高二英语frightening nature5.pptVIP

Reference for Teaching I. 异国风情 1. The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (大峡谷) is considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world. It is one of Americas most famous national parks. Visitors to the canyon come from all parts of the world. Officials say about 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year. The canyon extends 450 kilometers. But the surrounding area does not suggest the existence of such a large opening in the Earth. Visitors come upon the canyon suddenly, when they reach the edge. Then they are looking at a land like nothing else in the world. Walls of rock fall away sharply. In some places，the canyon walls are more than a kilometer deep. Far below is the dark, turning line of the Colorado River(科罗拉多河). On the other side of the canyon, sunshine lights up the rock walls in red, orange and gold. The bright colors are the result of minerals in the rocks. Their appearance changes with the light, the time of years and the weather. At sunset, when the sun has moved across the sky, the canyon walls take on quieter colors of blue, purple(紫色) and green. Hundreds of rocky points rise from the bottom of the canyon. Some are very tall. Yet all are below the level of an observer on the edge, looking over. There are several ways to see the Grand Canyon．Many visitors walk along paths down into t he canyon. It takes several hours to walk to the bottom, it takes two times as long to walk back up．Some visitors ride mules(骡子)t0 the bottom of the canyon and back．Mules are strong animals that look like horses．They are known for their ability to walk slowly and safely on the paths．Many people see the Grand Canyon by air．They pay a helicopter or airplane pilot to fly them above and around the canyon．Others see it from the Colorado River．They ride boats over the fast moving water．These trips can