UNIT 10 B
ADDITIONAL READING
NATURAL WONDERS The natural wonders of the world are unique and amazing in their own special way. They became wonders when travellers going around the world discovered them and thought they were really special. Read about four of these unique places and then do the exercise that follows.
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The Grand Canyon is located in the northwest part of Arizona. No one really knows how it was formed: probably by the Colorado River eroding it away. Geologists believe these rocks are at least two billion years old. Hiking in the Grand Canyon is completely different from any other type of hiking because of its strange climate. You could be at the top of it where it might be snowing, while at the bottom it could be 20°C.
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Mount Everest is the highest mountain on the planet and is growing two inches taller each year. Satellite technology says the mountain is currently 29,107 feet tall. It stands on the border between Nepal and Tibet. The temperature there is 97 degrees below freezing. It has been a climber’s dream since the British first saw the peak in the 1850s. The first known expedition that made it to the top was undertaken by a New Zealander named Edmund Hillary and a Nepalese man named Tenzing Norgay. They climbed the mountain in 1953. Since then Everest has been climbed by over 3,000 people.
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Aurora Borealis is a spectacular light show in the northern region of Alaska. It is more commonly known as the Northern Lights. They have been a mystery for many years. However, there are scientific reasons to explain this phenomenon. Niagara Falls is not only one of the natural wonders of the world, but also one of the most desirable destinations in North America. It is not exceptionally high, (the Canadian Falls are 54 metres high and the American Falls, 56 metres high), but it is very wide. Although it is famous for its beauty, it is also a valuable source of hydroelectric power.
PRACTICE 152
Which of these natural wonders 1. is growing every year? 2. is believed to be two billion years old? 3. gives the world a lot of electricity?
4. is a light phenomenon? 5. has a very strange climate? 6. has been the dream of every climber?
