On the north bank of Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province sits a straw-hat-shaped mountain
Scientists have obtained a large number of research results on Chengjiang Fossil Site. The reason why Chengjiang fauna (动物群) is
Up to now, more than 20 phyla and more than 280 species
The UNESCO evaluation says the Chengjiang Fossil Site is one of the
2 . Tom Brown’s orchard (果园), known as Heritage Apples, is home to 700 varieties of apples. They are among the 1,200 endangered varieties that Brown has recovered from six southern states. Many of these have not been sold for a century or so. In fact, he cloned some of the apples from the last remaining trees of their kinds.
Before Brown discovered lost apples, he was a chemical engineer who, along with his wife, Merrikay Brown, enjoyed visiting farmers’ markets. It was at one, in 1999, that he became fascinated by baskets full of heritage apples with unfamiliar names such as Kane, Lawver, Rusty Coat, and Rambo. These apples had shapes, colors, and tastes like no apples Brown had ever seen before. The seller Maurice Marshall told him other lost apples might still be found in the area. Interested, Brown went in search of them.
Brown advertised in area newspapers seeking information about old apple trees. The response was exciting, but few brought concrete information. Actually, most of the leads about the whereabouts of these old trees come from people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, many of whom he met at local businesses and at festivals where he exhibited heritage apples. When Brown finds a tree, he cuts a branch off and returns during fruiting season to identify them. He compares leaves and apples to historical seed catalogs, and uses photos to correspond with experts for further confirmation.
In 1905, there were more than 7,000 apple varieties in the United States. Then people moved to urban areas and grew less of their own food while large agribusinesses preferred selling fewer varieties, ones that were familiar and shipped easily. Saving the long-forgotten fruits is a race against time. Now, the 79-year-old has to drive over 30,000 miles a year and devotes around three days a week to apple-hunting. He hopes to recover another 100 varieties or more in his lifetime.
1. What do we learn about the apples in Brown’s orchard?A.They are rare species. | B.They are mostly clones. |
C.They sell well in the market. | D.They adapt to different climates. |
A.Help him promote fruits. | B.Recover the lost apples. |
C.Learn to plant fruit trees from him. | D.Taste the apples mentioned by him. |
A.By referring to documents. | B.By putting advertisements. |
C.By consulting the elderly. | D.By communicating with experts. |
A.His colorful retirement life. |
B.His work in protecting fruit trees. |
C.His love for popularizing gardening. |
D.His contributions to saving lost apple species. |
3 . The black cloud rising every day at sunset in the Chihuahuan Desert went largely ignored for thousands of years. Native Americans noticed it, but did not track its source. Cowboys thought the cloud was smoke pouring from the earth, and avoided it.
In June of 1901, however, a teenage cowboy named Jim White happened to see the large, black cloud. He was curious and went to investigate. Instead of finding a volcano, as he had imagined, he discovered something equally amazing. It was a big mass of bats. Two days later, he returned with a lantern to explore further. It took him so long that his lantern went out. He managed to refill it with just enough oil to find his way back to the entrance.
The next time Jim White went to the cave, he brought a friend and supplies. They explored for three days and returned with descriptions that were so fantastic that few people believed them. The cowboys on nearby farms and the people in the tiny town of Carlsbad treated Jim’s stories as tall tales and nothing more.
After years of exploring the caves and finding no one to believe his stories, Jim White decided to create his own tourist attraction. He established trails (路线) along the paths he had found. One day in 1915, two men asked Jim for a tour. After seeing the caves, the men returned with a professional photographer named Ray V. Davis. Local doubts were finally put to rest by the photographs of the hidden beauty that Jim had discovered. All 13 locals of Carlsbad finally took a tour of the caves, which came to be known as Carlsbad Caverns.
In 1923, the government sent an official named Robert Holly to tour the caves. Later that year, the caves were stated a national monument (古迹), and in 1930 they became a national park. Jim White lived to see the Carlsbad Caverns become world-famous. Today, tourists can hike to and tour some of the 100 known caves in this huge natural wonder, thanks to the cowboy from New Mexico.
1. What do we know about the black cloud?A.It was discovered in 1901. | B.It was noticed by accident. |
C.It was actually a mass of bats. | D.It was smoke from the earth. |
A.Jim’s friend. | B.A photographer. |
C.Robert Holly. | D.13 locals of Carlsbad. |
A.It made Jim White rich. | B.It was an easy process. |
C.It happened before 1915. | D.It came true thanks to the photos. |
A.A Brave Cowboy | B.A Hidden Wonder |
C.A Worthwhile Invention | D.A Nationwide Contribution |
4 . Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40,000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics' soul: "We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original."
Most relics have to rely on tourist fee for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: "We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surroundings of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value "
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum DangQuoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, "The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government.”
Nguyen ThiMinh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: "This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations. Creative restoration(修复)must be based on previous values.”
Experts have called for a systematic(系统的)guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
1. From which is the passage probably taken?A.A school report. | B.A geography research paper. |
C.A health magazine. | D.A newspaper report. |
A.Poor building materials. | B.Human activities. |
C.War influence. | D.The passing of time. |
A.turn to advanced countries for financial help |
B.care less about the natural environment of the relics |
C.make full use of the money raised by the local people |
D.encourage the community to join in the rescue work |
A.Vietnam Is a Scenic Country |
B.All of Relics in Vietnam Are In Ruins |
C.It's a Good Idea to Replace the Ruined Construction with a New Style |
D.Experts Call for a Systematic Way to Preserve Relics |
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces(梯田), in southern Yunnan, China, cover a huge 16, 603-hectare area. The terraces,
In 2003, the terraced fields were
The landscape changes through the year. In April the terraces are all green as rice starts to grow; in later parts of the year it is yellowish brown as the rice ripens. In February, the terraces become bare earth, with the water reflecting(反射)the sky.