The Yellowstone National Park

项祝燕

With its snow-covered mountains and a variety of wildlife， Yellowstone National Park is one of the scenic treasures of the United States. Located primarily in Wyoming， the park hosts millions of visitors every year. If you plan to travel within the park， keep in mind advice from the National Park Service.

Seasonal Travel

Travel varies vastly from season to season. Roads are generally open in the summer except for cases of rock or mud slides， wild fires， accidents or road construction. Early snows in the fall can cause some roads to close temporarily. In the winter almost all roads are closed to motor vehicles， but snowmobiles and other snow vehicles with tracks are allowed. Roads begin to open for the spring by the latter part of April but can close if snowfall continues.

Driving Time

Grand Loop is the main road through Yellowstone National Park; it passes by most of the major attractions. These include Old Faithful， Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The maximum① speed limit on the Grand Loop is 45 miles per hour， but the speed limit drops during some of the winding and twisting sections of this narrow road. Allow yourself at least two days to fully travel the loop due to the size of the park and being sometimes stuck in heavy traffic.

Safety Awareness

Buffalo② often block the roads in the park as they move through the fields. If a group is traveling across the road you are on， you can either wait for them to pass or find an alternative③ route. If you get out of your vehicle， the National Park Service says to stay at least 25 yards from any buffalo （and 100 yards or more away from bears and wolves）. Buffalo are particularly unpredictable and charge④ people at speeds up to 30 mph.

You can take your bicycle on any public roads and routes designed for bikes， but bicycles are not allowed on the park roads which are narrow with few shoulders⑤. Altitudes range from  5，300 to 8，860 feet. The National Park Service recommends cyclists should wear helmets⑥ and noticeable clothing.

Notes： ① maximum adj. 最大的 ② buffalo n. 水牛 ③ alternative adj.可替代的 ④ charge v. 向……猛沖 ⑤ shoulder n. 路肩 ⑥ helmet n. 头盔

【难句解析】

1. With its snow-covered mountains and a variety of wildlife， Yellowstone National Park is one of the scenic treasures of the United States.

释义：有雪山和各种各样的野生动物，黄石国家公园是美国风景宝藏之一。

点拨：snow-covered是名词和动词的过去分词构成的复合词作定语，修饰mountains。类似的结构还有：hand-made （手工制作的），heart-broken （令人心碎的），man-made （人造的）。

2. Roads are generally open in the summer except for cases of rock or mud slides， wild fires， accidents or road construction.

释义：除了泥石流、野火、事故或道路建设等情况，在夏天道路通常是开放的。

点拨：except for 表示“除外”，可用于非同类事物，并且从语气上通常表示遗憾;如果后面的东西与前面的东西属于同类语，则用except;besides的意思是“除……之外还有”，该介词后面所表示的人或物等也包括在总数内;except 的意思是“不包括在内，除去”，该介词后面所表示的人或物等不包括在总数内;but 作“除外”的意思时有一些限制，它只能用在no one， none， all， nobody， everyone， everything， who， what， where 等之后，而except的限制很少;apart from 既可表示 besides 的意思，又可表示except for 的意思。

Smith is a good man， except for his bad temper. 史密斯除了脾气不好外，是个好人。

3. You can take your bicycle on any public roads and routes designed for bikes...

释义：你可以在为骑自行车设计的公共公路和路线上骑行……

点拨：designed for bikes是过去分词作定语，修饰public roads and routes，因为designed for bikes与public roads and routes是动宾关系。

What did you think of the play put on by Class Two？ 二班演的戏剧你觉得怎么样？

4. The National Park Service recommends cyclists should wear helmets and noticeable clothing.

释义：国家公园管理局建议骑自行车的人佩戴头盔，穿醒目的衣物。

点拨：recommend， order， demand， require， propose， suggest， insist， advise， request， command等动词表示“建议、提议、命令、要求”，其宾语从句中常使用虚拟语气，即从句的谓语动词用“（should）+动词原形”。

He suggested that you （should） go there immediately. 他建议你立刻去那儿。

【阅读链接】

I. Choose the right answer.

1. What do we know about travelling in the Yellowstone Park？

A. Roads will stay open in case of emergency.

B. Traffic jam happens from time to time.

C. The driving speed on the road can be 50 mph.

D. Motor vehicles are allowed in the winter.

2. What does the National Park Service suggest people do about safety？

A. Stay inside the car throughout the travel.

B. Get out of their vehicles when coming across the Buffalo.

C. Wear the easy-to-see clothes while bicycling.

D. Avoid bicycling on the public roads.

3. If you meet with buffalo on the roads， you had better ____.

A. pass them immediately                        B. change your route

C. walk past them quietly                        D. ignore them

4. From which is the text probably taken？

A. A guidebook.                            B. A commercial advertisement.

C. A research paper.                             D. A geography textbook.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. The coast road is closed ____ ____ （由于） bad weather.

2. Youll ____ ____ ____ （遭遇塞车） a traffic jam in a city or on a highway.

3. Your composition is good ____ ____ （除了） a few spelling mistakes.

4. A robot is a ____ （电脑控制的） machine that is programmed to move and handle objects.

5. They recommended that the patient ____ ____ ____ （被送到） to the hospital at once.

6. People change their mind for ____ ____ ____ （各種各样的） reasons.