As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins(企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.

Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.

After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”

In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”

The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.

1.Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?

A Try challenging things.

B Take a degree.

C Bring back lost memories.

D Stick to a promise.

解析：选A。A 短语猜测题。根据第二段划线词前文“Throughout her career as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further.”和“When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest”可知，Ginni在退休和儿子们成家立业之后，决定尝试有挑战性的事情。由此推知，划线词组take the plunge与try challenging things“尝试有挑战性的事情”意思接近。故选A。

2.What made Ginni decide on the trip to Antarctica?

A Lovely penguins.

B Beautiful scenery.

C A discount fare.

D A friend’s invitation.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tiera del Fuego.”可知，是折扣的票价让Ginni决定去南极洲旅行的。故选C。

3.What does Ginni think about Antarctica after the journey?

A It could be a home for her.

B It should be easily accessible.

C It should be well preserved.

D It needs to be fully introduced.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据最后一段“The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni. (意识到这是一块宝贵的土地，应该受到人类的尊重，这是Ginni最深刻的感受之一。)”可知，旅行结束后，Ginni认为南极洲应该得到很好的保护。故选C。

4.What is the text mainly about?

A A childhood dream.

B An unforgettable experience.

C Sailing around the world.

D Meeting animals in Antarctica.

解析：选B。B 主旨大意题。通读全文可知，文章主要讲述了Ginni Balinton去南极旅行的经历，再根据第一段“These gentle lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget”和倒数第二段Ginni Balinton对南极之旅的评价可知，文章主要介绍了Ginni Balinton去南极洲之旅让她非常难忘。由此可知An unforgettable experience. (一次难忘的经历)能够概括文章主旨。故选B。