2021-2022学年度第44期总第874期 (4-5版)
Deep secrets revealed (Pages 4-5)

Reading for the main idea
Read the article quickly and choose the main idea.
A. It introduces the science fiction movie Journey to the Center of the Earth.
B. It introduces a new discovery of a giant sinkhole (天坑) in Leye county, Guangxi.
C. It emphasizes the importance of karst landscapes.

Reading for details
Read it again and answer the following questions.
1.How are these sinkholes formed?
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2.What is astonishing about China’s sinkholes?
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3.What is the important role in ecology of the newly-found giant sinkhole?
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Think and share
What’s your understanding of the title “Deep secrets revealed”?
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Language Study
Choose the best word or phrase to fill the blank. Then, translate the sentences.
1.According to Xinhua News Agency, Leye county is called the “the museum of sinkholes”, _______ (which/that/where) people ________ (find/found/have found) 30 sinkholes so far.
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2._______ (To build/Building/Build) a shared future for all life on Earth, Xi said the harmonious coexistence between nature and human beings is the _______ (first/top/last) priority.
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Express yourself
Group discussion:
Search the internet and discuss the meaning of “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets (绿水青山就是金山银山)”?
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参考答案
Reading for the main idea
B

Reading for details
1.They are formed because of the unique karst landscape, which is made up of limestone (石灰岩),  a soft rock dissolving (溶解) in water. When rainwater flows through little cracks in the bedrock, the cracks slowly grow into tunnels (隧道) and then big caves, which can get too big, and the ceilings fall slowly, opening up huge sinkholes.
2.The newly-found one is 306 meters long, 150 meters wide and 192 meters deep, while in other parts of the world sinkholes might be quite subdued (压制的), only a meter or two in diameter.
3.It harbors a “well-preserved primitive forest” at the bottom, spanning (横跨) nearly three soccer fields in length, where researchers found prehistoric-seeming (类似史前的) trees up to 40 meters high and undergrowth (林下植物) which came up to their shoulders.

Think and share
...sinkholes are nature’s gifts
... are formed because of the unique karst landscape
local differences in geology, climate and other factors; a great sense of responsibility
play an important role in ecology
...are isolated from the exterior environment and are home to ancient plant, animal and microbe (微生物) life
a “well-preserved primitive forest” at the bottom
...nature’s water pipes to aquifers...

Language Study
1.where; have found;
据新华社报道，乐业县被称为天坑博物馆，这里已经发现了30个天坑。
2.To build; top;
为了构建人类命运共同体，习主席说坚持人与自然和谐共生。

Express yourself
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his thought on ecological civilization by saying “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” meaning that nature is a valuable treasure for humanity. Humans and nature should harmoniously coexist because all beings flourish when they live in harmony and receive nourishment from nature. So, it is time for all of us to attach more importance to protecting the environment so we can live in harmony with the natural world.