星火30篇文章贯通考研词汇 28

Unit 28 Death Valley……………………………………503
死亡谷
死亡谷的名字虽然不好，名声也欠佳，但这里并非只有黄沙和岩石的不毛之地。它是一个风景优美的地方，是许多动植物，甚至人类的家园……
Death Valley doesn't sound like a very inviting¹ place. It is one of the hottest places in the world. The highest temperature ever recorded there was 134 degrees Fahrenheit², and that was in the shade! Death Valley in California(加利福尼亚州) covers nearly 3000 square miles, from which approximately 555 square miles are below the surface of the sea. One point is 282 feet below sea level--the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. In Death Valley, pioneers and explorers faced death from thirst and the searing heat. Yet despite its name and bad reputation, Death Valley is not just an empty wildness of sand and rock. It is a place of spectacular scenic³ beauty and home to plants, animals, and even humans.
In 1849 a small group of pioneers struggled for three months to get across the rough land.They suffered great hardships as they and their wagons⁴ traveled slowly across the salt flats in the baking sun. They ran out of food and had to eat the oxen and leave their possessions behind. They ran out of water and became so thirsty that they could not swallow the meat. They found a lake and, being wild with joy, fell on their knees only to discover it was heavily salted. Finally, weak and reduced to almost skeletons, they came across a spring of fresh water and their lives were saved. When they finally reached the foot of mountains, they slowly climbed up the rocky slopes.One of them looked back and said, “Goodbye, Death Valley.”That has been its name ever since.
Death Valley is the driest place in North America. Yet far from being dead, it is alive with plants and animals. They have adapted to this harsh region. In the salt flats on the valley floor,there are no plants to be seen. But near the edge, there are grasses. Farther away, there are some small bushes and cactus⁵(仙人掌). Finally, high on the mountainside, there are pine trees.
What is not visible are the seeds lodged⁶ in the soil, waiting for rain. When it does come, a brilliant display of wild flowers carpets the once barren(荒芜的) flatlands. Even the cactuses blossom.As the water dries up and the hot summer nears, the flowers die. But first they produce seeds that will wait for the rains of another year.
At noon on a summer day, Death Valley looks truly devoid(缺乏的) of wildlife. But in reality, there are 55 species of mammals(哺乳动物), 32 kinds of birds, 36 kinds of reptiles⁷, and 3 kinds of amphibians(两栖动物). During the day many seek shelter under rocks and in burrows(洞穴). As night approaches, however, the land cools, and the desert becomes a center of animal activity. Owls⁸ hunt for mice. Bats gather insects as they fly. The little kid fox is out looking for food,accompanied by snakes, hawks⁹, and bobcats(山猫). Many of these animals, like the desert plants,have adapted to the dry desert. They use water very efficiently¹⁰. They can often survive on poor water supplies that would leave similar animals elsewhere dying of thirst.
Humans have also learned how to survive in this land. The natives knew where every hidden spring was. They also knew the habits of the desert animals, which they hunted. The natives, and later even the prospectors¹¹, ate every imaginable desert animal. They ate everything from the big horn sheep(巨角野羊) to snakes, rats and lizards(蜥蜴). They were often on the edge of starvation, In autumn they gathered nuts from the pine trees. Other foods they ate included roots, cactus plants, leaves, and sometimes insects.
The early prospectors didn't know the desert as well as the natives. Many died looking for gold and silver in Death Valley; others did find the precious metals. Then a “boomtown(新兴城镇)” was born. First it consisted of miners living in tents. Then permanent buildings were built. But when the mine failed, the town that was built up around it did too. Today the remains¹² of these “ghost towns(鬼城(因金矿枯竭而被人遗弃的城镇))” are scattered¹³ about Death Valley.
注释:
fahrenheit
shade→★shadow
hemisphere
explorer
spectacular→★expect
salt→★salt
bake→★bake
behind→★behind
adapt→★adapt/adopt
pine
seed→★seed
lodge→★lodge
display→★reply/simple
wait→★wait
reptile
hunt
bat
hawk
dry→★dry
efficiently
elsewhere
spring→★spring
rat
starvation
metal→★metal
consist
miner→★mine

1 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

2 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

3 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

4 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

5 cactus   

n.仙人掌

参考例句：

• It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.这是这棵仙人掌第一年开花。
• The giant cactus is the vegetable skycraper.高大的仙人掌是植物界巨人。

6 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

9 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

10 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

11 prospectors   

n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prospectors have discovered such minerals as calcite,quartz and asbestos here. 探矿人员在这里发现了方解石、石英、石棉等矿藏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The prospectors have discovered many minerals here. 探矿人员在这里发现了许多矿藏。 来自辞典例句

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。