5 . Yellowstone National Park became America's first national park in 1872. The National Park Service was formed 44 years later in 1916.Yellowstone, which is mostly in the state of Wyoming, is considered an example of the success of the National Park System.Humans have been present in Yellowstone for more than 11,000 years.

Yellowstone contains beautiful mountains, deep canyons(峡谷), lakes and rivers.The name Yellowstone comes from the river running through the area. At first known as Rock Yellow River, it became known as the Yellowstone River.

Yellowstone is host to many different species of plants. However, the park is most distinctive because of what lies underneath it. It sits on top of an ancient super volcano, known as The Yellowstone Caldera. The caldera is 48 by 72 kilometers. And it remains an active volcano.

It is believed that the last time the volcano erupted was one half million years ago. The area has had three major eruptions in the last three million years.Experts say it may erupt again in another 1,000 to 10,000 years. But each year, there are thousands of earthquakes at Yellowstone. Most are too small to be felt by people visiting the park.

Yellowstone is filled with the beauty of many hot water springs. hot water and gasses are trapped under the earth. they rush to the surface in the form of hot water and steam. Old Faithful is The most famous one . It erupts about every hour or hour and a half. The eruption can last from one and a half minutes up to 5 minutes. The amount of hot water it expels（排出） in that time can be as much as 31,000 liters or more.

In addition to its beauty and wonder, Yellowstone is an animal sanctuary（保护区）. It is home to the largest group of wild animals in the United States. As you travel through the park, you can sometimes see them in their natural habitat and hear their calls .

1. What was Yellowstone named after?

A．Rock Yellow River	B．The amazing mountains.
C．The stones with yellow color	D．The first discovery in wyoming.

2. What makes Yellowstone quite unique?

A．The scenery is beautiful.	B．There are a lot of explorers.
C．It’s home to many plants.	D．Its location is very special.

3. What does the underlined word“It”in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．The earth.	B．Yellowstone.
C．Old Faithful.	D．The Yellowstone Caldera.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．The Yellowstone Caldera has been dead for years.

B．Yellowstone is a shelter for the protected wildlife.

C．Big earthquakes happen frequently at Yellowstone.

D．Yellowstone National Park has attracted visitors for centuries.

6 . Using modern technology, archaeologists (考古学家) have recently discovered about 200 Mayan artifacts (玛雅古器) in Mexico, which surprisingly, appear to have been untouched for up to 1,000 years. The artifacts were found inside a cave in ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

The lead researcher on the project is Mexican archaeologist Guillermo de Anda. He called the cave a “scientific treasure”.

The findings included bone pieces and burnt offering materials. In addition, incense burners, vases, plates and other objects were discovered. Some items included the portrait of Tlaloc, the rain god of central Mexico.

The cave where the objects were found is so unique. It is part of a cave system known as Balamku. The cave is long, narrow and dark. It is about three kilometers east of the main pyramid of Kukulkan. It sits at the center of Chichen Itza which is the stone city described by the United Nations as “one of the greatest Mayan centers of the Yucatan Peninsula.”

The cave sits about 24 meters underground, with areas connected by passages. Some of the passages were so narrow that researchers had to climb in or pull themselves through. The team has so far explored about 460 meters of the cave, and is unsure how far it stretches. The team plans to continue exploring the cave. The found artifacts will not be removed, but studied inside.

The team accidentally found the artifacts while exploring Chichen Itza in an effort to learn more about its underground water system. The new discovery will help scientists better understand the history, culture, lives and beliefs of people who lived in Chichen Itza, especially in the boom years.

Archaeologists believe there may be another cave hidden under the pyramid of Kukulkan that could be connected to the latest find. “Let’s hope God will lead us there,” Guillermo de Anda said. “That is part of the reason why we are entering these sites to find a connection to the natural well under the Kukulkan.”

1. What’s amazing about the Mayan artifacts discovered in Mexico?

A．The long history and perfect state.

B．The digging time and location.

C．The current high price.

D．The variety of usage.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The features of the cave.	B．The findings in the cave.
C．The ancient cave system.	D．The origin of Mayan centers.

3. What is the significance of the new discovery?

A．It can help scientists register cultural relics.

B．It can encourage archaeologists to form work beliefs.

C．It can help scientists further learn about Mayan civilization.

D．It can arouse the interest of Mexicans in archaeology.

4. What will archaeologists do next according to the last paragraph?

A．Dig wells under the Kukulkan.

B．Move the findings to another cave.

C．Find the cause of groundwater disappearance.

D．Try to find another cave under the pyramid of Kukulkan.

7 . Have you ever been into a cave? If not, please follow us and explore some of the most beautiful caves from around the world!

Marble Caves

Located in the center of Lake General Carrera, the Marble Caves in Chico, Chile, are only accessible by boat. The surrounding crystal clear waters allow visitors to see the rock formations beneath them while the rock ceilings above change color(depending on the writer levels and the season). The best time to visit: during sunrise and sunset, when the sun’s rays light up the cave walls, making it an experience to remember.

Reed Flute Cave

Reed F1ute Cave known as “the Palace of Natural Arts” is located in the northwest of Guilin in southern China.The limestone cave offers a grand fairyland of stalactites(钟乳石), stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors.

Fingal’s Cave

This incredible sea cave is located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland. The cave’s size, shape, and naturally—arched(拱形的) roof combine with the waves to create strange sounds that enhance its cathedral—like atmosphere.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is the symbol of Capri. It is a sea cave found on the coast of the island and is a well-known spot to all who visit the area. This cave is unique for its brilliant blue light which comes from two sources: the entrance to the cave and a bigger hole beneath the entrance. When viewed from inside the cave, the entrance appears as a brilliant white light just above the waterline, while the underwater hole, which is the larger source of light, provides a blue light.

1. Why is sunset the best time to visit Marble Caves?

A．Because it has enough light in it.

B．Because it has the most beautiful scenery.

C．Because it is surrounded by clear waters.

D．Because boats are only available at sunset.

2. Which cave will you go to if you want to enjoy the strange sound?

A．Reed F1ute Cave.	B．Marble Caves.
C．The Blue Grotto.	D．Fingal’s Cave.

3. What is special about the Blue Grotto?

A．C1ear waters.	B．Various birds and animals.
C．Bright blue light.	D．Strange shapes.

8 . Dark Sky Parks around the World

Warrumbungle National Park

Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude make it a natural, educational, and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras(极光)，the Milky Way, and faint shooting stars.

Sark

Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.

Pic du Midi de Bigorre

Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3.112 square kilometers spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870, is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 meters above sea level.

Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon

Ramon Crater is a unique 1,100-square-kilometer nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, the Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate, and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way.

1. Which park serves as a heritage site for astronomy?

A．Sark.

B．Pic du Midi de Bigorre.

C．Warrumbungle National Park.

D．Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon.

2. What do we know about Sark from the passage?

A．Not a single car runs there.

B．It was an island belonging to Normandy.

C．The Milky Way can only be seen there.

D．Visitors like to stay on the island in groups.

3. What makes it difficult for humans to live in Ramon Crater?

A．High altitude.	B．The large area.
C．Geographical conditions.	D．Cultural features.

9 . Rivers play an important role on the earth, and we can't imagine what the earth would be like without rivers.       1    

With a length of 6, 650 kilometers, the Nile is the longest river in the world. The Nile River has been the source of human civilization since ancient times. The Nile has two main branches—the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile starts from the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa through Lake Victoria.    2     The Blue Nile carries with it a lot of fertile soil which turns out to be very important to farming in Egypt.

The Amazon River is the world's largest river with a width of about 40 kilometers during the rainy seasons but about 10 kilometers wide when it is not flooded. The Amazon River has such a big water volume that it accounts for(占.....比例) more than 20% of all the world’s fresh water—far more than any other river.     3    The main Amazon River flows mostly through Brazil and Peru but its tributaries can also be found in many other countries.

    4    It has a depth of about 250 meters. Its length is 4, 700 kilometers. The sources of the Congo River are in the highlands and mountains in the Eastern Africa Rift Valley. It's the second largest river in terms of water volume.     5    The Congo River basin(盆地) is the catchments(流域，集水区) area of the Congo River. It lies in both north and south of the Equator, making its flow very stable as there are always some tributaries experiencing a rainy season at any time.

A．Some of them are worth mentioning.

B．The Congo River is the world's deepest river.

C．Do you know which is the deepest river in the world?

D．The Blue Nile originates from(发源于)Lake Tana in Ethiopia.

E．Without rivers, there would be no living life in and along them.

F．And it flows through the second largest rain-forests in the world.

G．Streams that begin in the Andes Mountains are its sources.

10 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Truth about Whisky

Whisky is probably     1     most famous product of Scotland. Whisky making provides work     2     several thousand people in the Scottish Highlands and islands, and whisky is Scotland's biggest goods     3     (sell) to every corner of the world.

The qualities of whisky come from the water which     4     (use) to make it the rich "peaty"(多泥炭的) water of Scotland. When whisky is first made, it is     5     (actual) clear, not brown in colour. The colour comes from the wooden     6     (container) in which the whisky is stored for several years to allow it     7     (mature) from a little added sugar.

For many years, whisky has been one of the most popular drinks all over the world, and Scotland     8     (produce) more and more of it so far. But whisky sales have not increased as fast, so there are now large reserves of whisky in Scotland, especially the better and     9     (much) expensive whisky. So a lot of the whisky sold today was made several years ago when people thought that whisky would get more and more popular. That is     10    , today, a lot of the whisky in the shops is marked with "Ten years old", or even "Fifteen years old".