1 . The Best Caves in The World
Hang Son Doong, Vietnam
Natural caves don’t come much larger than Hang Son Doong, close to the border between Laos and Vietnam. This cave possesses the largest cross-section of any known cave on the planet, a vast area that is difficult to describe. Supposedly, a Boeing 747 could fly through without damaging its wings, but that doesn’t really do justice to the vastness of Hang Son Doong. The stalactites (钟乳石) here are pretty massive too, with some reaching up to 80 metres.
Waitomo Caves, New Zealand
Glowworms (萤火虫) are there, as far as the eye can see. Okay, not literally, but the Waitomo Cave system on New Zealand’s North Island is best-known for the fluorescent fauna that light up the walls, giving it the not-particularly-creative but completely acceptable “Glowworm Caves” nickname. They are more accessible than other caves on this list, with rafting and adventure tours available to those looking for something a little more thrilling.
Mammoth Cave, the USA
If you have certain expectations from somewhere called “Mammoth Cave”, that is entirely understandable. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the world’s longest known cave system, an incredible 420 miles of underground wonder. That’s twice as long as the next longest, by the way, although it isn’t unusual for the USA to go all out on such things.
Reed Flute (芦笛) Cave, China
Named after the reeds that grow outside, which are used to make flutes, obviously, the Reed Flute Cave’s walls are covered with inscriptions from centuries gone by—if evidence was needed that people have been paying attention to this place for a long old time. The inside part of the cave is also lit up by multicoloured lights, giving it a real otherworldly theme that adds weight to the nickname.
1. What is special about Hang Son Doong?| A．It was once a base of a factory. |
| B．It is the deepest cave in the world. |
| C．It has the highest stalactites in the world. |
| D．It owns the largest cross-section in the world. |
| A．Hang Son Doong. | B．Waitomo Caves. |
| C．Mammoth Cave. | D．Reed Flute Cave. |
| A．Vietnam. | B．New Zealand. | C．The USA. | D．China. |
The Amazon Rainforest is home to a great variety of plant life;
3 . China and the Netherlands (荷兰) are long-time friends. The Netherlands is more than 41,500 square kilometres in area. It is a bit larger than the size of Taiwan, China.
The Netherlands is rich in culture and art. It is home of many great artists, for example, Vincent van Gogh. Besides fine art, the Netherlands is also called the country of tulips (郁金香). It has the world’s largest tulip garden: Keukenhof garden.
Dutch people are very hard-working. There’s a saying: “God made the Earth, but the Dutch made Holland.” More than a quarter of the country is below sea level. So Dutch people build many dams (水坝) to protect the country from flooding. They have created almost one sixth of the country from seas and rivers!
Did you know?
◆Rubber ducks are popular around the world. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created it in 2007. The yellow duck is 26 metres high.
◆Wooden clogs (木底鞋) are traditional shoes in the Netherlands. They make good gifts for tourists.
◆In the Netherlands, it is impolite to start eating at once. Dutch people will sometimes say “delicious” before eating.
◆Like the UK, the Netherlands also has kings and queens.
1. Taiwan, China is ________ than the Netherlands in area.| A．a bit smaller | B．much larger |
| C．much smaller | D．a little larger |
| A．Table manners. | B．Artists. |
| C．Weather. | D．Tulips. |
| A．16% | B．25% | C．60% | D．75% |
| A．In the Netherlands, it’s good manners to praise the food before eating. |
| B．Keukenhof garden is famous for tulips. |
| C．The Dutch may give foreign friends wooden clogs as small presents. |
| D．China and the Netherlands have been neighbouring countries for a long time. |
A team of over 30 Chinese surveyors left the base camp at Mount Qomolangma for a higher spot
China has started a campaign to measure the height of Mount Qomolangma ,
Preparation of the project
5 . Picture an iceberg(冰山).You'll probably imagine something white as snow rising up out of a blue sea. But icebergs can be all sorts of shades. They can be from a frosty blue to an attractive green.
Researchers and sailors have observed emerald(翠绿色)icebergs for years. A large piece of ice "mast-high" and "green as emerald" even appears in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1834 poem. But they haven't found out exactly why these icebergs look the way they do.
A new paper led by Stephen Warren was published. It all has to do with what icebergs are made out of. Icebergs break off glaciers(冰川)or ice shelves, which happens mainly around Antarctica and Greenland. They begin their lives as snowfall that accumulates over time. So. icebergs contain air pockets with the form of bubbles that spread light. With some exceptions and rare lines, glacier ice tends to look bluish white.
At first，Warren guessed that the green was a product of melt carbon. And it came from rotting plants or sea animals. But samples(样本)didn't prove it. Another idea started to take shape after they had found a high concentration of iron in a sample of sea ice from the Amery Ice Shelf.
When glaciers rub across land, they produce what's known as glacier flour. It is a product of bedrock being ground clown by the moving mass. As glaciers move away, these remains are usually washed out into water. in particles sometimes too small to be noticeable to your eyes. But on land. soil and rocks contain iron oxides that often have rosy colors. like reds, yellows, and browns-and since the sea ice contained 500 times more iron than the glacier ice, Warren wondered whether the remains were responsible for icebergs taking on a green appearance.
He doesn't know for sure. He's hoping to secure money so that he can return to the area and study the icebergs themselves.
1. Why is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem mentioned in the text?| A．It tells why icebergs look the way they do. |
| B．It describes vividly what icebergs are like. |
| C．It says causes of the appearance of icebergs. |
| D．It proves the existence of colorful icebergs. |
| A．It draws on researchers' and sailors' views. |
| B．It is the record of the movement of icebergs. |
| C．It talks about how icebergs come into being. |
| D．It is a collection of various social phenomena. |
| A．A sample of sea ice. | B．Warren's first guess. |
| C．Warren's idea on iron. | D．A product of melt carbon. |
| A．The possible reason why icebergs look green. |
| B．Where most of icebergs eventually disappear. |
| C．How icebergs take in the colors from glaciers. |
| D．The way in which icebergs breaks off glaciers. |
Located at the foot of the southwest side of Mount Huang, Hongcun Village is one of the
Every day hundreds of visitors are attracted to the village by
The Footpath of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy
The name says it all really and you truly do feel up there to walking along this wonderful mountain coastal path, which offers some of the most striking views on the planet. The path begins at town of Bomerano to charming Positano along the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Amalfi Coast. The whole walk will take you approximately four and a half hours to complete and pass over narrow rocky paths, past sheer cliffs and shining blue bays.
Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk, Australia
Sydney’s coastline is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. Here you have national parks, historic sites, steep cliffs, sparkling beaches and quiet bays all in one place. Sydney’s Great Walk runs all the way from Barrenjoey in the north to Royal National Park in the south and takes an incredible seven days to complete. However, if you’re not up to doing the full walk, then there are many different parts of the walk that you can do right in the city. Walking from the city’s famous Bondi Beach to the sweeping curve of Bronte Beach takes just an hour, which takes in some top scenery.
Great Ocean Walk, Australia
The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 km along Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road, located on the southern coast of Australia, from the resort town Apollo Bay to the magnificent Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are the area’s famous stone landmarks which stand out like giants from the sea. The walk passes through a range of landscapes and sights, from national parks, famous surfing spots and deserted beaches, to wild coastlines, cascading waterfalls, lush forests, historic lighthouses and ghostly shipwrecks. Day walks and shorter three-hour walks such as the Wreck Beach Walk or the Lighthouse Cemetery and Lookout Walk can also be enjoyed.
So next time when you’re looking for a beach holiday don’t just think about the resorts and the sand, but consider a more active sun holiday, discovering some of the best beaches in the world.
1. The author intends to tell us ____________.
| A．the world’s best places for beach walks |
| B．the wonderful beaches in the world |
| C．the ideal tourism resort for health |
| D．the beautiful beaches in Australia |
| A．you must be disappointed at the footpath |
| B．you will be fascinated by the scenery |
| C．you can start walking from Positano |
| D．you may be trapped in narrow rocky paths |
| A．It takes about more than five hours to complete. |
| B．It starts from Royal National Park in the north. |
| C．It provides visitors a variety of great landscapes. |
| D．It really has the longest coastline in the world. |
| A．Apollo Bay is at the end of the Great Ocean Walk |
| B．the Twelve Apostles exists below the surface of the sea |
| C．the Wreck Beach Walk can also give visitors pleasure |
| D．most visitors can finish the 104 km walk in three hours |
