Our suits have four layers: thermal underwear on the inside, followed by an electrically heated bodysuit, a thick wool coat, and a half-inch-thick layer of rubber outerwear. There're two layers of hoods, waterproof gloves and 35 pounds of weights. There are two batteries for the heated bodysuit, a backup gas container, and finally, my photography equipment. We look like astronauts minus the helmets.
When we finally dive into the freezing water, we're wearing 200 pounds each. The cold quickly numbs the few square inches of exposed skin on our cheeks, and as the dive goes on, it spreads into our suits and gloves, biting even harder. It’ s almost unbearable. Toward the end, as we're pausing on our way up to let the pressure drop, we search for anything to distract us from the pain. When we finally drag ourselves out of the freezing ocean, I lie face down on the ice, my brain dulled, my skin hard and wrinkled, my lips, hands, and feet swollen and unconscious—then, as my body warms and the blood starts to flow (again), the intense pain is at its worst.
What could possibly make this worthwhile? The sight! Only a few species of seals, penguins, and other birds live in East Antarctica, and no land mammals at all. Below, it’s a rich garden. Antarctic marine life has been largely isolated from the rest of the planet for millions of years, ever since the continent separated from the other continents and froze over. Since then the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current has surrounded Antarctica from west to east, creating a sharp change in temperature that prevents the spread of marine animals. The long isolation has allowed a surprising diversity of species, unique to the region, to evolve on the seafloor.
The waters under Antarctic ice are like Mount Qomolangma: magical, but extremely unfriendly. Nothing short of full commitment gets you anywhere. The demand is too great. But that's what makes the images you see here so breathtaking, and the experience of having photographed them and of having seen this place so unforgettable.
【小题1】What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How fully prepared the divers are. | B．How entertaining a diver appears to be. |
| C．How advanced modern technologies are. | D．How heavy the astronauts' equipment is. |
| A．dive into the water | B．begin to resurface |
| C．reach the deepest spot | D．regain consciousness |
| A．They can be found elsewhere on the planet. | B．They have unimpressive biological diversity. |
| C．They experience sharp changes in temperature. | D．They live relatively independently geographically. |
| A．The amazing scenery and pictures taken. | B．The divers' devotion to the tough task. |
| C．The long-standing reputation of Antarctica. | D．The challenging circumstances of the diving. |
