對宇宙的好奇，對未知的探求一直驅使著人類進行各種各樣的探險活動。目前，人類已經完成了許多重大的探險活動，諸如阿波羅登月、到達南極和登上珠穆朗瑪峰等。這些壯舉改變了人類的世界觀，拓展了人類的視野，讓人類想要“站得更高，看得更遠”！蒼茫大地，浩瀚宇宙，的確仍有許多領域有待人類前去探索。下麵就一起來看看美國Times 雜誌盤點的人類正計劃完成的十大探險活動，哪些是你最為期待的呢？
1) Marianas Trench in the South Pacific
The deepest point of the world’s oceans， the Mariana Trench， could swallow 2)Mount Everest whole with more than a mile 3)to spare. In 1960， U.S. Navy 4)Lieutenant Don Walsh and Jacques Picard in the 5)bathyscaph “Trieste” reached the bottom of the Trench at 35，840 feet deep. The vessel spent barely 20 minutes on the ocean floor， and only unmanned vessels have been back since. While man’s desire to explore the earth’s bottom is just as great as reaching its top， the ocean floor is no mere curiosity. Previously unknown organisms that can survive extreme pressures and utter darkness could be uncovered， and the Trench could yield new insights into 6)plate tectonics and earthquakes. It’s no exaggeration： four-fifths of the Earth remains largely unexplored and the Mariana Trench is the planet’s deepest mystery.
7)Extraterrestrial Communication
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project at the University of California is just one of countless endeavors continuously scanning 8)optical， 9)infrared and radio frequencies for signals from distant civilizations in space. Since 1999， more than five million computer users have run the SETI@Home program that recycles unused computing power to analyze data collected from 10)radio telescopes. 11)The International Academy of Astronautics already has established a 12)standing committee to advise political leaders what to do if someone discovers a signal from 13)ET. A confirmed message from another civilization would utterly transform society， taking the planet on an unprecedented journey into the unknown.
The Darién Gap
If you’ve ever dreamed of driving a car the length of the American continent from Alaska to Chile， you’re out of luck. Near the Panama-14)Colombia border， the 15)Pan-American Highway suddenly ends at the Darién Gap， one of the most remote and inaccessible areas in the Western Hemisphere. The Gap is an 16)untamed wilderness of jungle and 17)swampland with no road infrastructure whatsoever， and it’s officially 18)off-limits to foreign travelers. The Gap also 19)features the crocodile and snake 20)infested Great Atrato Swamp， one of the last 21)uncharted regions on the planet. Oh， and if you’re going， 22)watch out for Colombian rebel groups， who have been known to kidnap would-be adventurers and hold them for ransom. Happy travels！