Dunhuang, an oasis (绿洲) in the Taklamakan Desert, used to be a major stop along the Silk Road, but is now mainly a fascinating tourist destination.
Those interested
Also, there are few things as special as walking across the desert oasis at sunrise.
No trip to Dunhuang is complete without visiting the Dunhuang Museum,
Wannan, featuring poetic landscapes as well as beautiful and graceful Jiangnan water village scenery, is a southern place in Anhui. A wealth of architecture with
Hongcun Village,
The Hunqiao Bridge is a small arch bridge built, over the Nanhu Lake.
3 . The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world. This extraordinary tropical jungle is roughly the same size as 48 states in the U. S. The Amazon surrounds the Amazon River and its many tributaries. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume discharged. It stretches 4, 225 miles — from the peaks of the Peruvian Andes to the beautiful beaches of Brazil.
Scientists estimate there are 390 billion trees in the Amazon Rainforest, including over 16, 000 species. The Amazon supports at least 427 mammal species, 3, 000 species of freshwater fish, over 1, 300 species of birds, 378 types of reptiles, and 400 species of amphibians. Notice how we didn’t mention any invertebrates (无脊椎动物), like insects and arachnids? That’s because the Amazon’s gargantuan population of invertebrate species climbs well into the millions. And that only includes the species we’ve identified so far!
But how does this giant ecosystem support so many diverse organisms? Scientists divide the Amazon into four ecological layers: the forest floor, the understory, the canopy and the overstory. Each layer plays an important role in the health and survival of the rainforest. The forest floor is where the rainforest finds its humble beginnings.
The roots of towering trees grow in thick, low-nutrient soil laid over a layer of volcanic rock. Without deep, rich soil, the forest floor’s tropical vegetation depends on decomposers (分解物), like bacteria, fungi (真菌) and insects. These essential organisms pull nutrients from dead organic material, like leaves, wood, and animal bodies.
Vital for nutrient cycling, vigorous mushrooms, like the scarlet cup and the veiled lady, decorate the forest floor. Some of these fungi can give out light. When the sun sets over the Amazon, these radiant mushrooms light the forest floor like magical nightlights. Very little sunlight penetrates (穿透) the upper layers of the rainforest, so the forest floor remains dark and damp year-round.
1. What does the underlined word “tributaries” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Origins. | B．Banks. | C．Branches. | D．Types. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving definition. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By reasoning and analyzing. |
| A．The canopy. | B．The overstory. | C．The understory. | D．The forest floor. |
| A．The Secrets of the Amazon Rainforest |
| B．The Functions of the Amazon Rainforest |
| C．The Evolution History of the Amazon Rainforest |
| D．The Importance of Protecting the Amazon Rainforest |
4 . The ocean is a huge body of saltwater that covers about 71 percent of Earth’s surface. An estimated 97 percent of the world’s water is found in the ocean. Because of this, the ocean has considerable impact on weather, temperature, and the food supply of humans and other organisms. The ocean remains a mystery. More than 80 percent of the ocean has never been mapped, explored, or even seen by humans. A far greater percentage of the surfaces of the moon and the planet Mars has been mapped and studied than of our own ocean floor.
Although there is much more to learn, oceanographers have already made some amazing discoveries. For example, we know that the ocean contains towering mountain ranges and deep valleys, just like those on land. The peak of the world’s tallest mountain—Mount Qomolangma in the Himalaya, measuring 8848. 86 meters high-would not even break the surface of the water if it was placed in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench or Philippine Trench, two of the deepest parts of the ocean. On the other hand, the Atlantic Ocean is relatively shallow because large parts of its seafloor are made up of continental shelves—parts of the continents that extend far out into the ocean. The average depth of the entire ocean is 3.720 meters.
It is unknown how many different species call the ocean their home. With many ocean ecosystems suffering from rising sea temperatures, pollution, and other problems, some oceanographers believe the number of species is dropping. Still, there may be many positive surprises awaiting oceanographers in the years ahead. It could be that more than 90 percent of the ocean’s species are still undiscovered, with some scientists estimating that there are anywhere between a few hundred thousand and a few million more to be discovered. Currently, scientists know of around 226,000 ocean species. Since the ocean is so vast, there is plenty for future oceanographers from all corners of the globe to explore and discover.
1. Why does the author mention the moon and Mars?| A．To indicate people’s determination to know space. |
| B．To show people know quite little about the ocean. |
| C．To remind us that we need more knowledge about space. |
| D．To tell space exploration is more crucial than that of oceans. |
| A．Reasons why ocean floors are rough. |
| B．Significance of the ocean floor to animals. |
| C．The heights of different mountain ranges. |
| D．Some ocean knowledge from oceanographers. |
| A．Perhaps there are more species than known. |
| B．Problems about the oceans have been solved. |
| C．Oceanographers have calculated the ocean species. |
| D．The number of ocean species has stopped dropping. |
| A．We must stop the ocean pollution |
| B．The oceans bring benefits to people |
| C．The oceans deserve our further study |
| D．We should have a positive attitude to oceans |
Gulao, a water town in China’s Jiangmen City, was built on tidal flats (潮坪地貌) where farmers and fishermen pushed the dirt around
“During the fishing civilization period, roads
Arched bridges, sometimes
LUO Studio has designed this covered arch bridge out of wood,
6 . Last fall, the Great Salt Lake hit its lowest level since record keeping began. The lake sank to nearly six meters below the long-term average. The lake’s shrinking threatens to upend the ecosystem, disturbing the migration and survival of 10 million birds, including ducks and geese.
Duck hunters aren’t the only ones worried about the Great Salt Lake. The decades-long decline in lake level is raising alarm bells for millions of people who live in the region. The low lake level and increasing salts in the lake water threaten to destroy economic mainstays like agriculture, tourism and mining. Exposed salts can also reduce air quality and so threaten public health.
Saline lakes (咸水湖) are terminal lakes. They have no rivers flowing out of them. As water disappears, salts are left behind. At the same time, the people who live in these deserts use freshwater for crops, homes and industry. Residents get water from streams and rivers into canals, pipelines or reservoirs before it reaches the lakes. And as the lakes shrink, the salt in water increases.
Lake Poopo, a highland lake in Bolivia that used to stretch 90 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide, is now a salty mud flat. The Aral Sea shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, once the world’s fourth largest lake, has at times in recent decades shrunk to a tenth of its historic 68,000-square-kilometer surface area. Some saline lakes, like Nevada’s Winnemucca Lake, dried up so long ago — the waters that fed it were led to agricultural fields — that most people have forgotten they were ever wet.
The good news is that people still have time to halt the Great Salt Lake’s decline by using less water. Cutting agricultural and other outdoor water use by a third to half through a combination of voluntary conservation measures and policy changes would allow the lake to refill enough to support the region’s economy, ecology and quality of life. If this succeeds, the Great Salt Lake can be a model for how to save other saline lakes around the world.
1. What do we know about the Great Salt Lake from the first two paragraphs?| A．It is home to ducks. | B．It will disappear soon. |
| C．It will be less important. | D．It’s been shrinking for years. |
| A．Their current states. | B．The challenges they face. |
| C．Measures to restore them. | D．Reasons why they become saltier. |
| A．Stop. | B．Boost. | C．Adapt. | D．Learn. |
| A．The Great Salt Lake Is Getting Smaller |
| B．The World Is Becoming Drier and Drier |
| C．Saline Lakes Need Freshwater Deadly |
| D．Many Lakes in the World will Disappear |
7 . 4 Best Places to Travel in 2023
2023 is the year when travel returns in a big way. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to travel in 2023. All you need to do is pick the place that appeals to you.
Copenhagen
With its fantastic houses, clean streets and colorful architecture, Copenhagen is regarded as the most livable city on the earth. Named the World Capital of Architecture for 2023, Copenhagen will offer a series of major artistic events and programs sure to delight architects and design lovers.
Bhutan
For travelers with a sense of adventure and a love of discovery, Bhutan has always been a must-go destination. In 2023, travelers can once again explore the Trans Bhutan Trail, which runs 250 miles from east to west, offering visits to the century-old communities along the journey. The trail spans (横跨)18 major bridges and national parks and connects more than 400 historic and cultural sites.
Bordeaux
The coming years will be sporty in the historical wine region of Bordeaux in France. In 2023, the city will host the Rugby World Cup, an intense and stressful game. Beyond sports, Bordeaux is one of the favorite historical cities, with more than 350 structures that are either nationally or regionally listed as historical monuments.
Namibia
Wildlife and adventure lovers looking for a unique path in African Safari trips should head straight to Namibia in 2023 — this country in southern Africa is the perfect place to travel to reconnect with nature and escape the modern stresses of life. On the wildlife front, you may see lions along with giraffes and elephants.
1. What is Copenhagen well-known for?| A．The natural landscape. | B．The adventure travel. |
| C．Eye-catching architecture. | D．Famous art designers. |
| A．Modern communities. | B．Cultural relics. |
| C．Historical wine regions. | D．National monuments. |
| A．Copenhagen. | B．Bhutan. | C．Bordeaux. | D．Namibia. |
Mount Tai, a typical representative of the Chinese famous mountains, is a mountain with
Mount Tai,
As a mountainous
9 . Four Fascinating National Parks in the World
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s Southern Island was established in 1952 and is part of the larger Te Wahipounamu wilderness, a UNESCO World Heritage Area. Covering 1.2 million hectares, Fiordland National Park is home to green rain forests, crystal clear lakes and snow-capped mountains. Even on the frequent rainy days, the scenery is spectacular, with entire valley walls turning into thundering waterfalls. Highlight is the amazing Milford Sound with Mitre Peak, rising 1692 metres above sea level and one of the most photographed peaks in the country.
Yosemite National Park
First protected in 1864 and one of the first parks in the National Park Service, California’s Yosemite is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park’s central feature is Yosemite Valley, which is surrounded by hills, trees and spectacular waterfalls. But the Park is so much more than just a great valley with waterfalls: within Yosemite’s vast wilderness area, you find deep valleys, grand grassland and more than 800 miles of spectacular hikes.
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania’s oldest and most popular National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently proclaimed a 7th worldwide wonder. The Serengeti is famous for its annual Great Migration, a 1, 200-mile odyssey of 1. 5 million wildebeest and 200, 000 zebras, all of them chasing the rains in a race for life. Your chances of watching a kill are pretty high when you visit the area in the right season.
Namib-Naukluft National Park
One of the most thinly populated countries in the world, Namibia is not the right place to get lost. But it is a top destination for those who enjoy unmatched natural scenery and wildlife viewing. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game park in Africa, including part of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountain range.
1. What is Fiordland National Park well-known for?| A．Milford Sound with Mitre Peak. | B．Spectacular hikes. |
| C．Great Migration. | D．The longest history. |
| A．New Zealand. |
| B．USA. |
| C．Tanzania. |
| D．Namibia. |
| A．They were established in the 1950s. |
| B．They are famous for waterfalls. |
| C．They belong to the same country. |
| D．They are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. |
Spring is the best time to visit Jiangnan, the regions around the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, for beautiful
To know about the city’s culture and history, the best place is the Taizhou Museum.
The Taizhou outlet of Dayin Bookmall, a famous bookstore chain from Shanghai,
