A. guesses B. available C. supported D. left E. collection F. paradise G. fenced H. studies I. linked J. named K. journey |
The loneliest house in the world
In Iceland there is a small island a few miles from the coast called Ellidaey Island. Photographs surfaced on the Internet a little while ago with a small dot that looked like a structure. People were immediately fascinated and started carrying out
The last permanent inhabitants left the island around 1930 and the only thing
There have been a lot of
Nobody lives there but it provides a safe and peaceful place for those who
The lodge (小屋) that can be seen on this island was built in 1953 by the Ellidaey Hunting Association. People with the association have
A. attraction B. waiting C. mystery D. unique E. simply F. originally G. stable H. popularity I. donating J. searching K. interfere |
There’s a rarely-visited, dusty corner of the world where something magical happens. The place, which looks like Mars with its red rock landscape, is the Tatacoa Desert, in Colombia.
Tatacoa is located in the region of Huila, south of the country’s capital Bogotá. Although Tatacoa, with its protruding cacti and red rippled rocks, is called a desert, it is in fact a dry tropical forest. But the exciting, and very
Thanks to its remote location — it’s almost 30 miles and an hour’s drive over bumpy winding roads to the nearest town — Tatacoa has no light pollution to
Up to 88 constellations (星座) are visible on a clear night, as well as both hemispheres — something that happens nowhere else in the world.
The warm and dry climate helps with stargazing; a
Not only is Tatacoa a natural wonder, but the DIY observatory that’s run by a Colombian man named Javier Fernanda Rua Restrepo has become a star
The Colombian, who is
At first Restrepo had worked at the Colombian government’s observatory, which he helped staff for 15 years. But after budget cuts meant he lost his job, he figured he would
In 2015, Restrepo opened the doors to his observatory — Tatacoa Astronomia — with just one telescope. Now, as Colombia has grown in
Tatacoa Astronomia is only open on starry nights, and Restrepo remains the sole employee. But that doesn’t distract from the intimacy and the specialness of the place. The structure sits on a small patch of land that Restrepo bought himself, and is cordoned (隔离) off by tarpaulin (油布) to add an extra sense of
“The stars… they put my life into its tiny perspective,” he says, “and they constantly remind me there are greater things out there.”
amaze office power architect path be unique to be made up of be made of take control of |
Peru, a country in South America, used to be the centre of the
On Horseback Among the Eagle Hunters
A. bond B. covered C. outwardly D. demanding E. famed F. currently G. deserted H. traditionally I. accessing J. extent K. tending |
Nine-year-old Dastan, the son of a Kazakh (哈萨克族) eagle hunter, rode his pony alongside mine, running effortlessly without a saddle (马鞍) and giggling at my attempts to show my pony some affection. Surrounding us was the vast,
I spent almost three years living and working in northern Iraq, where I
Deep in the Altai Mountains, the Kazakh people have for centuries developed a special
In recent generations, many Kazakh families have migrated from the countryside to the country’s urban areas. This is partly because of the difficulties in
Training and caring for golden eagles is just one aspect of an animal herder’s life. Others include training young horses,
A. adventure B. carelessly C. existence D. unspoiled E. exploit F. inaccessible G. minimized H. reflects I. maintaining J. visible K. wilderness |
Antarctica (南极洲) is the highest, driest and coldest place on Earth. It is also the remotest, a fact which account for its
For centuries, Europeans wondered about the
Once completely
Yet, Antarctica’s fragile and complicated eco-system is threatened by its human visitors. Damage to the environment is done as people come looking for resources beneath the ice, or
A. paid B. recognized C. required D. disappeared E. remarkable F. turned G. built H. home I. preserving J. taken K. make |
Care Needed for Great Wall’s Preservation
Although the Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall in Huairou, Beijing, was
As long as the fee is
How can the local watchdogs of the tourism industry and the cultural relics protection departments sit back with folded arms ignoring the practice for such a long time is a question that still awaits an answer.
Reportedly, some of the money the villagers
Unlike the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Yanqing, Beijing, which is
Nearly one-third of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty has
With the Beidou satellite global navigation system in place and the advancement of technologies in other fields related to the protection of cultural heritage, the country is now better able to protect the Great Wall. But unless the malpractice of the grassroots authorities is addressed, no technology will be of practical assistance in
The Great Wall’s
A. to see B. was built C. that D. which E. its F. kindness G. but H. poorly I. asking J. on |
If you’re in Wuhan, an absolute must-see is the Yellow Crane Tower. Regarded as one of the Four Great Towers of China, the tower stands on the banks of the Yangtze River at the top of Snake Hill. It is very beautiful and
According to legend, Yellow Crane Tower
A. definitely | B. historical | C. fortune | D. Valley | E. District | F. occurred |
G. headed | H. rebuilt | I. selected | J. souvenirs | K. immigrants |
After camping in the Redwood Forest and visiting Napa
In the morning, she walked around the Mission District, where she looked at the street art and ate some delicious Mexican Chinese noodles. In the afternoon, she
A. adventure B. carelessly C. existence D. exploit E. inaccessible F. minimized G. reflects H. responsible I. accounts J. visible K. wilderness |
Antarctica is the highest, driest and coldest place on Earth. It is also the remotest, a fact which
For centuries, Europeans wondered about the
Once completely
Yet, Antarctica’s fragile and complicated eco-system is threatened by its human visitors. Damage to the environment occurs as people come looking for resources beneath the ice, or
A. form B. mineral C. hardens D. surrounded E. primarily F. trap G. wore H. integrated I. piles J. perfectly K. surface |
Natural Domes
A dome is a curved formation or structure. It is shaped like half of a sphere. Imagine cutting an orange in half, and placing it cut-side-down on a table. This is the shape of a dome, although most domes in nature are not
Some natural domes develop when magma(岩浆)from deep within the Earth pushes up
Lava domes form as magma
Another kind of natural dome is shaped
Salt domes result when rock salt rises through overlying sedimentary rock. Salt