当代美国the-land.pptVIP

THE LAND The landmass of the contiguous（adj. 连续的；邻近的；接触的） 48 states (see Map 2.1) is framed by the Pacific Ocean（n. 太平洋） and Sierra Nevada（n. 内华达山脉（位于美国加州）） mountain range on the west and the Atlantic Ocean（大西洋） and Appalachian mountain range on the east.The Gulf of Mexico and Rio Grande River（里奥格兰德河） mark the border with Mexico; the St. Lawrence seaway and the Great Lakes establish much of the border with Canada.The country is bisected（平分） by the world’s third-longest river, the Mississippi (3,740 m./6,020 km.), which begins in Minnesota(n. 明尼苏达州（美国中北部洲）), irrigates and drains half the contin