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| 报刊文摘 |
| Top 5 Natural Wonders Of The World |
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Almost everywhere you go on Earth, natural beauty catches your eye. Each continent boasts many awesome wonders. Snow-covered mountains and huge rock formations soar up into bright blue skies. Waterfalls plunge hundreds of feet to pools below. Dark, ancient forests shelter an amazing variety of life.
We have chosen what we believe to be the five most spectacular natural wonders—those that are the biggest, longest or most impressive of their kind. These natural wonders inspire awe in everyone who views them.
Mt. Everest
Mt. Everest, which straddles the border between China and Nepal, is the worlds highest mountain. It measures 29,035 feet. And the mountain is still growing! Geological forces push it up a few millimeters each year.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first reached the peaks summit in 1953. Since then more than 1,000 people have reached the top—and at least 100 have died trying. Why climb Everest? Briton George Mallory, part of the first expedition to climb the mountain in 1921, famously answered that question: “Because it is there.”
Grand Canyon
Visitors to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona admire its breathtaking colors, rock formations and cliffs. No picture can adequately capture its beauty. The canyon is 277 miles long and anywhere from four to 18 miles wide, rim to rim.
A national park protects the canyons most spectacular section. Visitors can either hike or ride a mule from the rim to the canyon floor 5,280 feet below. The Colorado River flows through the canyon. The river created several other canyons, but the Grand Canyon is the most beautiful.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef extends 1,200 miles along Australias northeast coast through the Coral Sea. It is the largest coral formation in the world and is visible from space! Actually, it is not one reef but a chain of thousands.
More than 10,000 species live on the Great Barrier Reef. These reef inhabitants include more than 1,500 kinds of fish and 200 kinds of birds. The beauty of the reef also attracts thousands of human visitors each year. They dive, snorkel or see the reef by glass-bottom boat.
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls stretch across the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Locals call the falls “Mosi oa Tunya,” or “The Smoke that Thunders.” The roar of the water can be heard long before the mist from the falls comes into view. During peak flood season, the falls form the largest curtain of falling water in the world. The mile-wide falls plunge 330 feet over a cliff into a narrow gorge. From February to May, nearly 120 million gallons of water a minute make the plunge into the gorge.
Amazon Rain Forest
The Amazon Rain Forest covers more than a billion acres of northern South America. If this rain forest were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world!
Some scientists call the area the “lungs of our planet.” The area produces more than 20 percent of the worlds oxygen. Millions of animal and plant species live in the Amazon, including one third of the worlds bird species!
A visit to the Amazon, or any of these natural wonders, is an experience you will treasure for a lifetime.
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| 责任编辑： lance 来源： |
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