A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的) in the color and grandeur (壮观) of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.” Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place.

After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia.

From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. “It makes one want to murmur.” A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax (高潮) and stops.

Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge (吊桥) and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August.

   But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense (香气) of smoke from an Indian hearth (香炉). No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist (无神论者), and departed a devout （虔诚的）believer.”

What is it that attracts so many travelers to the Canyon?

A. The unearthliness and the grandeur of its architecture.

B. The presence of American super stars.

C. The saying made by American writers and journalists.

D. The roaring of the river in the Canyon.www..ocm

What does the underlined word “simple” refer to?

A. peaceful stream  B. land surface       C. common people        D. tamed animals

If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, which of the following won’t be the way of traveling for you?

A. By train.                B. By animal.      C. By car.                         D. On foot.

The last sentence “I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer.” implies that ______.

A. natural wonders such as the Canyon have some effect on human activities

B. all visitors to the Grand Canyon are God believers

C. atheist can’t see the magnificence of the Grand Canyon

D. the Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight that only God could create

Top lists are lecturing people on everything from “100 places to visit” to “100 books to read ”.
Aren't you just tired of being told what to do with your time?
Now you have a list to end all lists!
Take a look at the following two examples from the list of “101 things not to do”:
Swim with Dolphins（海豚）？
Swimming with dolphins is one of the world’s most profitable tourist activities. However, every dolphin will welcome having their busy, tiring day interrupted by tourists screaming and pushing around them in the water. Worse yet, when dolphins get too near to the boats loaded with tourists, they could get caught up in ropes and killed by propellers(螺旋桨).
Here’s a little secret. Dolphins look like smiling at you, but actually they’re just opening their mouths.
Go to See the Mona Lisa?
There must be something about the mysterious(神秘的)smile. The 6 million people who visit the lady in the Louvre every year can’t all be wrong, after all. But they can be quite annoying, standing in front of you, holding up their cameras to prevent you from seeing anything. In fact, it is hard for you to see the painting clearly because you have to stay away from it for security reasons. After queuing for hours, many tourists can remain in front of the painting only for 15 seconds at most.
If the mysterious lady in the picture knew her fate, she wouldn’t just be smiling, she’d be laughing.
So, still long to see the Mona Lisa? If you want to find out more about the list, read 101 Things NOT to Do Before You Die. Visit www.not2dobeforeidie.co.uk and buy the book at a 20％ discount.
【小题1】According to the passage, swimming with dolphins________.

There is something ______(神秘的) about the childhood of this famous writer.

阅读下面一篇短文，按照要求回答短文后面的问题：

　　Finland is perhaps the most beautiful and mysterious(神秘的) of the countries of northern Europe. Two－thirds of its surface is covered with thick forests and among them lie lakes, connected with rivers and canals. The northern part of this country is inside the Arctic Circle, where almost no trees can grow because of its cold weather and the people use their deer to transport clothing and food.

　　The Finnish history began in the Middle Ages. In about 1155, Finland was conquered by its western neighbor Sweden. After a period of rule by Denmark in the 14th century, the Swedes won back independence and power in 1523 under their brave King. During the Napoleonic Wars (1804～1818 ) Finland was passed finally from Sweden to Russia. The opportunity came in 1917, when the Russian Revolution brought foreign rule of Finland to an end. Shortly after Soviet Russia made peace with Germany, 1919 saw the founding of the Finnish Republic.

　　The years between the First and Second World Wars were years of progress and growing development. Finland has no coal or oil, and the nation's wealth lies in the timber(木材) from its forests, which supplies material for paper and furniture making, and in the electric power from its water.

1．Where is Finland located?

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2．How many countries used to rule Finland in history?

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3．How long was Finland ruled by Russia?

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4．What kind of natural resources do the Finnish people mainly benefit from?

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5．How do you understand the word “conquered” in the second paragraph?

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