1 . In most places a traffic signal in the middle of the desert, especially one for camels, may well be a mirage, but in this case it is all too real. At the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Spot in Gansu Province, northwest China, the world’s first traffic light for camels was set up to manage traffic in the popular tourist area.
According to a Chinese state-owned wire service, the problem was that the walking paths for human beings often crossed camel paths, creating traffic chaos (混乱). As a solution, workers cut a gap in the walkway and created a separate route for the camels. The traffic light now manages the flow of traffic at the new crossing.
Camel-riding tours are a big attraction for visitors to the area. But visitors to the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Spot will now be safe from camel crashes, thanks to the new traffic signal, which turns green to let the animals cross and red to make them stop.
The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Spot is already a tourist hot spot thanks to its breathtaking sand dunes (沙丘), an oasis (绿洲) and even the occasional snowstorm which create otherworldly scenery. The strange camel traffic signal could well become another attraction to enjoy on a visit to the scenic area.
The area is close to Dunhuang City on the edge of the Gobi Desert, and it used to be an essential resting point for travellers on the Silk Road. Dunhuang’s best-known tourist attraction is the Mogao Caves. The traffic signal is unlikely ever to reach the significance of the Mogao Caves, but at least it might help prevent a few camel traffic jams.
1. What does the underlined word “mirage” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Reality. | B．Fantasy. | C．Scenery. | D．Mistake. |
2. Why did the workers create a separate route for the camels?
| A．To solve the traffic chaos. | B．To have camels go through. |
| C．To attract visitors to the area. | D．To protect the visitors’ safety. |
3. What can we infer about the camel traffic signal from the last 2 paragraphs?
| A．It has become a tourist hot spot. |
| B．It has prevented camel traffic jams. |
| C．It could improve the tourism of the scenic area. |
| D．It could greatly increase the camels’ population. |
4. What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To criticize the traffic jam. | B．To tell us a travel experience. |
| C．To introduce a camel traffic light. | D．To analyze a natural phenomenon. |
