We Have a Painter to Thank for Yellowstone
Before artist Thomas Moran set foot in the park, it was seen as a hellish place. After, it was marketed as a wonderland.
Before Thomas Moran arrived, Yellowstone in the popular imagination was a harsh, wild place pocked with hellish geysers(间歇泉). After the painter’s work was finished, Yellowstone was established as a national park and marketed as a wonderland.
In 1871 Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson had joined the first U.S. government survey of the region. For two weeks Moran filled a sketchbook with the landscape’s most stunning sights. The survey results, Jackson’s photos, and Moran’s watercolors—the first color illustration of the area—were presented to Congress that fall. “The photographs were proof that what the artist was showing really existed,” says Eleanor Harvey, senior curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
In March 1872 lawmakers officially made Yellowstone a national park, the world’s first. By April, Moran had transformed some of his sketches into a 7-by-12-foot painting. The gold-splattered valley and billowing Lower Falls of “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” fascinated the public. “It is too grand and wonderful for words,” declared the Ladies’ Repository that August, “and none can ever be a judge of its wonders from any engraving or photograph in mere black and white.”
Though Moran later painted Lake Superior, the Grand Canyon, and the Rockies, his reputation was so attached to Yellowstone that he took to signing his paintings “TYM”.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that ________ must be one of the appealing sights in Yellowstone National Park.| A．Alice-in-Wonderland . | B．Smithsonian American Art Museum. |
| C．The Grand Canyon. | D．Lake Superior. |
| A．writing | B．engraving | C．photos | D．watercolors |
| A．Yellowstone has always been a wonderland from the public’s perspective. |
| B．Yellowstone is the first national park across the world. |
| C．The signature on the paintings of Moran later paintings probably stands for Thomas Yellowstone Moran. |
| D．Moran’s paintings helped inspire Congress to establish the Yellowstone region as a national park. |
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DAY 1: Arrive in Delhi
Today arrive in Delhi, the national capital of India. Upon arrival at the airport, our company representative will meet you and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
Overnight at Delhi hotels
DAY 2: Delhi—Full-day tour(old& New Delhi tour)
Today morning have breakfast in the hotel. At 9:30, the tour guide will meet you at your hotel and later proceed for a full-day guided tour in Delhi starting with Old Delhi visiting Raj Gaht. Jama Masjid, driving past through the Red Fort. Later in New Delhi visit Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, drive past through Parliament Street and President House and visit Qutub Minar.
Overnight at Delhi hotels
DAY 3: Delhi-Jaipur via Fitehpur Sikri(240 km/5 hours)
Today morning after breakfast. drive to Jaipur, the capita] city of Rajsthan state. Jaipur is also known as “Pink City”. En route visit Fatehpur Sikri, known as Ghost. Later continue the drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel. Evening: free at leisure for your own activities.
Optional: visits to Chokhi Dhani Village Resort(US $25 per person)
Overnight at Jaipur hotels
DAY 4：Delhi(256 km/5 hours)
Today morning after breakfast, drive back to Delhi airport. The total distance is 256 kms and you can cover it in 5 hours. Upon arrival in Delhi, board flight to onward journey.
NOTE: Price starts with US $ 215 with
●Daily breakfast and soft beverages(饮料) and packaged drinking water.
●Elephant rides at Amber Fort.
●Sunset or sunrise visits to Taj MahaL
●All entrance fees to the monuments and train tickets.
1. On which day can you visit Qutub Minar?| A．DAY 1 | B．DAY 2 |
| C．DAY 3 | D．DAY 4 |
| A．The whole journey covers 496 km |
| B．Travelers will stay in Delhi for two nights |
| C．Travelers will fly to Delhi airport on DAY 4 |
| D．Travelers will be made to buy things on DAY 3 |
| A．a sunrise visit to Taj Mahal |
| B．elephant riding at Amber Fort |
| C．visits to Chokhi Dhani Village Resort |
| D．breakfast and packaged drinking water |
【推荐2】Hiking, also walking for a long distance in the countryside is one of life’s simple and cheap pleasures. But is it safe? Sports writer Mark Waters considers the risks.
Imagine the following...
One day, Ronald decided to take up hiking. The next Sunday, he got up early, threw a sandwich and a bottle of water into a bag and headed for Sai Kung Country Park. Before going, he quickly looked at a map and decided that he could easily walk from the bus stop at Park Tam Chung to the beach at Dai Long Wan .
After walking for hours and hours under the hot sun, Ronald started to feel tired. He reached for his water but found that the bottle was empty. Then he smelt smoke and saw a fire. In a panic, he called 999. However, when he got through to the police, he couldn’t tell them where he was because he didn’t have a map...
Think about it...
Put yourself in Ronald’s shoes. How could you stop this of thing happening to you? One way is to know the following common types of danger.
Getting lost
Foggy weather is one reason why some walkers get lost. However, a more common one is not having enough knowledge of the hiking route. Always remember to bring a map and don’t be too confident . Always choose a route that is right for you.
Heat stroke(中暑）
The summer in Hong Kong is very hot and wet. Many hikers forget this and walk for too long in the midday heat. They become hot and feel weak. Don’t forget during exercise, it is necessary to drink 100 to 200 milliliters of water every 15 to 20 minutes.
Accident
Some of Hong Kong’s paths are very hazardous and it’s not unknown for hikers to fall. Never walk alone and always bring a map and a mobile phone with you.
Hill fire
On average, over 10,000 hill fires a year take place in Hong Kong, injuring more than 600 people. Never light fires in non-marked areas and, if you see a hill fire, report it. Always stay calm and walk away from the fire into the wind.
1. What can we learn about Ronald?| A．He loves hiking and hikes regularly. |
| B．He didn’t bring enough water on his hike. |
| C．He brought about a map with him on his hike. |
| D．He couldn’t tell his friends where he saw a fire |
| A．to warn people against hiking alone |
| B．to tell people hiking is difficult to be popular |
| C．to show typical mistakes about hiking |
| D．to remind people to call the police for help |
| A．Long. |
| B．Narrow. |
| C．Complex. |
| D．Dangerous. |
| A．Hiking Routes in Mountains |
| B．When Fun Turns into Trouble |
| C．Hill Fires and How to Avoid Them |
| D．The Adventures of Ronald the Hiker |
【推荐3】I wanted the pleasure of being in Africa again. Feeling that the place was so large that it contained many untold tales and some hope and comedy and sweetness too, I aimed to reinsert myself in the bundy, as we used to call the bush, and to wander around. There I had lived and worked, happily, almost forty years ago, in the heart of the greenest continent.
In those old undramatic days of my school teaching in the bundu, folks lived their lives on bush paths at the end of unpaved roads of red clay, in villages of grass-roofed huts. They had a new national flag, they had just gotten the vote, some had bikes, many talked about buying their first pair of shoes. They were hopeful, and, so was I, a schoolteacher living near a settlement of mud-huts among trees and fields—children shouting at play; and women bent double—most with infants on their backs—hoeing(锄地) the corn beans; and the men sitting in the shade.
The Swahili word safari means “journey”, it has nothing to do with animals, someone “on safari” is just away and unobtainable and out of touch. Out of touch in Africa was where I wanted to be. The wish to disappear sends many travellers away. If you are thoroughly sick of being kept waiting at home or at work, travel is perfect: let other people wait for a change. Travel is a sort of revenge(报复) for having been put on hold, or having to leave messages on answering machines, not knowing your party’s extension, being kept waiting all your working life. But also being kept waiting is the human condition.
Travel in the African bush can also be a sort of revenge on mobile phones and email, on telephones and the daily paper, on the aspects of globalization that allow anyone who chooses to get their hands on you. I desired to be unobtainable. I was going to Africa for the best of reasons—in a spirit of discovery—simply to disappear, to light out, with a suggestion of I dare you to try to find me.
Home had become a routine, and routine made time pass quickly. I was a sitting duck in this predictable routine: people knew when to call me, they knew when I would be at my desk. I was in such regular touch that it was like having a job, a mode of life I hated. I was sick of being called up and asked for favors, hit up for money. You stick around too long and people begin to impose their own deadlines on you.
1. What did the writer expect from his journey?| A．To have a variety of enjoyable experiences. | B．To see how Africa had changed. |
| C．To see impressive scenery. | D．To meet some old friend. |
| A．Little was likely to change. | B．Things were likely to improve. |
| C．Women would do most of the work. | D．People’s expectations were too limited. |
| A．He wanted a change of activity. | B．He wanted people to be unable to contact him. |
| C．His health was suffering from staying at home. | D．He had been waiting to return to Africa for long. |
| A．he was boring | B．he was easy to find |
| C．he is fond of ducks | D．he was always lending money |
【推荐1】Against the supposition that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to give rise to cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fires in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone(臭氧) levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a consequence of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
1. According to the new findings, the prevention of northern forest fires may _______.| A．lead to a longer fire season | B．result in a warming climate |
| C．conserve the environment there | D．cause frequent forest fires |
| A．suggest that the fires will quicken climate warming |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．analyze over-all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| D．reveal that measures should be taken to protect the environment |
| A．released | B．absorbed |
| C．reflected | D．distributed |
| A．warm the climate as the supposition goes |
| B．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
【推荐2】How Plants Branch Out to Access Water
New research has discovered how plant roots sense the availability of water in soil and then adapt (适应)their shape to acquire water. The discovery could enable crops to be raised which are more adaptive to changes in climate conditions, such as the absence of water, and help ensure food safety in the future.
These findings, published in the journal Science, describe a new mechanism(机制) discovered by cooperating teams at the universities of Nottingham and Durham.
Roots are very important for plants to acquire water and nutrients(营养)from the soil. Water is necessary to plant growth , yet changing climatic conditions makes acquiring water from soil even more challenging. Plants are able to adapt to different soil moisture(湿润)conditions by changing their roots.
The researchers discovered that plant roots lacking a branching master gene were no longer able to branch out. They found that when roots have access to moisture, the certain gene remains active and promotes root branching, but when put in air, the gene is in activated, preventing root branching. The research has identified the certain protein which can inactivate root branching.
Professor Sadanandom explained: "This is hugely exciting as it opens up the possibility for us to help develop plants that could continue to branch roots even in challenging conditions such as the absence of water.''
Professor Bennett concluded: "Water is the key to plant growth, development and their survival. By studying how plant roots change their branching in response(回应)to water availability, we have uncovered a new mechanism. This opens the way to develop new crops better adapted to climate change and to help deliver global food safety."
It is absolutely imperative to ensure food safety worldwide. Crop production must double by 2050 to keep pace with global population growth. This target is even more challenging considering the effect of climate change on water availability. In this case, developing crops with better ability to acquire water would provide a solution.
1. The findings of the research may have a positive effect on several global issues EXCEPT| A．ensuring food safety | B．preserving the agriculture |
| C．solving the absence of water | D．increasing crop production |
| A．take in more nutrients | B．change inactivated roots |
| C．grow in challenging conditions | D．branch out without a special gene. |
| A．effective. | B．hopeful. |
| C．impractical. | D．urgent. |
| A．How a branching master gene responds to a particular nutrient. |
| B．How plant roots change their shape according to the soil moisture. |
| C．Why plants have different abilities to adapt to soil moisture conditions. |
| D．How the certain protein in activates root branching when accessible to water. |
【推荐3】A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.
I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.
It was a very important event in the computerization of life-a sign that the informal, friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters, and we recognized one another’s handwriting the way we knew voices or faces.
As a child visiting my father’s office, I was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desks of his staff, the same handwriting I would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge-except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW”.
All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by Florey. She shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.
I don’t buy it. I don’t want to see anyone cut off from the expressive, personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer (传记记者), part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.
What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16th century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand-as if they want kids to lean to draw by copying classical paintings. However, they have worked in many school systems.
1. Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?| A．He had worked with his colleague long enough. |
| B．His colleague’s handwriting was so beautiful. |
| C．His colleague hated to give written notes. |
| D．They used to write notes to each other in work. |
| A．should be used in class | B．attract more attention |
| C．are used mainly among family | D．carry more messages |
| A．does not agree with Florey |
| B．does not want to lose handwriting |
| C．puts the blame on the computer for people’s bad handwriting |
| D．thinks handwriting should be taught based on that of 16th century Italy |
