第三篇 Across the Deserts
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. It stretches across Africa from Senegal to Egypt. The Sahara Desert is an unfriendly environment. During the day it's very hot, and at night it’s sometimes very cold. It is also difficult to find water in the Sahara.
In 2006, Kevin Lin, Ray Zahab, and Charlie Engle decided to do something very difficult. They made the decision to run across the Sahara Desert 4,300 miles (6,920km). It seemed impossible to do, but they wanted to try. The three men liked to test themselves, and this would be a very big test.
On the morning of November 2, Kevin, Ray, and Charlie started their trip across the Sahara. Every morning they began running at 5:00. At11 a.m. they stopped and rested until 5 p.m. Then they ran again until 9:30 in the evening. Each day they ran about 40 miles (64 km). Every day it was the same thing. They got up and ran. They listened to music on their iPods, and they ran and ran.
Kevin, Ray, and Charlie needed to eat a lot of food during their trip. Most people need about 2,000 calories of food each day. Kevin, Ray, and Charlie needed between 6,000 and 9,000 calories every day. That's a lot of food! They also needed to drink a lot of water.
The three men had some problems on their trip, and many times they wanted to quit and go home. It was often very hot (140°F/60°C) during the day, and the heat made them sick. Their legs and feet hurt. Sometimes it was very windy, and they couldn't see. One time they got lost. But they didn't quit. After 111 days, Kevin, Ray; and Charlie successfully finished their trip across the Sahara Desert. They hugged each other and put their hands in the water of the Red Sea. Then they ran to a hotel to take a long shower.
词汇：
stretch v. 延伸，伸展
calorie n. 卡(路里)，小卡，大卡
quit v. 停止，放
注释：
1. ... made the decision to run across ...：......决正跑步横跨......
练习：
1. It’s not always hot m the Sahara Desert.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
2. Each day the men ran for approximately eight hours.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
3. In the middle of the day: the men usually stopped running.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
4. They sometimes felt sick because it was so hot.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
5. Sometimes they couldn't see the road because it was windy.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
6. Luckily, they never got lost.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
7. On their trip across the desert: the three men ran through five countries.
A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned
答案与题解：
1. A 文中提到撒哈拉沙漠白天很热晚上有时很冷，所以不是总是很热。题干表述正确。
2. B 文中提到三人每天从早上5点开始跑一直到上午11点，又从下午5点开始跑到晚上9点半，所以总共跑10.5个小时。题干表述不正确。
3. A 文中讲到三人上午11点停下来休息一直到下午5点再继续跑，所以在一天的中午，他们停止跑步。题干表述正确。
4. A 原文中讲到高温使他们生病。所以题干表述正确。
5. A 文中提到有时刮起大风导致他们什么也看不到，所以他们会因为起风而看不到路。题干表述正确。
6. B 文中最后一段讲到他们有一次迷路了，所以不是从来没有迷路。题干表述不正确。
7. C 文中只提到他们挎越沙漠的长度，并没有提到穿过几个国家。所以，题干表述文中没有提到。
第六篇 Native American Pottery
There are several American Indian groups in the Southwest that still make beautiful pottery. Someof this pottery may be sold at fairly high prices. But the makers consider their work as more than a commercial enterprise. By using methods handed downfor generations, the potters express their pride in their cultural inheritance.
Some of the most interesting pottery is made by the Pueblo Indians. There are 21 individual pueblos in Arizona and New Mexico. Several are famous for their make a pot, these potters use a clay base and add long thin coils of clay toit in a spiral pattern. When they have reached the size they want, they use an implement such as a rock or shell to smooth the surfaces of the pot.
How a pot is decorated and fired depends on the traditions of the group making it. Traditional pottery produced by the Acoma, who have lived for centuries on a high mesa in NewMexico, is first painted with a clay slip. The resulting pots: which are prizedfor their delicacy and strength, may be left white. They may also be painted with black and white patterns or with a combination of black, orange, and brown.
Very distinctive black pottery comes from the San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pueblos. The black coloris the result of carbon being released from the animal manure in which the potis fired. Some artisans hand –rub this ware to a shiny gloss. Others cut patterns into it: resulting in a part shiny: part fiat surface. Potters at SailIldefonso make many types of wares. Potters at Santa Clara are especially known for wedding jars-jars with two necks connected by a handle.
Other groups such as the Hopi and the Cochiti also make pottery. Each group uses distinctive methods and produces distinctive forms and designs.
词汇：
pottery n. 陶器
distinctive adj. 特别的，有特色的
enterprise n. 事业，产业，实业
inheritance n. 遗产
manure n. 肥料，粪肥
craftsmanship n. 手艺
artisan n. 精美，精致
注释：
1.... handed down for generations… ……世代相传……
2.…hand-rub this ware to a shiny gloss… ……亲手揉搓罐子表面，使它光泽平滑……
练习：
the first paragraph the word “commercial” means_________.
ng to do with advertising products on TV
ng to do with advertising products on TV
e- scale
stic
second paragraph in the passage is developed mainly through_________.
s in a process
ription of objects
telling of a story
ples
Sail Ildefonso pueblo is known for_________.
k pottery
ing jars
and delicate shapes
k, brown, and orange pots
itional methods of making pottery_________.
