Wild Africa - Deserts 浩瀚沙漠 - 6

On certain nights, the secret is revealed. Warm, damp air moving in from the mid-Atlantic is transformed to fog as it crosses the cold coastal¹ current.

A vast blanket of moisture steadily² rolls across the desert.

This veil of mist is the saving grace of the Namib. Just a few precious drops but enough to allow life to flourish. A tiny bit of moisture, a tiny bit of food and tens of millions of years of evolution are the secrets to success in this harshest of African deserts.

Where else but the Namib would an ingenious little beetle³ stagger up the highest dunes⁴ on cold mornings, put its back to breeze, and then stand on its head to collect a life-giving drink?Impressive sand dunes dominate the Namib, but to the south and east is a very different kind of desert , an expanse of rocky scrub known as the karoo.

This desert is as old as the Namib, but here it is mainly rain, not fog that drives life. In the karoo, up to 30 centimeters of rain may fall during winter and this extra sprinkle of moisture makes the world of difference.
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words and expression:
1.saving grace: a sancification from God 恩惠

2.life-giving:giving or having the power to give life and spirit给予生命的，挽救生命的

3.srcub: n. bush,shrub,shrubland dominated by shrubs灌木丛，丛林地

4.where else but: here "but" means "except",it is a common grammatical use.

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

4 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。