America has a new national park. It is the Great Basin. It is the first national park in the western state of Nevada. The new park is in the eastern part of Nevada, close to the border(边界) with Utah. It is far from any city.
An American explorer John Charles Fremont travelled through the area in the early 1800's. He found the land shaped like a bowl. So he named it the Great Basin. It is a land of unusual beauty and sharp differences.
For example, you can climb a mountain covered with green forests, then cool yourself in a field of snow as you arrive at the top. Here and there, sharp rocks push out through the snow. Among the rocks you might see homes of the golden hawk (鹰), a bird that was once in danger of dying out.
You can camp in a campground on the edge of Lehman Caves. These caves are a group of large underground rooms made of limestone (石灰石). You can walk through them for about a kilometre. Before the park opened, the caves were the centre of interests for anyone travelling through this area.
The state of Nevada has wanted a national park for more than 60 years. There have always been the opposite ideas from people who believes that a park would harm(损害) mining and agriculture. The bill that set up the park, however, promises that mines will remain open, and that sheep and cows will continue to feed on the mountainsides.
Lehman Caves are______.
A.about a kilometre each
B.separated from each other
C.rooms made of limestone
D.what interest visitors most
The National Park Service
America's national parks are like old friends. You may not see them for years at a time, but just knowing they're out there makes you feel better. Hearing the names of these famous old friends--Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon--revives memories of visits past and promotes dreams of those still to come.
From Acadia to Zion, 369 national parks are part of a continually evolving system. Ancient fossil beds, Revolutionary War battlefields, magnificent mountain ranges, and monuments to heroic men and women who molded this country are all a part of our National Park System (NPS). The cafe and preservation for future generations of these special places is entrusted to the National Park Service. Uniformed Rangers, the most visible representatives of the Service, not only offer park visitors a friendly wave, a helpful answer, or a thought-provoking history lesson, but also are skilled rescuers, firefighters, and dedicated resource protection professionals. The National Park Service ranks also include architects, historians, archaeologists, biologists, and a host of other experts who preserve and protect everything from George Washington's teeth to Thomas Edison's wax recordings.
Modern society has brought the National Park Service both massive challenges and enormous opportunities. Satellite and computer technologies are expanding the educational possibilities of a national park beyond its physical boundaries. Cities struggling to revive their urban cores are turning to the Park Service for expert assistance to preserve their cultural heritage, create pocket parks and green spaces, and re-energize local economies: Growing communities thirsty for recreational outlets are also working with the NPS to turn abandoned railroad tracks into bike and hiking trails, as well as giving unused federal property new life as recreation centers.
To help meet these challenges and take advantage of these opportunities, the National Park Service has formed partnerships--some dating back 100 years, some only months old--with other agencies, state and local governments, corporations, American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives, Park Friends groups, cooperating associations, private organizations, community groups and individuals who share the National Park ethic.
National Park Week 1996 is a celebration of these partnerships.
Why are America's national parks like old friends?
A.Because they are always out there.
B.Because they are very old.
C.Because they make people feel better.
D.Because they are very famous.