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1、Stephen《新世紀(jì)研究生公共英語教材閱讀A》課文Unit3OceanofSandFromTheGuardian1.Thereismoredesertsthansunandsand.Onthesetwopagesyoucanfindouthowplants,animalsandpeoplemanagetosurviveintheseapparentlybarrenplaces.2.Alldesertsaredry.Thehot,sandyplaceswethinkofwhenwetalkaboutde
2、sertsaresubtropicaldeserts.TheyarefoundneartheTropicsofCancerandCapricornwherethewarmairwhichrisesattheEquatorsinksdownagain,givingaclimateofclearskiesandverylowrainfall.TheSaharaisalmostone-thirdthesizeofAfrica,andisnearlyasbigastheU.S.A.,thefourthlarge
3、stcountry.Itwasnotalwaysadesert.Overmillionsofyearsithasbeenconveredinice,sea,forestsandgrasslands.3.Desertwindsareusuallydry.Somedesertsarein“rainshadow”areaswherethewindshavelostwhatmoisturetheyhadcrossinghighground.Othersareinthemiddleofcontinentswher
4、ethewindsblowingoverthemhavelostanymoisturegainedfromdistantoceans.TheGobidesertinMongoliainAsiaisanexampleofsuchaninlanddesert.TheAtacamainnorthernChileisthedriestdesertonEarth.Partsofthedeserthadnorainfor400years,from1570to1971,andinotherparts,rainshad
5、neverbeenrecordedn.OneofthesandiestdesertsistheTaklaMakan.Sandstormscanwhipupthesandashighas3,048m(10.000ft).WindblownsandintheSaharacanbesofiercethatitwillsandblastthepointoffacaroraeroplane.Thetemperatureatnightinahotdesertcandropbelowfreezing,to-4℃(24
6、℉).Duringtheday,thesandcanbeashotas79℃(175℉).Livinginadesertclimate4.Desertsaredifficultplacesinwhichtolive.Duringthedaytheyareveryhot.IntheLibyanDesertinNorthAfricathetemperatureon13September1922reached58Cintheshade!Butdesertnightsareoftencoldbecausecle
7、arskiesallowheattoescapeintotheatmosphere.Thelackofwatercausedbylowrainfallisbadenough,butrainfallisalsohighlyunpredictable.Yearsofdroughtcanendintremendousrainstorms.Manydesertareasarebarerock,orarecoveredwithpebblesandgravel.Sandaccountsforonlyabout15p
8、ercentoftheearth’sdesertregions.Insomedeserts,thetotalrainfortheyearmightfallinonlytwoorthreestorms.Butthatisenoughforplantseedstosproutandbloom,turningpartsofthedesertintocarpetsofflowersforafewdays.Howplantssurvive5.With
