Chile (智利) is famous for its many attractions, including Torres del Paine National Park and Easter Island . If you’re planning a visit, be sure to add “Mano del Desierto” or “Hand of the Desert”to your must-see list.
Standing 11 meters tall and made of iron and cement (混凝土), this sculpture (雕像) of a hand emerges (出现) from the sand in the Atacama Desert , which is known as the driest desert in the world outside of polar regions. The sculpture was created by Mario Irarr á zabal in the early 1980s and was financed by a local nonprofit organization called Corporaci ó n Pro Antofagasta. The sculpture is not only famous for its size and design but also for the message it expresses. Many people believe that the hand represents the weakness and helplessness of human beings, as well as their strength and determination to overcome hardships.
If you’re interested in visiting the Hand of the Desert, take Route 26 or 28 from Antofagasta, a port city in northern Chile. The sculpture is located between mile markers 1309 and 1310. The desert’s flatness (平坦) makes it easy to spot the sculpture from far away. But some people mistake it for a mirage (海市蜃楼) caused by tiredness from driving a long way to the sculpture.
Visitors should take precautions (预防措施) before leaving , such as filling their gas tanks , taking plenty of water, and wearing sunscreen. They should also avoid driving too quickly, as many car accidents happen in the desert each year.
For those who are worried about driving alone, working with an agency (机构) like Plan South America is a good option. The founder of the agency, Harry Hastings, said that he always tries to join a visit to the sculpture with guests traveling to the desert.
1. What makes the Hand of the Desert a famous attraction?A.Its material. | B.Its location. | C.Its designer. | D.Its size and design. |
A.The sculpture attracts millions of visitors every year. |
B.Tired travelers often see mirages in the desert. |
C.The sculpture can be reached very easily. |
D.The sculpture can be seen from far away. |
A.He built the sculpture “Hand of the Desert”. |
B.He gave the financial support to the sculpture. |
C.His agency can help lonely travelers travel to the desert. |
D.He can avoid driving accidents in the desert. |
A.Travel. | B.Environment. | C.Culture. | D.Entertainment. |
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【推荐2】Spend part of a day exploring Brooklyn. Get there by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the most symbolic spans in North America. The 271-feet-tall neo-gothic arches (新哥特式拱门) are certainly the bridge’s most distinguishing characteristic, but walking along the elevated pedestrian walkway is a must for any visitor.
Once off the bridge, walk through leafy, historic Brooklyn Heights, especially the wide sidewalk above the river that offers beautiful views of the downtown Manhattan skyline. And then, point yourself toward Hometown Bar-B-Que (454 Van Brunt St; 001 347 294 4644) in Red Hook, where local barbecue master Billy Durney, who learned the tricks of the trade in Texas, grills the best barbecued meat this side of the Mason-Dixon line. Order the ultra-tender brisket (牛胸肉) .
If you prefer to stay outdoors, go right next door to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Ave. , Brooklyn) where thousands of types of plants will take you miles away from the noise of the Big Apple. Seek out the particularly peaceful Japanese Hill and Pond Garden.
For some post-sunset fun, head back to Manhattan. Stay for a while in Washington Square Park where street performers and students from nearby New York University give the place an attractive and fun atmosphere. On warmer days, children have fun in the fountain and jazz musicians play music. If the weather is not agreeable, pop into Blue Note (131 W. 3rd St. ; 001 212 8592) where, since1981, jazz and soul greats like Sarah Vaughn and Ray Charles, among many others, have taken the stage.
1. What makes the Brooklyn Bridge special?A.Its special location. | B.Its amazing height. |
C.Its broad walkway. | D.Its unique style. |
A.Having delicious food. | B.Learning to barbecue. |
C.Grilling the best barbecued meat. | D.Admiring the downtown Manhattan skyline. |
A.In Brooklyn Heights. | B.On the Brooklyn Bridge. |
C.In Washington Square Park. | D.In the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. |
【推荐3】Interest in sleep tourism is increasing, with a number of establishments focusing their attention on those suffering from sleep deprivation.
Over the past 12 months, Park Hyatt New York has opened the Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite, a 900-square-foot suite filled with sleep-enhancing amenities(设施),while Rosewood Hotels &. Resorts recently launched a collection of retreats called the Alchemy of Sleep, which are designed to “promote rest”, and Swedish manufacturer Hastens established the world’s first Hastens Sleep Spa Hotel, a 15-room boutique hotel a year later.
Dr Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher and co-author of the book Sleep for Success! believes this shift has been a long time coming, particularly with regards to hotels. “When it comes down to it, travelers book hotels for a place to sleep,” she says, before pointing out that the hotel industry has primarily been focused on things that actually detract from sleep in the past. “People often associate travel with luxury meals, postponing their bed times, the attractions and the things you do while you’re traveling, really almost at the cost of sleep,” she adds.
According to Dr Robbins, travel experiences centered around “healthy sleep strategies” that aim to supply guests with the tools they need to improve their sleep can be hugely beneficial, provided a reputable medical or scientific expert is involved in some way to help to deter- mine whether there may be something else at play.
Mandarin Oriental in Geneva has taken things a step further by teaming up with CENAS, a private medical sleeping clinic in Switzerland, to curate a three-day program that studies guests’ sleeping patterns in order to identify potential sleeping disorders.
As sleep tourism continues to grow, Dr Robbins says she’s looking forward to seeing “who really continues to pioneer and think creatively about this space”, stressing that there are countless means that haven’t been fully explored yet when it comes to travel and the science of sleep.
1. What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?A.To list the consequences of sleep deprivation. |
B.To prove the popularity of some hotels. |
C.To highlight the importance of quality sleep. |
D.To provide evidence for the rise of sleep tourism. |
A.Benefit. | B.Influence. | C.Measure. | D.Analyze. |
A.It sets up a private medical sleeping clinic in its hotel. |
B.It suggests some good and scientific sleeping bedding. |
C.It provides special tour route for people with sleeping disorders. |
D.It offers professionally medical help in sleeping problems. |
A.It’s promising. | B.It meets some doubts. |
C.It is facing bottleneck. | D.It needs to be systematized. |
【推荐1】The Spanish people have their own dining schedule which is very different from most countries. Breakfast in the Spanish culture is easily the least important meal of the day, the first thing occurring in the morning until about 10:00 am. Many Spaniards skip breakfast but if they do have breakfast, it will likely be something light and simple which may consist of coffee, hot chocolate or fresh-squeezed orange juice accompanied by a piece of toast with jam. After such a light breakfast, from around 10:30 am to noon, bars are full of workers for their morning coffee breaks, who enjoy a drink and a small snack to help survive until lunch time.
Lunch, the most important meal of the day, generally consists of several courses with a light first course such as soup or salad, a heavier second course of meat or fish, fruit or dessert, followed by bread and also wine and water.
Lunch and the famous nap time occur from 2 pm until 4 pm. Most shops and companies close during this time to allow their workers to make their way home to eat. Although this pause still exists, the famous nap time is rarely used for sleeping but rather transportation as people gradually live farther and farther away from their workplaces.
Due to this lunch break, many workers do not leave their work until about 8 pm. Typically, this is when they will have a small snack to get them through until dinner time. Dinner, similar to lunch but usually lighter, is a late affair in Spain which is normally served from 9 pm to 10:30 pm. In the summer time it is common to see Spaniards sitting down to eat as late as 12 pm!
1. When do most shops and companies keep open after lunch in Spain?A.From 2 pm to 4 pm |
B.From 4 pm to 8 pm |
C.From 2 pm to 9 pm |
D.From9 pm to 12 pm |
A.Spaniards are too busy to have breakfast. |
B.Spaniards think their lunch the most important. |
C.Spaniards usually finish their work at 9 pm. |
D.Spaniards usually have a nap for 2 hours. |
A.Unique Dining Customs in Spain. |
B.Foods Served at Meals in Spain. |
C.A Busy Workday of the Spanish. |
D.Comfortable Life of the Spanish. |
【推荐2】If you are planning on travelling, there are few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your journey.
First of all, always check and doublecheck departure(出发) time. It is surprising how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10:50. When I arrived at the airport, the person at the departure desk told me that my flight was closed. Therefore, I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.
The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards(信用卡), it is still important to have some local money in cash(现金). Once I arrived at a place at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi but because I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead. “Listen! I only take real money!” the driver said angrily. You can image how terrible I felt at that moment.
The third and the last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you leave. I feel sorry for some of my workmates who travel in heavy suits and raincoats in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, to places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day.
1. Where is the writer most probably from?A.Britain | B.The USA |
C.Italy | D.Greece |
A.asked the driver to give him a free ride |
B.offered to pay in pounds |
C.gave the driver some fake(假的)money |
D.tried to pay by credit card |
A.warm and dry | B.cold and dry |
C.hot and wet | D.cool and rainy |
【推荐3】For Cruz, who grew up in Peru’s mountainous region of Cuzco, fog represents a massive opportunity. As a boy, he had to hike for more than an hour every day across rough hills to collect water from the nearest source. But over time, he realized that during the rainy season, drops of water would gather in the large leaves of banana trees. One day, he and his father built a canal system with the leaves to collect water. He moved to Lima at the age of 25.
Shocked by the water shortages and expensive water supply that some of the city’s poorest residents were suffering, Cruz set up EI Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005. The idea was to deploy the method he learned in his hometown on a larger, better-adapted scale, which would provide free, independently sourced and easily accessible water to those who needed it most. He began installing (安装) a traditional fog catcher model developed in the 1980s. The nonprofit provided the materials for free, and the community built the infrastructure (基础设施) themselves.
At the highest point of Los Tres Miradores, there is a curious set of large structures that is like a fleet of ships in the sky. They are so-called “fog catchers”. The 40 fog catchers there provide enough water for 180 families, whether to bathe, clean, drink (after being filtered at home) or to irrigate crops on small garden patches.
Supporters believe that fog catchers have the potential to improve water supply for communities around the world amid ever-challenging conditions. German researcher Lummerich says, “They are cheap, easy to construct. In a world searching for water supply systems, it is one important approach that can make an essential difference locally. It could make the difference between having water and not having water available.” There are some issues, however. For one, fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities. At the same time, fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required. Fog isn’t everywhere.
1. Why did Cruz set up EI Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005?A.To raise money for the poorest residents. | B.To construct the infrastructure for the city. |
C.To build a canal system for his hometown. | D.To offer water to people who need it badly. |
A.Employ. | B.Abandon. | C.Design. | D.Explore. |
A.High expenses. | B.Public opposition. | C.Technical faults. | D.Space limitation. |
A.A practical application of fog catchers in cities | B.The development of a climate organization |
C.A creative method of improving water supply | D.The importance of infrastructure construction |