1 . Today, we visit one of the most famous parks — Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This huge park in the southeastern part of the state covers more than 10 thousand square kilometers of the Alaskan wilderness. It includes mountains, glaciers, fjords (峡湾), and even rain forests. Glacier Bay supports hundreds of kinds of animals, including many species of birds, fish, bears, whales and sea lions.
As its name suggests much of Glacier Bay is covered by glaciers. A glacier is a large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley, or over a wide area of land. Glaciers cover a large area of the park.
The glaciers found in the park today are what remain from an ice development known as the Little Ice Age. That period began about 4,000 years ago. During the Little Ice Age, the cold weather caused the ice to grow and develop. That growth continued until the 1700s, when the climate began to warm. The hotter temperatures caused the ice to start melting (融化). That melting led the huge glacier to divide into more than 1,000 different glaciers.
The extremely tall mountains seen in Glacier Bay were formed by the ice developing and then melting over time. The melting of the ice also created water that filled in and created the many fjords within the park. Fjords are narrow parts of the ocean that sit between cliffs or mountains.
Glacier Bay is a popular place for people searching for adventure. Some visitors choose to explore the park by kayak. The small, narrow boats offer visitors a chance to experience the park’s many fjords and its hundreds of kilometers of coastline.
1. If you pay a visit to Glacier Bay, you will find ________.| A．it almost covers the whole Alaskan wilderness |
| B．the rain forests are rare in such conditions |
| C．there live numbers of kinds of animals |
| D．there are more birds than other species |
| A．Some glaciers existed there long long ago. |
| B．Greenhouse effect has affected the glaciers. |
| C．The glaciers will disappear in the soon future. |
| D．Only 1,000 large glaciers are left at present. |
| A．They are formed on the top of mountains. | B．The melting of the ice is also called fjords. |
| C．Water is the source of creating many fjords. | D．Fjords move as the oceans flow around. |
| A．To do a research about Glacier Bay. | B．To warn visitors there are too many dangers. |
| C．To show Glacier Bay has a long history. | D．To introduce Glacier Bay to readers. |
2 . Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museums, cycling culture and so on. It is the capital city of the Netherlands and often referred to as the “Venice of the North” because of its expansive system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.
Must-See Attractions
Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. You’ll also want to check out Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. The top museums to visit there are the Rijksmusuem, the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum.
If You Have Time
There are several other unique districts in Amsterdam, and you should try to explore as many of them as time allows. The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a center for celebrity spotting and nightlife today. The Plantage area has most of the city’s museums and the botanical gardens.
Money Saving Tips
●Unless you really want to see the tulips(郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise.
●Look for accommodations in Amsterdam’s South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.
●Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.
●Instead of hiring a tour guide, hop on a canal boat. They’re inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.
Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.
1. What can be learned about Amsterdam from this passage?| A．The Van Gogh Museum lies in the South District. |
| B．The Canal Ring is a place to attract garden lovers. |
| C．The Old Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| D．Amsterdam is called the “Venice of the North” because of its location. |
| A．arrange a guided tour | B．buy train tickets at the counter |
| C．reserve a hotel in the South District | D．book flights between mid-March and mid-May |
| A．A magazine. | B．An essay. | C．A report. | D．A website. |
3 . I am not a morning person, but as I stand on the boulder (巨大的砾石) in the early dawn, my mind is sharp and alert. I am more than awake, concentrating on the vast endlessness below.
There is a noticeable lack of early birdsong here; no hiss of offshore wind fanning the waves. The only sound is my breath, heavy after the scramble to the top. It is by no means a difficult climb, but I had to hurry to beat the sun.
“If you stand at the top of Kubu Island just before sunrise,” said one of the returning visitors, “You can see the arc (弧线) of the Earth.”
He was right.
From up here the horizon cuts not so much a line as an arc.
Soon my feeling of being in the moment is replaced with something as strange and ancient as this place itself. My breathing calms and becomes shallow. My heartbeat slows. I am first surrounded by in silence. I am a tiny, shrinking spot. Then I disappear completely.
They say that astronauts looking down on Earth gain a sense of perspective that changes them forever. They begin to understand how much we are a part of our planet, and how much it is a part of us. The astronauts are 400 kilometres off the surface of Earth, and while the top of Kubu Island is only 10 metres high, there is something about this pile of boulders that sends you into orbit.
Kubu Island isn’t actually an island, but rather, an outcrop of ancient rocks that are up to two billions year old. It was once rested on the edge of a vast lake. As the water evaporated, it created the huge Makgadikgadi Pan (马卡迪卡迪盐沼盆地), one of the world’s largest salt pans.
Ancient tribes and civilizations have migrated and lived here, first to fish from its rocks and then to commune with nature and its spirits. Today, adventurers and tourists come here to marvel at this strange pile of boulders with baobab trees (猴面包树) growing out of it. These trees are estimated to be 3,000 or 4,000 years old; they are really impressive not only for their size but also because they seem to have so much to tell about the history of this island.
This is the gift that Kubu Island gives and the power that it has. This tiny, weird outcrop — if not in the middle of nowhere, then certainly on the edge of it — can give you a sense of yourself that very few places can. A sense of yourself as a person on this planet and, somehow, way beyond it.
1. Which of the following can best describe Kubu Island?| A．It is a “small” island, surrounded by waves and water. |
| B．It is an “ancient” island, featuring recreational activities. |
| C．It is a “dry” island, surrounded by a sea of salt. |
| D．It is a “remote” island, resting on the edge of a vast lake. |
| A．feel anxious for | B．pose danger to |
| C．be grateful to | D．be amazed at |
| A．recommend a unique travel route to a peaceful and silent island |
| B．encourage readers to reflect more on themselves while travelling |
| C．inform readers of a mysterious place that deserves to be explored |
| D．advise readers to visit an island which is peculiar in its original state |
Dollywood, in the beautiful Smoky Mountains in the southeastern USA, is one of the most
1. What are the summers like in Alaska?
| A．They are very dark. | B．They are pretty cold. | C．They are quite bright. |
| A．In Oregon. | B．In California. | C．In Washington. |
| A．She doesn’t mind them at all. |
| B．She thinks they have gotten worse. |
| C．She couldn’t stand them for very long. |
Hello, everyone! I’ll show you around the Louvre today through our live broadcast. First of all, let’s take a look at the sculpture at the top of the
7 .
| Suuface area（sq mi） | Volume（cu mi） | Percentage of total | |
| Salt water | |||
| The oceans | 139,500,000 | 317,000,000 | 97. 2% |
| Inland seas and saline lakes | 270,000 | 25,000 | 0.008 |
| Fresh water | |||
| Freshwater lakes | 330,000 | 30,000 | 0.009 |
| All rivers（average level） | - | 300 | 0.0001 |
| Antarctic Icecap | 6,000,000 | 6,300,000 | 1. 9 |
| Arctic Icecap and glaciers | 900,000 | 680,000 | 0. 21 |
| Water in the atmosphere | 197,000,000 | 3,100 | 0.001 |
| Ground water within half a mile from surface | - | 1,000,000 | 0. 31 |
| Deep-lying ground water | - | 1,000,000 | 0. 31 |
| Total（rounded） | - | 326,000,000 | 100.00 |
The Antarctic Icecap is the largest supply of fresh water, representing nearly 2% of the world' s total of fresh and salt water. As can be seen from the table above, the amount of water in our atmosphere is over 10 times as much as the water in all the rivers taken together. The fresh water actually available for human use in lakes and rivers and the accessible ground water amount to only about one—third of 1% of the world' s total water supply.
1. Which two places share equal amount of fresh water?| A．Freshwater lakes and all rivers（average level）. |
| B．Antarctic Icecap and water in the atmosphere. |
| C．Deep -lying ground water and Arctic Icecap and glaciers. |
| D．Ground water within half a mile from surface and Deep -lying ground water. |
| A．about 1,086,700 cu m | B．about 6,300,000 cu m |
| C．about 680,000 cu m | D．about 2,000,000 cu mi |
| A．Fresh water. | B．Salt water. | C．Water supply. | D．Water protection. |
8 . The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It is 8,848.86 meters above sea level. Many men have tried to climb this mountain but without success. High winds, cold and little oxygen have made this almost an impossible (不可能的) thing. It was not until 1953 that two men stood on the top. One of the men was Edmund Hillary from New Zealand. The other was Tenzing Norgay from Nepal. They were members of a British Expedition (探险队). There were nearly twenty people in the whole team. They spent about sixty days finishing the whole climbing. The last day, May 29th, was fine；Hillary and Tenzing started climbing as the sun rose. At half past eleven they were on top of Mount Everest. They were very glad. They wanted to stay there for some time, but they couldn't. It was too cold and dangerous. They had climbed as high as anyone can climb—they were on the top of the world.
1. When did people first climb up to the top of the world's highest mountain?| A．Never. | B．On May 28, 1954. |
| C．One day in 1953. | D．Nearly 60 days after May 29, 1953. |
| A．High winds, cold and little oxygen | B．No cars and planes |
| C．Few people | D．Winds, cold and oxygen |
| A．British people. | B．An expedition. |
| C．A New Zealander and a Nepalese. | D．None. |
| A．Few people | B．A lot of people |
| C．Only the men | D．The British people |
| A．No one knows. | B．9.8 kilometers. |
| C．8,848. 86 meters above sea level. | D．Above the sea level. |
As you might suppose from the name, Snowdonia National Park is set on Snowdon Mountain. The mountain is 3,560 feet tall and as picturesque as it is peaceful. Lakes and rivers are set among trees and
In 1951, the Park
1. 地处中国福建省西北部；
2. 特色（生物多样性，丹霞地貌）；
3. 是许多濒危动物的栖息地，也是我国的避暑胜地。
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