Countries Rush for Upper Hand in AntarcticaA)On a glacier－filled island with fjords (峡
Countries Rush for Upper Hand in AntarcticaA)On a glacier－filled island with fjords （峡
Countries Rush for Upper Hand in Antarctica
A)On a glacier-filled island with fjords (峡湾) and elephant seals，Russia has built Antarctica's first
Orthodox church on a hill overlooking its research base. Less than an hour away by snow mobile, Chinese lab ourers have updated the Great Wall Station，a vital part of China's plan to operate five bases on Antarctica，complete with an indoor badminton court and sleeping quarters for 150 people.Not to be outdone，India's futuristic new Bharathi base，built on stilts(桩子)using 134 interlockingshipping containers，resembles a spaceship. Turkey and Iran have announced plans to build bases，too.
B)More than a century has passed since explorers raced to plant their flags at the bottom of the world,and for decades to come this continent is supposed to be protected as a scientific preserve，shieldedfrom intrusions like military activities and mining.But an array of countries are rushing to assertgreater influence here，with an eye not just towards the day those protective treaties expire，but alsofor the strategic and commercial opportunities that already exist.
C)The newer players are stepping into what they view as a treasure house of resources.Some of the ventures focus on the Antarctic resources that are already up for grabs，like abundant sea life. SouthKorea，which operates state-of-the-art bases here，is increasing its fishing of krill (磷虾)，found inabundance in the Southern Ocean，while Russia recently frustrated efforts to create one of the world'slargest occan sanctuaries herc.
D) Some scientists are examining the potential for harvesting icebergs from Antarctica，which is estimatedto have the biggest reserves of fresh water on the planet. Nations are also pressing ahead with spaceresearch and satellite projects to expand their global navigation abilities.
E) Building on a Soviet-era foothold，Russia is expanding its monitoring stations for Glonass，its version of
the Global Positioning System (GPS). At least three Russian stations are already operating in Antarctica，part of its effort to challenge the dominance of the American GPS，and new stations are planned for sites like the Russian base，in the shadow of the Orthodox Church of the Holy 'Trinity.F) Elsewhere in Antarctica，Russian researchers boast of their recent discovery of a freshwater reserve
the size of Lake Ontario after drilling through miles of solid ice.“You can see that we're here tostay,”said Vladimir Cheberdak，57，chief of the Bellingshausen Station，as he sipped tea under aportrait of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen，a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Navywho explored the Antarctic coast in 1820.
G)Antarctica's mineral，oil and gas wealth are a longer-term prize. The treaty banning mining here，
shielding coveted (令人垂涎的)reserves of iron ore，coal and chromium，comes up for reviewin 2048. Researchers recently found kimberlite (金伯利岩)deposits hinting at the existence ofdiamonds. And while assessments vary widely，geologists estimate that Antarctica holds at least36 billion barrels of oil and natural gas.
H) Beyond the Antarctic treaties，huge obstacles persist to tapping these resources，like drifting icebergs that could jeopardise offshore platforms. Then there is Antarctica's remoteness，with some mineraldeposits found in windswept locations on a continent that is larger than Europe and where wintertemperatures hover around minus 55 degrees Celsius.
I) But advances in technology might make Antarctica a lot more accessible three decades from now.And even before then，scholars warn，the demand for resources in an energy-hungry world could raisepressure to renegotiatce Antarctica's treaties，possibly allowing more commercial endeavours here wellbefore the prohibitions against them expire. The research stations on King George Island offer aglimpse into the long game on this ice-blanketed continent as nations assert themselves，eroding thesway long held by countries like the United States，Britain，Australia and New Zealand.
J) Being stationed in Antarctica involves adapting to life on the planet's driest，windiest and coldest continent，yet each nation manages to make itself at home. Bearded Russian priests offer regularservices at the Orthodox church for the 16 or so Russian speakers who spend the winter at the base,largely polar scientists in fields like glaciology and meteorology. Their number climbs to about 40 inthe warmer summer months. China has arguably the fastest-growing operations in Antarctica. Itopened its fourth station last year and is pressing ahead with plans to build a fifth. It is building itssecond ice-breaking ship and setting up research drilling operations on an ice dome 13,422 feet abovesea level that is one of the planet's coldest places. Chinese officials say the expansion in Antarcticaprioritises scientific research，but they also acknowledge that concerns about“ resource security"influence their moves.
K) China's newly renovated Great Wall Station on King Gcorge Island makes the Russian and Chilean bases here seem outdated.“We do weather monitoring here and other research,”Ning Xu，53，thechief of the Chinese base，said over tea during a fierce blizzard(暴风雪) in late November. The largebase he leads resembles a snowed-in college campus on holiday break，with the capacity to sleep morethan 10 times the 13 people who were staying on through the Antarctic winter. Yong Yu，a Chinesemicrobiologist，showed off the spacious building，with empty desks under an illustrated timelinedetailing the rapid growth of China's Antarctic operations since the 1980s.“We now feel equipped togrow,”he said.
L) As some countries expand operations in Antarctica，the United States maintains three year-round stations on the continent with more than 1,000 people during the southern hemisphere's summer, including those at the Amundsen-Scott station，built in 1956 at an elevation of 9,301 feet on a plateauat the South Pole. But US researchers quietly complain about budget restraints and having far fewerice breakers than Russia，limiting the reach of the United States in Antarctica.
M) Scholars warn that Antarctica's political drift could blur the distinction between military and civilian activities long before the continent's treaties come up for renegotiation，especially in parts of Antarctica that are ideal for intercepting(拦截) signals from satellites or retasking satellite systems，potentially enhancing global electronic intelligence operations.
N) Some countries have had a hard time here. Brazil opened a research station in 1984，but it was largely destroyed by a fire that killed two members of the navy in 2012，the same year that a diesel-laden Brazilian barge sank near the base. As if that were not enough，a Brazilian C-130 Hercules military transport plane has remained stranded near the runway of Chile's air base here since it crash-landed in 2014.
O)However，Brazil's stretch of misfortune has created opportunities for China，with a Chinese company winning the $100 million contract in 2015 to rebuild the Brazilian station.
P) Amid all the changes，Antarctica maintains its allure. South Korea opened its second Antarctic
research base in 2014，describing it as a way to test robots developed by Korean researchers for use in extreme conditions. With Russia's help，Belarus is preparing to build its first Antarctic base. Colombia said this year that it planned to join other South American nations with bases in Antarctica.
Q) “The old days of the Antarctic being dominated by the interests and wishes of white men from
European，Australasian and North American states are over,”said Klaus Dodds，a politics scholar at the University of London who specialises in Antarctica.“The reality is that Antarctica is geopolitically contested.”
36. According to Chinese officials，their activities in Antarctica lay greater emphasis on scientific research.
37.Efforts to create one of the world's largest ocean sanctuaries failed because of Russia's obstruction.
38. With several monitoring stations operating in Antarctica，Russia is trying hard to counter America's dominance in the field of worldwide navigational facilities.
39.According to geologists’estimates，Antarctica has enormous reserves of oil and natural gas.
40. It is estimated that Antarctica boasts of the richest reserves of fresh water on earth.
41. The demand for energy resources may compel renegotiation of Antarctica's treaties before their expiration.
42. Many countries are racing against each other to increase their business and strategic influence on Antarctica.
43. Antarctica's harsh natural conditions constitute huge obstacles to the exploitation of its resources.
44. With competition from many countries，Antarctica is no longer dominated by the traditional white nations.
45. American scientists complain about lack of sufficient money and equipment for their expansion in Antarctica.
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