课文

In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole, the American explorer, R. E. Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time. Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble. At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash. It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet. Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks. The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet. Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away, for there were no more mountains in sight. The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.

pole

1. n.（地球的）极
   the South Pole：南极
   the North Pole：北极
2. n. 电池的正负极
   When we use the battery, we should pay attention to putting positive pole and negative pole in the right place.

explorer
n. 探险家
explore：v. 探险，勘查
exploring for gold：挖金矿
exploration：n.
exploration of：对 … 的探究

lie

1. v. 躺，处于
   lie - lying - lay - lain
   lie down：
   You must lie down and rest.
2. v. 说谎
   Lie to me
   lie - lying - lied - lied
   tell a lie (n.)
   A study found that people tell two to three lies every 10 minutes.

serious
adj. 严重的
*I'm serious!=I mean it! *我是认真的。
*Be serious! *你严肃点儿，你别开玩笑了。
*Seriously! *说正经的。

**point **

1. n. 地点，the exact place or position
2. n. 重点
   come / get to the point：谈正题，说重点
   Stop nagging and get to the point please.
   [口语]
   *What's the / your point? *
   *That's the point. *
   *That's a good point. / Good point. *
   dot：n. 点

seem
v. 似乎，好像
seem + adj.
Laura seemed upset this morning.
看起来好像：
it seems as if / as though
it seems that …
it seems to be …

crash
v. 坠毁
plane crash / air crash / car crash
crash course：速成班
a crash course in Arabic：阿拉伯语速成班
Arabic /'ærəbik/ ：
adj. 阿拉伯的；阿拉伯人的
n. 阿拉伯语

clear
v. 越过
clear a wall / fence：
越过（没有接触面的凌空越过）
clear the mountain：飞跃山峰
The plane cleared the mountains. = It flew over the mountains.（fly over）

plain
n. 平原
landscape：地貌
plateau /'plætəʊ/：高原
Tibet Plateau：青藏高原
basin /'beɪs(ə)n/ ：盆地
Turpan Basin /'tuə'pɑ:n/ ：吐鲁番盆地

课文讲解

In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole, the American explorer, R. E. Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.

flew over the South Pole
fly over：飞越过
for the first time：首次
the second time, the third time …

Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble.

though & although
都可以表示虽然，但是，尽管，不过
though：

1. 可以放句末
   He studied till midnight, he couldn't finish the task, though.
2. as though 仿佛，好像
3. even though 即使

be able to：
succeed in doing sth. / manage to do sth. 成功办到某事
表明一个动作已经成功地完成：was able to, 不用could.
take a great many photographs
take pictures / photographs (of sth. / sb.)
run into trouble：get into trouble 陷入困境

At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash.

at one point：在某一点（某一地点，某一时间点）
it seemed certain that …：看起来肯定
seem + adj.
it seems as if / as though …
it seems to be / that …

It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.

get over the mountains：clear the mountains
feet - foot - ft：英尺
1ft = 12inches = 30cm (centimetres)
inch：英寸

The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.

was able to rise
it cleared the mountains …
by：prep. 数量、程度达到 …
I was overcharged by 20 RMB.

Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away, for there were no more mountains in sight.

that - 引导宾语从句，主从句时态保持一致
which - 引导定语从句，在从句中做主语
for - 表示原因
in sight：在视线范围之内

The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.

be able to do sth. without difficulty. 毫无困难做某事

句型演练

can

1. 能力
2. 请求许可
3. 推测
   He can do it by himself, so don't worry about it.
   be able to ↔ can
   was / were able to & could
   Byrd and his men were able to take …
   It could only get over the mountains if …
   was then able to rise …
   would be able to reach …
   was able to fly …
   be able to - 有变形：talk about ability
   could - 无变形：talk about past possibility or ability
   be able to do sth.
   could to do sth. ×

作文

Byrd stayed in the Antarctic for a year and made many more flights.He went back to America in 1930 but returned to the Antarctic in 1946.This time he not only had 4,000 men with him but thirteen ships and seventeen aeroplanes as well.

A man who will not lie to a woman has very little consideration for her feelings.
white lie：善意的谎言