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--- Lesson 43 Over the South Pole |
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--- First listen and then answer the question. |
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--- How was the plane able to clear the mountains? |
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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. |
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Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, |
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they soon ran into serious trouble. |
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At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash. |
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It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet. |
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Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks. |
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The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet. |
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Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away, |
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for there were no more mountains in sight. |
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The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty. |
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--- end |