Unit 29 Wonders of Nature 

Wonders of Nature

5

10

15

20

25

30

Nature often takes us by surprise. There are particularly some views in nature which really amaze us with breathtaking phenomena that appear “unnatural.”

Take the New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves as an example. In the caves, thousands of blue lights dangle from the ceilings, twinkling like stars in a night sky. Tourists flock to the caves, awe-struck by the starry night illusions all around them. In fact, the beautiful lights come from a glow worm species found exclusively in New Zealand. The glow worms use bioluminescent light and silk threads covered in sticky, reflective droplets to attract and capture prey. Although the bioluminescence appears pretty inviting, the glow worms actually look no different than regular worms.

Located amid the green of the woodlands and next to the turquoise of the sea, Lake Hillier in Australia is another wonder of nature that stuns the tourists with its pink water. The living microorganisms as well as bacteria interact with the saltwater of the lake, thereby creating the pink color. Despite the unusual hue, the lake exhibits no known adverse effects upon humans. It is safe to swim in the lake although not many people do so.

Still another marvelous phenomenon known as “Blood Falls” takes place in Antarctica. As the name suggests, the water that slowly pours out from the ice tongue of Taylor Glacier takes on the color of blood. The Antarctica pioneers first owed the reddish-brown color to red algae, but it was actually the result of the saltwater of a lake beneath the glacier. The saltwater contains large amounts of iron, which reacts with oxygen when the water rises from the glacier, and thus produces the rusty color.

Human beings have been trying to explore and understand Earth, but every so often nature throws us for a loop. Around the world, strange phenomena have astonished us and led to greater knowledge of Earth.

Reading Comprehension

1. What is the main purpose of this passage?

ATo introduce popular tourist destinations.

BTo reveal the mysteries of nature.

CTo call for environmental conservation.

DTo emphasize the importance of learning about nature.

2. According to the passage, what causes the Blood Falls to look reddish-brown?

AWorms.

BAlgae.

CSaltwater.

DBacteria.

3. According to this passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

AThe glow worms in the Waitomo Caves are native to New Zealand.

BMicroorganisms, bacteria and saltwater make Lake Hillier pink.

CSwimming in Lake Hillier is safe as the water is harmless.

DThe water of Blood Falls mainly comes from the melted ice of the Taylor Glacier.

4. What does “throw us for a loop” mean in the last paragraph?

ASurprise us.

BScare us.

CHarm us.

DAttract us.

Words and Idioms

1. breathtaking [`brHRctekIN] adj. 令人驚嘆的

The footage of the volcano erupting was not only breathtaking but also shocking.

2. twinkle [`twINkB] v. 閃爍；閃耀

The night was dark with thousands of stars twinkling in the sky.

3. illusion [I `ljuZEn] n. 幻覺；假象

The mirrors in the restaurant created an illusion of greater space.

4. exclusively [Ik` sklusIvlI] adv. 專門地

The special prices are offered exclusively to VIP members. 5. thread [RrHd] n. 線

Do you have a needle and thread that I can use to sew the button?

6. inviting [In ` vaItIN] adj. 吸引人的

The small cafe looked very inviting with its cozy environment. 7. thereby [THr `baI] adv. 因此

The advertisement was successful, thereby boosting the sales of the products.

8. exhibit [Ig ` zIbIt] v. 展示；呈現

Sarah exhibited her talent for music at a very young age.

9. marvelous [` mFrvElEs] adj. 絕妙的；令人驚嘆的

The marvelous magic tricks stunned all of the audience and won a round of applause.

10. pioneer [cpaIE ` nIr] n. 先鋒；先驅

Albert is a pioneer dentist who adopts the latest techniques and equipment in his treatment. 11. rusty [` rOstI] adj. 生鏽的

My old bicycle had become so rusty that I decided to dump it. 12. owe … to … v. 把⋯歸因於⋯

Percy owed the success of his book to Milton and Teresa, who gave him a lot of useful advice.

Words for Recognition

★ dangle v. 懸掛 ★ bioluminescent adj. 螢光的 ★ turquoise adj. 碧綠的 ★ ice tongue n. 冰舌（冰河末端） ★ awe-struck adj. 感到震懾的 ★ droplet n. 液態滴狀物 ★ hue n. 色調

Vocabulary Exercises

I. Words in Context: Fill in each blank with a word or an idiom from the box. Change the word form if necessary.

inviting illusion marvelous rusty twinkle exclusively thread exhibit pioneer owe ... to thereby breathtaking

1. Seen from the hills, the lights of the city and made a beautiful picture of the night. 2. Alex rarely his emotions. He tends to hide his feelings instead of showing them. 3. In the interview, the citizens consistently the air pollution the factories and power plants nearby. 4. As a(n) in keyhole surgery, Dr. Darwin is devoted to promoting this new surgical procedure. 5. I had a(n) that I was a bird after drinking so much yesterday. 6. The machines are quite . You may need some oil to make them work smoothly. 7. This parking space is reserved for disabled drivers. That is, only disabled drivers are allowed to park here. 8. Ian twisted his ankle in the running race, losing the game.

II. Scrambled Sentences: Rearrange the chunks of words to form a correct sentence. 1. the flight attendants / made the passengers / with their inviting smiles / feel at home

2. a huge crowd of tourists / the Grand Canyon / that it attracts / is so breathtaking

3. a marvelous storyteller / Ryan is / and facial expressions / who has very dramatic intonations

4. the famous singer / who supported her wholeheartedly / owed her achievement / to her husband,