Probably you have seen photos of the Grand Canyon（峡谷）, the great valley in the desert country of Arizona. But you must go there yourself to feel its true size and beauty. The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world
The Colorado River formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years. Slowly, the river cut down through hard rock. At the same time, the land was rising. Today the canyon is 1.5 kilometers and 445 kilometers long. The oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon are more than 1 billion years old. The width varies from about 200 meters to 29 kilometers across. The rim or top of the canyon is about 2,300 meters above sea level on the South Rim, and about 3,000 meters on the other side. As a result, there are different kinds of plants and animals on opposite sides of the canyon. The South Rim is dry desert country. The North Rim has tall forests.
The canyon looks different at different times of day, and in different seasons and weather. At sunrise and sunset the red, gold, brown and orange colors of the rocks are especially clear and bright. In winter, the canyon is partly covered with snow.
The view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the best. Most visitors come here and stay in campgrounds or hotels. Every point along the canyon’s edge offers a different view.
The North rim of the Canyon is quieter. It takes all day to drive there from the South Rim because there is only one bridge across the Colorado River. On the way, you go through Navado Indian lands, and a colorful pink desert called “The Painted Desert”.
【小题1】The best way to feel the true beauty of the Grand Canyon is to________.

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities（设施）for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes（样品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation（朝向）,” Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competition has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.
45. How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?
A. They lost balance in excitement.                  B. They showed strong disbelief.
C. They expressed little interest.                       D. They burst into cheers.
46. Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?
A. Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.
B. Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.
C. Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.
D. Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.
47. What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?
A. The large size.                                           B. Limited facilities.
C. The desert climate.                                      D. Poor natural resources.
48. What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?
A. They are questionable.                                 B. They are out of date.
C. They are advanced.                                      D. They are practical.

The wild flowers looked like a soft orange blanket _______  the desert.

A．covering          B．covered           C．cover            D．to cover

New archaeological discoveries suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably began in some form many centuries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research could add a fascinating new page to the epic (史诗) of the Silk Road.

The most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.

The official origin of East-West trade along the road is usually placed in the late 2^nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthian for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury (奢侈品) markets in Rome.

But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.

1.The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by         .

A. combined      B. contributed      C. doubled        D. produced

2.The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that          .

A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

B. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

C. historical research often achieves fascinating results

D. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

3.Until recently historians mostly believed that trade along the Silk Road        .

A. began a million years ago

B. primarily benefited the Egyptians

C. originated in the 2^nd century BC

D. extended human migration into eastern Asia

4.Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe       .

A. he discovered the Silk Road

B. he helped establish East-West trade

C. he travelled as far as Afghanistan        

D. he brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?