1 . The world is a vast and beautiful place, full of natural wonders and man-made marvels. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the Great Wall of China, there are countless places that make us proud of our ancestors.
Heritage is our legacy. It is what we pass down to our children and grandchildren. Heritage helps us to understand the past. It can teach us about our ancestors and their culture. Heritage can inspire us.
We can all do our part to help preserve these sites. Learn more about the sites that are on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Together, we can make a difference.
A.It can give us hope for the future. |
B.Choose sustainable lifestyles every day. |
C.Future generations can be more responsible. |
D.Unfortunately, many of them are under threat. |
E.Let’s work together to preserve these incredible sites. |
F.The more you know, the better you do in the preservation. |
G.But these places are not just important for our own enjoyment. |
2 . If you’d like to go sightseeing, the following World Heritage sites (世界遗产保护地) may be your best choices.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, China, reaches a height of more than 4,800m, with a series of different forest ecosystems (生态系统). It’s particularly famous for its narrow landforms and excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. Jiuzhaigou Valley was recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1992.
Khami Ruins National Monument
The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological (考古的) interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. It joined the World Heritage List in 1986.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls (环礁) in the world whose ecology (生态) has been untouched by humans. It is particularly famous for the 10 plants and 4 birds that can only be seen on the island. It was recorded in the World Heritage List in 1988.
Old City of Jerusalem
As a holy (神圣的) city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “World Heritage in Danger List” the following year.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Jiuzhaigou Valley?A.Wonderful waterfalls can be seen there. |
B.It is famous for many ancient objects. |
C.It has been untouched by human beings. |
D.It lies in the southern part of Sichuan Province. |
A.was ruined in the mid-16th century |
B.was once business center for trade |
C.has over 140 kinds of birds living there |
D.is a holy city for three major religions |
A.Henderson Island. | B.Khami Ruins National Monument. |
C.Old City of Jerusalem. | D.Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area. |
Though once secluded (与世隔绝的), even inaccessible, Kazakhstan today welcomes intrepid travelers with open arms.
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked (内陆的) country, and the
Even for some
But for those
Panfilov Park in the eastern-center of Almaty has plenty
4 . The Vjosa River, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, has been declared a national park by the Albanian government, making it become the first wild river park on the continent.
Home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species, the river flows for 270 kilometers, from Greece, through Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. Giving the credit to no dams or other artificial barriers, it is rich in aquatic species and supports a large number of wildlife species, including otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx.
The wild river national park will include almost 13,000 acres of land, crossing most of the body of the country, with thousands of people living in its surroundings. The decision to establish the park is more important than people may realize. For years, the Vjosa’s fragile ecosystem has been under threat: at one point as many as 45 hydropower plants (水 电 站) were planned to build across the region. But thanks to the campaigning by environmental NGOs, the tiny Balkan nation was placed at the forefront of river protection.
Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a “truly historic moment” for nature as well as social and economic development. “Today we protect the only wild river in Europe once and for all,” he said. “This is about to change a mindset. Protecting an area does not mean that you make it in isolation from the economy.” He said national parks attract 20% more tourists compared with non-protected areas.
The park will cover the 118 miles of the Vjosa in Albania, three main tributaries (支流), and some land, including areas at risk of flooding. Phase II will add other tributaries. Unlike the IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas, which limit the number of visitors, it will allow recreational tourism and some other activities such as local fishing, particularly for 60,000 residents in the catchment.
“We hope it will inspire others to come together to protect the wild places we have left, in a meaningful way,” said Ryan Gellert, Patagonia’s CEO, adding that the park was proof that the “destruction of nature did not have to be the price of progress”.
1. What makes the Vjosa River rich in wild species?A.Sufficient water. |
B.The government's policies. |
C.The large area of fertile land. |
D.The absence of human disturbance. |
A.It helps to establish hydropower plants. |
B.It relieves the power shortage in Albania. |
C.It strengthens the protection of Vjosa's ecosystem. |
D.It promotes the development of the local wild land. |
A.Building the park is beneficial to the economy. |
B.More wild rivers need to be protected in Europe. |
C.Non-protected areas will inspire a boom in tourism. |
D.Social progress comes at the cost of the natural environment. |
A.It includes more tributaries. |
B.It limits the number of visitors. |
C.It covers areas at high risk of flooding. |
D.It combines leisure activities with tourism. |
5 . Just as we take care of our friends and families, our homes and Mother Earth take care of us. Our homes give us a place of shelter that
“Thank you, home, for allowing me to live
You can do so as often as you like and anytime you feel particularly thankful for the many gifts that you have
A.bend | B.handle | C.react | D.stand |
A.unselfish | B.skillful | C.cheerful | D.amazing |
A.animals | B.oceans | C.plants | D.waters |
A.promote | B.show | C.influence | D.satisfy |
A.sources | B.memories | C.power | D.strength |
A.Express | B.Accept | C.Ban | D.Deserve |
A.attacks | B.attracts | C.appreciates | D.provides |
A.fond | B.aware | C.informed | D.confident |
A.accused | B.robbed | C.warned | D.reminded |
A.road | B.word | C.way | D.place |
A.safe | B.dull | C.quiet | D.public |
A.though | B.because | C.unless | D.until |
A.beside | B.beyond | C.within | D.in |
A.admitting | B.supporting | C.challenging | D.surviving |
A.live | B.call | C.focus | D.feed |
A.examine | B.explain | C.experience | D.describe |
A.adventure | B.wisdom | C.loss | D.honor |
A.anger | B.worry | C.joy | D.desire |
A.brought | B.purchased | C.exchanged | D.received |
A.shocks | B.monitors | C.protects | D.follows |
6 . Set 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Ambatondrazaka, the Zahamena National Park's landscape consists of (……组成) valleys surrounded by a flowing mountain range.
It has an overall land coverage of 64, 300 hectares, but only 42, 000 hectares is open to the public due to strict conservation (环境保护) reasons. It receives an average yearly rainfall level of about 6 feet and experiences frequent rain showers even during the dry season between April and October.
One really interesting thing about the Zahamena National Park is that the unique territory of its highland has paved the way for the development of several ecosystems that exist at the same time in this park. This is the reason why the types of wildlife living in one area are different in another, which makes it quite exciting to explore.
This protected area is divided into two parts, with a separate piece of land in the middle where many small villages are situated. These villages are inhabited (居住) by the members of the Sihanaka and Betsimisaraka ethnic groups.
The Zahamena National Park gets its name from the local Zahana Mena tree, an uncommon type of hardwood that grows in the lower regions of this protected area. It is characterized by its resilient (坚韧的) wood that can be rather challenging to cut, join, shape and carve even with modern tools.
Established as a strict natural highland reserve in 1927 (and one of the first of its kind in all of Madagascar), the Zahamena National Park was officially given its national park status (地位) in 1997 and was eventually opened to the public. Due to its remarkable territory and unique biodiversity, this national park was later listed as a key part of the collective UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007.
1. What can we learn about the Zahamena National Park?A.It is surrounded by the city of Ambatondrazaka. |
B.It receives little rainfall during the dry season. |
C.It is partially open to the public. |
D.It is divided into three parts. |
A.The strict conservation rules. | B.The unique weather conditions. |
C.The special territory of its highland. | D.The influence of several local villages. |
A.An ethnic group. | B.A type of local tree. |
C.A traditional tool. | D.A nearby city. |
A.A brief introduction to the Zahamena National Park. |
B.A complete guide to visiting the Zahamena National Park. |
C.Details of Zahamena National Park's great efforts in conservation. |
D.Reasons for Zahamena National Park becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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
8 . The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland has suffered several mass bleaching events due to the impacts of climate change. The Australian government turned down a proposal for a new open-cut coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, considering environmental laws and the risk of “irreversible damage”. It was the first time the government had used its powers under environmental laws to reject a mine.
In turning down the project, Tanya Plibersek, the minister for the environment and water, cited significant potential environmental dangers to the reef, which is already heavily threatened by climate change.” The risk of pollution is real and the damage to the reef, once done, will never be repaired. “The project would have had unacceptable impacts on freshwater in the area and potentially on fragile seagrass meadows,” Plibersek said in a video posted on social media. She said that during the public consultation period, her department had received 9,000 public comments about the mine in just 10 business days.
The government has been under pressure from UNESCO to better protect the reef and in 2022, it pledged one billion Australian dollars for efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem, including climate adaptation measures and water quality programs. Last year, the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for more than 2,300 kilometers, experienced its sixth mass bleaching event, due to warming waters caused by climate change.
The government, elected in 2022, came to power promising stronger action on the climate in a country still heavily depending on fossil fuels. But its climate policies are rated “insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker, which found Australia is not on course to meet targets to limit warming to 1. 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The government has rejected calls from the country’s Green Party to turn down all new fossil fuel projects.
1. Which of the following can replace “irreversible” in paragraph 1?A.Permanent. | B.Gradual. | C.Severe. | D.Significant. |
A.The reef is in good condition now. |
B.9,000 people made good comments on the mining project. |
C.The mining project has drawn the attention of the public. |
D.The mining project has had bad effects on freshwater in the area. |
A.Fossil fuels are not in demand in Australia. |
B.The government has made effective climate policies. |
C.The government failed to carry out its previous promises. |
D.The Green Party reached an agreement with the government. |
A.The Great Barrier Reef is faced with mass bleaching events. |
B.Australia is on the way to protecting the Great Barrier Reef. |
C.The Great Barrier Reef calls for help due to climate change. |
D.Australia says “No” to a mine near the Great Barrier Reef. |
9 . 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. |
10 . Darwin’s Arch, a famed rock formation in the Galapagos Islands has taken on a new shape.
The top of the Arch collapsed this week into the Pacific Ocean due to natural forces.
“Obviously all the people from the Galapagos felt it was a shame because it’s something we’re familiar with since childhood, and to know that it has changed was a bit of a shock,”
Washington Tapia said, “However, from a scientific point of view, it’s part of the natural process.
It normally happens on our planet.”
Darwin’s Arch,which is made of natural stone, at one point would have been part of the island. Named after famed naturalist Charles Darwin, it is not accessible by land. But the area around the islands is a popular diving spot, particularly to observe sharks and other sea species.
“Unfortunately today, our guests of the Galapagos Aggressor III experienced a once in a lifetime event,” the travel company Agressor Adventures posted on Facebook. The group added, “This morning at 11:20 am local time, the world-famous Darwin’s Arch collapsed in front of their eyes. There are now only two pillars (柱子) remaining. Some in the dive & travel industry are already referring to this now as ‘The Pillars of Evolution (进化)’.”
The post received nearly 200 comments including one person who wrote, “What a shame! Geologic (地质的) time is so much different from human time that we forget that it’s always going on. That’s why I like to spend a lot of time among the arches in Southern Utah. You never know when it could be the last time before geology does its work.”
The Galapagos Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been called a “living museum and showcase of evolution”. The islands are situated about 621 miles from the coast of Ecuador. They are home to many interesting animals including giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and many types of finches.
1. What does Tapia think of the collapse of Darwin’s Arch?A.It is a disastrous memory especially for kids. |
B.It is a little bit disappointing but acceptable. |
C.It is a rare natural phenomenon in the world. |
D.It is such a wonder hard to explain in science. |
A.Diving to observe some sea species. |
B.Catching sharks around the islands. |
C.Climbing Darwin’s Arch carefully. |
D.Visiting the office of Charles Darwin. |
A.The magical power of the geology. |
B.The novel description of the pillars. |
C.The witness of the fall of the Arch. |
D.The reason for the loss of the Arch. |
A.To advertise for Aggressor Adventures. |
B.To introduce the theory of evolution. |
C.To praise Darwin for his contribution. |
D.To add some background information. |