. On May 27, 1975, another Chinese team climbed Mount Qomolangma from its northern side. Over the past 40 years, 29 other Chinese people have climbed Mount Qomolangma successfully.

1 conquered   

攻克( conquer的过去式和过去分词 )； 征服； 破除； 克服

参考例句：

• The Normans conquered England in 1066. 诺曼人于1066年征服了英格兰。
• The mines were manned by forced labour from conquered countries. 这些矿由来自被征服国家的强制劳工开采。

2 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

5 ideal   

adj.理想的，完美的；空想的，观念的；n.理想

参考例句：

• The weather at the seaside was ideal—bright and breezy.海边的天气最宜人，风和日丽的。
• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever. 他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。

6 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

7 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。