Antarctica Desert | Antarctica is a continent (大陆) of ice. There is hardly any rain in Antarctica, so the Antarctic Desert becomes the driest desert in the world. It is also the world’s largest desert by area. |
Sahara Desert | The Sahara Desert is the hottest of all the deserts on the earth. It covers most parts of North Africa and is similar in size to the land area of the USA. The word “sahara” in Arabic means “desert”. |
Arabian Desert | The Arabian Desert is in Asia on the Arabian peninsula. It covers almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. The sand here has a red-orange color and the surface of the Arabian Desert is covered mainly by sand hills, some gravel plains( 砾石平原) and rocky plains. |
Mojave Desert | The Mojave Desert is in the USA. It is the driest desert on the North American continent. Death Valley, one of the hottest areas in the world, is in the Mojave Desert. Mojave comes from the Spanish word for “beside the water”. |
| A．The Arabian Desert. | B．The Sahara Desert. |
| C．The Antarctica Desert. | D．The Mojave Desert. |
| A．It is the hottest desert in the world. |
| B．It is the largest desert in the world. |
| C．It is the coldest desert in the world. |
| D．It is the driest desert on the North American continent. |
| A．Red. | B．Orange. | C．Red-yellow. | D．Red-orange. |
2 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.
Five Flower Lake
Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.
Crater Lake
The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.
Lake Ohrid
Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.
Lake Maggiore
Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.
1. What makes Five Flower Lake different from other lakes?| A．Its agreeable climate. | B．The rare local wildlife. |
| C．Its color-changing waters. | D．The visibility of waters. |
| A．By artificial rain. | B．By snow and rain. |
| C．From nearby streams. | D．From an ancient tree. |
| A．Five Flower Lake. | B．Crater Lake. |
| C．Lake Ohrid. | D．Lake Maggiore. |
3 . The UNESCO World Heritage List is a prestigious honour awarded to sites of outstanding universal value around the world. Did you know there are 1,157 UNESCO World Heritage Sites spanning across 167 countries? We’ve picked out our top 4 for you to visit below.
The Acropolis, Greece
The Acropolis is an ancient castle that stands proud in the Greek city of Athens. Back in the fifth century BC after battle with the Persians, the plans of Pericles came to life under the influence of Pheidias, the sculptor. It then became a place for thought and art to flourish, where symbols of classical spirit and civilisation came alive.
Historic centre of Rome, Italy
According to Roman mythology, the Eternal City was founded in 753 BC and became the capital of the mighty Roman Empire. Rome is home to a number of attractions including the Forum, the Pantheon and the Colosseum! This World Heritage site contains the whole historic centre within the city walls and reflects the influence of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in making it one of Italy’s most popular cities.
Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
The historic city of Ayutthaya in Thailand was founded around 1350 and was subsequently destroyed in the 18th century by the Burmese. What’s left today is the ruins and some key highlights include the Buddhist temples of Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet. The area is home to the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and should not be missed.
Cultural landscape of Bali, Indonesia
The landscape in Bali is unlike anything else on Earth. Consisting of five rice terraces (梯田) and water temples covering 19,500 hectares, the cultural landscape takes your breath away. This site gains honour through an ancient farming ceremony dating back to the 9th century known as subak. This concept reflects the spirit, the human world and nature, also known as Tri Hita Karana.
1. What might have happened in Greece in the 5th century BC?| A．Greece became famous for its castles. | B．Pheidias became a sculptor. |
| C．Greece fought against Persians. | D．The Greek spirit disappeared. |
| A．A rice terrace. | B．A cultural landscape. | C．A water temple. | D．An agricultural ceremony. |
| A．The Acropolis. | B．The Eternal City. | C．Ayutthaya. | D．Tri Hita Karana. |
4 . Some Famous Libraries in the World
The Royal Library of AlexandriaThe Royal Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt is probably known as the largest and the most famous library in the ancient world. It is said that the ancient library was burned three times over the centuries. A likeness of the ancient library was built in Alexandria and was opened on October 16，2002.
Celsus LibraryCelsus Library was built in what had been a monument tomb of the governor of the Province of Asia, Celsus Polemaeanus in Ephesus, Turkey. It used to be the third richest of ancient times in the world，which had more than 12,000 works of art, but it was destroyed in wars, leaving some ruins. Even so, it is now still so world-famous for its beautiful structure that many visitors come to see it. There is a statue of Athena at its entrance as she is the Goddess of Wisdom. It remains delicate and appealing.
Bodleian LibraryBodleian Library is attached to Oxford University and mainly used as a research library. It is also a copyright library, which means it has a right to every book published in the United Kingdom. The library was designed by the architect, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Construction was completed in 1940.
The British LibraryThe British Library was set up in 1973 and is one of the world’s greatest libraries. This library has PACCAR gallery of living and workshop of words. The sounds and images offer shows and different programs at the theme exhibitions. They also have a wide collection of stamps of the world which are on show for visitors. The library also offers events like music and discussions.
1. Which of the following libraries has been reconstructed?| A．The Royal Library of Alexandria. | B．Celsus Library. |
| C．Bodleian Library. | D．The British Library. |
| A．Read books. | B．Borrow books. |
| C．See a stamp exhibition. | D．Enjoy the beautiful remains. |
| A．It belongs to a university. |
| B．It was once destroyed by fires. |
| C．It is one of the famous ancient libraries. |
| D．It is well-known for its beautiful structure. |
5 . It's always adventurous and romantic to visit an island country. Take a look at some breathtakingly beautiful island countries in the world, which everyone should visit at least once in his lifetime
Maldives
It' s believed that Maldives is one of the most popular honeymoon(蜜月) places as well as one of the most beautiful island countries. Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Maldives is made up of a series of ancient coral reefs that grow up along the sides of ancient volcanoes, with fascinating beaches
Fiji
Fiji has plenty of surprises for any adventurous traveler. It is famous for the worlds best surf scenes, attracting many surfing lovers to ride the great waves. Well, if surfing is not for you and you love sitting on the beach and relaxing, hiking or seeing breathtaking waterfalls, Fiji is also a suitable island country to visit
Malta
Malta, a beautiful southern European country in the Mediterranean Sea, has a rich history and culture. There are amazing sky-high cliffs to climb>, wonderful temples to visit and lots of amazing places to go diving. There are plenty of interesting things to explore here and everyone can find something to enjoy. The historic part of Malta is shown in its architecture. great walled cities, and many underground tunnels.
1. Which place will be most likely to be chosen by a newly-married couple according to the text?| A．Maldives | B．the Mediterranean Sea | C．Malta | D．Fiji |
| A．You can see the world's most breathtaking waterfalls |
| B．It is surfing lovers favourite island country |
| C．There are sky-high cliffs to explore. |
| D．You can try the world's longest |
| A．Hike on green plains | B．Ride the greatest waves |
| C．See breathtaking waterfalls | D．Explore underground tunnels |
6 . Pyramid of Giza
One of seven wonders of ancient world also becomes favorite site for astronomers to capture photographs from the orbit. It is not at all visible with naked eyes from space, so astronomers used special cameras for it .
Grand Canyon
It surely takes many days to enjoy every site of 277-mile-long Grand Canyon in Arizona, But the astronauts at orbits of Earth are able to see Grand Canyon with their own eyes all at once. The space images of Grand Canyon help the scientists to make surface map of the steep sided Canyon , also to monitor the changes within its surface.
Ganges River Delta
Ganges River Delta is 220 miles long; this amazing geographic feature can also seen from orbits of Earth . When the river becomes empty , it becomes the largest remaining habitat of Bengal tiger and other rich wild life.
Palm Island, Dubai
Palm Island along with world islands of Dubai can be seen even from space . The Palm Island actually holds two artificial island in shape of palm tree, spreading across in an area of 100,000 square meters. You can meet hundreds of luxury hotels and parks within this man-made wonder.
1. Which of the following cannot be seen from space without special equipment?| A．pyramid of Giza. | B．Grand Canyon. |
| C．Ganges River Delta. | D．Palm Island, Dubai. |
| A．The space pictures of Grand Canyon are intended just for entertainment. |
| B．Grand Canyon is longer than Ganges River Delta by 57 miles. |
| C．Ganges River Delta is always the largest habitat or various wild animals. |
| D．Palm trees on Dubai artificial islands cover an area of 100,000 square meters. |
