The scientists who currently work and study in Antarctica are fortunate. They are able to (A26) ... on the regular arrival of supplies by ship and plane, they are properly (A27) ... against the cold in comfortable, centrally-heated huts and they have specially designed vehicles called snowmobiles to move around in. ButAntarctica still (A28) ... adventurers. In 1992 two British men, Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud, (A29) ... to walk across Antarctica, without any of these modern aids. They had expected to suffer a lot, and after walking for 95 days in temperatures below -40 °C, they were in a terrible state. However, they managed to cross from one side of the continent to another. Luckily, they were able to radio for an aircraft, which came and picked them up from the ice.

So, why did they do it? One explanation is that some human beings have an unusually strong desire to (A30) ... both with themselves and against nature. In the past, such people might have gone off to discover new (A31) ... Today, such people (A32) ... new challenges, trying to achieve something that no human being has ever done.

A26.

1) believe

2) trust

3) count

4) claim

A27.

1) protected

2) saved

3) preserved

4) kept

A28.

1) appeals

2)leads

3) attracts

4) catches

A29.

1) set out

2) got away

3) set up

4) got by

A30.

1) compete

2) attack

3) oppose

4) combat

A31.

1) lands

2) grounds

3) earth

4) soils

A32.

1)search

2) look

3) seek

4) watch