Olympic National Park奥林匹克国家公园

孙启禄

主题语境：国家公园 篇幅：367词 关键词：national park

1 Olympic National Park is located in the westernstate of Washington. Originally established as a nationalmonument in 1909 and redesigned （重新设计） as anational park in 1938， it preserves the Olympic Moun⁃tains and their magnificent forests and wildlife. It wasdesignated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. Thepark covers an area of 1，442 square miles， much ofwhich is surrounded by Olympic National Forest.

2 The Olympic Peninsula （半岛） has seen travelers from many countries throughouthistory， including Mexico， Spain， France， Russia and England. Although Europeanexplorers had visited the peninsula in the late 18th century， it was not until 1885 thatthe first expedition into the mountainous interior was made. They were searching for theNorthwest Passage. The sea route connects the northern Atlantic and Pacific Ocean by wayof the Arctic Ocean.

3 When early settlers reached the Olympic Peninsula， they built homes on the coast.This area was easier to access， and had good land for farming. However， life on the OlympicPeninsula was difficult. People lived far from large cities and resources. They cut downtrees to build cabins. They also hunted and fished for food. Later， people started makingexpeditions into the center of the peninsula. They explored its forests and mountains. Theseareas never became very populated， however.

4 Wildlife in Olympic National Park includes numerous varieties of birds， as well asdeer， black bears， cougars （美洲狮）， and the rare Roosevelt elk （麋鹿）. Salmon （三文鱼）and trout （鳟鱼） swim in the rivers. Mountain goats， introduced in small numbers in the1920s， numbered more than 1，000 a few decades later; they became increasingly destruc⁃tive of area vegetation， and efforts began in the 1980s to control their population. Offshore，whales can be seen moving north in early spring and south in the fall.

5 Olympic National Park has meadows and lakes. It has glacier?fed rivers andmountain peaks that rise more than 2，300 meters. The Elwha Valley is in the central part ofthe park， which is the Olympic Peninsula’s largest watershed. The Hoh River， which is onthe west side of the park， is formed from melted glacial ice on top of Mount Olympus. Thereare also many other areas that are worth visiting and each area offers you somethingspecial. Why not come and see it？

Reading Check

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about？

A. The function of the park.

B. The surroundings of the park.

C. The reason to redesign the park.

D. The general introduction of the park.

2. Why did the early settlers live a hard life？

A. They had to hunt and fish for food.

B. They had to live in wooden cabins.

C. The land was not suitable for farming.

D. They lived in remote areas and lacked resources.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 4？

A. The park has a very good ecosystem.

B. Whales can be seen in the ocean all year round.

B. The ecosystem has been destroyed by mountain goats.

D. Cougars were introduced to control the number of mountain goats.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text？

A. To explain the history of the park.

B. To introduce the ecosystem of the park.

C. To show the beautiful scenery of the park.

D. To arouse people’s interest in visiting the park.

语篇解码

奥林匹克国家公园位于华盛顿州的西北角，在华盛顿州的奥林匹克半岛上。公园内景色多变，生态系统多种多样，堪称美国西北最值得一游的国家公园。

语言学习

Ⅰ. 语料荟萃

Ⅱ. 语句分析

1. The park covers an area of 1，442 square miles， much of which is surrounded by Olympic National Forest. 公園占地1，442平方英里，其中大部分被奥林匹克国家森林环绕。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。The park covers an area of...miles是主句，much of which is surrounded by Olympic National Forest是“代词/数词+介词+关系代词”引导的非限制性定语从句。

2. Although European explorers had visited the peninsula in the late 18th century， itwas not until 1885 that the first expedition into the mountainous interior was made. 尽管欧洲探险家在18世纪晚期曾访问过该半岛，但直到1885年，他们才首次进入内陆山区。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。Although引导的是让步状语从句，主句使用了强调句型“it is/was...that...”，强调的是时间状语not until 1885。

语言运用

Ⅰ. 例句仿写

1. 应一些音乐爱好者的要求，他出版了许多书，其中一本是关于英语歌曲的。

At the request of some music lovers， he has published a lot of books，__________________________________

2. 直到经历了许多苦难，他才明白了友谊的重要性。

__________________________________________that he realized the importance of friendship.

Ⅱ. 写作实践

某英文网站的Tourist Destinations栏目正在举行征文活动。请你根据以下要点用英语写一篇短文介绍一个主题公园并投稿。

1. 公园的概况；

2. 公园的特色。

注意：

1. 词数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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