Balesin Island lies in Lamon Bay, about 60 nautical miles east of Manila,
My family and I recently visited the small island,
Balesin Island is home to villas (别墅) representing several
Most of the food
J. J. Fernandez, a
2 . Depths of our Earth hold great wonders. Below we explore four deepest places on Earth.
Veryovkina Cave, Georgia
Its entrance is located 2,285 meters above sea level. In 2018, scientists reached its bottom at 2,212 meters down. They squeezed through tiny openings to get from one cave to another. Rockfalls and floods waited secretly at every turn. Scientists could develop new medicines from microorganisms found in cave samples. Caves also record ancient life and past climates.
The Mariana Trench, the Pacific Ocean
The Mariana Trench, with the maximum depth of 11,034 meters, is the deepest part of Earth’s surface. Pressure there is intolerable, but creatures like sea cucumbers (海参) still exist. Scientists exploring it can gain deeper insights into how plates move and why earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
The Dead Sea, the Middle East
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on land at about 1,400 feet (about 400 meters) below sea level. It’s nearly ten times saltier than ocean water, so you literally can’t sink in the Dead Sea! Scientists think it could go dry in a few decades. Despite its name, the Dead Sea holds life. A few kinds of algae (藻类) and bacteria love its salty water.
Lake Baikal, Russia
At the depth of 1,642 meters, Lake Baikal is the deepest inland body of water. The Baikal seal is the only known seal that lives in this world’s deepest freshwater lake. Scientists study the lake not only for the solid stuff beneath it that records climate history but because it’s in a zone where a plate is splitting apart, causing earthquakes.
1. What do we know about Veryovkina Cave?| A．It was discovered in 2018. | B．Its pressure is far from bearable. |
| C．It is risky to explore. | D．Its samples are of little practical value. |
| A．Georgia & Russia. | B．Russia & the Pacific Ocean. |
| C．Georgia & the Pacific Ocean. | D．The Middle East & Russia. |
| A．They have some sign of life. | B．They are over a thousand meters deep. |
| C．They are results of climate change. | D．They are all below sea level. |
The Tianshan Tuomuer Grand Canyon is about 25 kilometers long from east to west and 20 kilometers wide from north to south. It consists of three main
On June 21, 2013, the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang
With its red canyons set against the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the dreamlike landscape
4 . Sitting on the “Roof of the World”, Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity protection. Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, is to be measured again by a Chinese team to make sure its exact height after last official measurement.
“Conducting research and protecting the region can help us learn more about the origin and development of the earth, as well as our human-beings and wildlife,” said Cheng Pengfei, president of the Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping (CASM).
The weather in the Mount Qomolangma area changes frequently. While the maximum temperature in the tent is more than 20 degrees Celsius, or even 30 degrees Celsius at noon, it may start snowing in the afternoon, and a gale may spring up at night, even blowing away the tents. Those taking part in the mission are ready for the task after preparing thoroughly at the base camp.
The complex geological environment has formed diverse landforms in the area. Distinctive snow mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers can be found. And the unique ecological environment has also established a special biological diversity.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．The ecological environment around the Mount Everest has nothing to do with its biodiversity. |
| B．The height of Mount Everest has been measured before. |
| C．The weather in Mount Everest area is relatively steady with a small temperature change. |
| D．Learning more about wildlife in the area is one of the most important purposes of the research. |
| A．a name of an animal. | B．a kind of grass. |
| C．a strong wind | D．a name of a machine |
| A．In a geography textbook. | B．In a travelling brochure. |
| C．In a government report. | D．In a newspaper |
5 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．High altitude. | B．The large area. |
| C．Geographical conditions. | D．Cultural features. |
6 . Rivers play an important role on the earth, and we can't imagine what the earth would be like without rivers.
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.
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.
| 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. |
