自然地理类 知识点题库

    Known as the mother river by all the Chinese people. the Huanghe River(Yellow River) is the second longest river in China after the Changjiang River. It is 5,464 kilometers long. It starts from the Kunlun Mountains, northwestern Qinghai Province. It runs through nine provinces and flows to Bohai Sea in Shandong Province. The first appearance of the name" Yellow River" is in The Book of Han. The word "yellow" describes the color of the muddy water in the lower course (下游) of the river.

On Thursday, scientists in Indonesia announced the discovery of a special frog (青蛙) that has no lungs (肺) and takes breath through its skin. Researchers believe that the little animal could provide some information about how environment can cause some animals to change so greatly over time.

The frog was found by a scientific research team in a faraway part of Indonesia last summer. And the team was led by David Bickford, a biologist at the National University of Singapore. The special animal is the world's first known lungless frog species (物种). Only a few amphibians have been found lungless. "These are about the most ancient and bizarre frog you can get on the earth." Bickford says.

Frogs' living environment has been polluted by chemicals from farming. And the team believes it's possible that the frog may have changed in order to move fast, and stay alive in the cold and oxygen-poor rivers in which it lives. The team adds that this "extreme change" was probably necessary to make the frog lose the ability to float (漂浮). That way, it could avoid being swept down the mountain rivers.

Scientists say that the new discovery has made it more important to protect the frog's river living environment. In the last few years, illegal (非法的) tree cutting and gold mining have caused the once-clean waters to turn brown with pollution.

"The gold mining is completely illegal and small size," Bickford says. "But when there are thousands of them on the river, it really has a great influence. Very soon the frog will be out of the river."

    The weather is closely related(有联系的) to our life. It is all around1all the time. It is an important part of our2. We can't control(控制) it, but it often controls how and3we live, what to do, what we wear and what we eat. Read this passage and learn4about the weather.

    What is the weather? The weather is just the state of the atmosphere(大气层)5any time, such as temperature, wind,6,sun, etc.

    What7the weather change? As we know, not every place on the earth gets the same amount of sunlight. Some places get8sunlight. So it's warmer in those places. Some places get little9no sunlight in winter. Then those places have lower temperatures. These differences in temperature make the air and water10around the earth. The movement helps to take the heat energy from the sun across the earth. So the11changes.

    What's the12between weather and climate(气候)? The climate is a place's weather over a long time. The weather changes from day to day and13from hour to hour. It can be14in the morning，cold and wet in the afternoon. But the climate changes very15over lots of years.

    Canada is a wonderful country in North America. It's the second largest country in the world after Russia. In 2012 the population of Canada was around 35 ,0000. Canada's flag(国旗) has a maple leaf(枫叶) because there are many maple trees 1n the country. Toronto is the biggest city in Canada. In Toronto you can see the CN Tower. It is 553 metres high--the tallest building in Canada.

    Canada has two official(官方的) languages- English and French. Every Canadian child studies both languages at school. The French-speaking Canadians mainly live in Quebec. The native(土著的) Canadians are the Inuit (once called “Eskimos"). Many still live in the cold places in the north. They follow more traditional ways of living.

    Canada is one of the most popular places in the world. Lots of people travel there each year. There are many interesting things to see and to do. The Niagara Falls is the most famous. The waterfalls are between the US and Canada. The Canadian part of the falls is 49 metres high- higher and more exciting than the American part. Lots of people around the world come to see the Niagara Falls every year.

Do you know something about tree rings (年轮)？Do you know they can tell us what the weather was like even hundreds of years ago?

A tree will grow well in a climate (气候) with lots of sunshine and rainfall (雨量) And little sunshine or rainfall will limit (限制) the growth of a tree. We can see the change of climate by studying the tree rings. For example, to find out the weather of ten years ago, count (数) the rings of a tree from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the eleventh ring, then we're sure that it was sunny and rainy most of that year. If it is close to the eleventh ring, then the climate that year was bad.

Tree rings are important not only for studying the history of weather but also for studying the history of man. Many centuries ago there lived a lot of people at a place in New Mexico. But now you can find only sand but no trees, no people. What happened?

A scientist studied the rings of the dead trees there. He found that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees to make fires and buildings. Because all the trees had gone, the people there had to move.

    Tsunami (海啸): Killer Wave

    The warnings are few. The signs are sudden. The ground shakes. The tide goes into reverse. A great roaring sound fills the air. And then… It strikes. Wave after wave of crashing, crushing water. And when it is over, nothing is left. A tsunami.

    The word in Japanese means "harbor wave". Japan has been hit by many tsunamis in its history, as a result of its location. It lies across the edges of4 tectonic plates (地光板块). Most earthquakes are born in such places. When two tectonic plates push together, the earthquake sends enormous amounts of energy up through the ocean. A series of waves expands in all directions. In deep water, these waves travel fast — up to 500 miles an hour — but reach a height of only a few feet. A passing ship may not even notice them. But as the waves enter shallow waters and come into contact with the ocean floor, their speed is reduced but their height is raised. As they move onto land, the waves can rise as high as a 10-story building.

    A tsunami wave doesn't break like an ordinary wave. Instead, it advances like a wall of water, crashing over everything in its way, sometimes reaching more than a kilometer inland. More damage is caused when the wave moves back out to sea. It drags everything in its path underwater and out to sea. Most tsunamis have several waves. They arrive between 10 and 60 minutes after the first strike — just when survivors think the danger has passed.

    The deadliest tsunami ever recorded occurred in December of 2004. An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia caused a tsunami that rushed across the Indian Ocean and reached as far as the coast of Africa. Whole sections of cities were destroyed. More than 200,000 people died.

    Most had no way of being warned. Five thousand miles away in Hawaii, scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center monitor the earth's movements 24 hours a day. They hope to prevent a similar disaster from happening in the Pacific region. If they discover a quake big enough to cause a tsunami, the scientists try to find out where the wave will head and warn people in its path. Their advice is simple: leave the coastal areas and move to higher ground. Wait for news that the danger has passed. And be ready to deal with the damage that a tsunami leaves behind.

Cycads(苏铁) grow in warm places. They are tall and green all year round. Their leaves grow on the top and flowers seldom come out. Some have bright orange fruit. They usually need hundreds of years to grow into adult plants.

Cycads are facing problems now. In South Africa, the situation of cycads is getting terrible, but this has drawn little attention from the public. "In fact, there are 38 kinds of cycads in South Africa. Among them,2 kinds have disappeared since 2003 and 25 kinds are in great danger, " said a gardener. "Do you know what the loneliest plant is in the world？It is Wood's Cycad. Someone found it in a forest in 1895. It is the only one of its kind. "

So what causes cycads to be in danger? Surprisingly, the danger is from the people who love them most. These slow－growing adult cycads even sell for tens of thousands of dollars each. As time goes by, they have become a symbol of wealth and position(地位) in society. This makes cycad lovers want to own more. Cycad lovers buy and plant them in their private gardens. As a result, nearly all these cycads die because the living conditions have changed.

Recently, South African government has taken action to protect cycads from being stolen and traded. At the same time, people around the world should also work together to protect the plants.

    Canada is a huge place, and it's about 4,600 km from north to1and 5, 500 km from east to west. It's the2largest country in size in the world (Russia being the largest),3only 0.5% of the worlds population live there.

    In some ways Canada is many nations in one. About half of Canadians have their roots (根) in Britain and France. The First Nations (第一民族) make up only about 4% of the4. Although it is cold and5, some of them still live on their traditional lands, where they hunt(打猎) and fish for 6. Many others have moved to cities across Canada.

    Canada is home to lots of wonderful7animals，from bears, wolves and mountain lions to smaller animals like rabbits. The country's lakes and rivers are full 8fish.

    Canadians work hard to9wild animals, and the country has 41 national (国家的) parks. However, some species (物种) like wolves and Atlantic fish are 10because of overhunting and overfishing by humans.

Like most kids, Landon Kenstrick, 5 years old, has a favorite animal. However, his favorite animal is quite different from other kids'. He loves pangolins.

Pangolins have small heads and long, broad tails. They are toothless. They have small ears, but their hearing is good.

Their sense of smell is well-developed, too. But their sight is poor. When they feel frightened, they roll up into a ball to protect themselves. "My favorite thing about the pangolin is the scales (鳞片)it has on its body. They look cool, "Landon said.

Landon first learned about pangolins from a TV show, Wild Kratts. Knowing that pangolins are facing the danger of dying out, Landon quickly decided to take action to protect them. He wanted to tell everyone he knew about them. On Halloween, he had his parents carve (雕刻)a pangolin into their pumpkin (南瓜), so that when people asked what it was, he could tell them all about his favorite animal. When Christmas came around, Landon had only one wish: to save the pangolins. His parents had him "adopt (领养)" a pangolin in Landon's name. They also came up with a good idea. They helped Landon make Christmas gifts to sell to help raise money for the pangolins at a market. So far, he has raised $ 400.

If you think a 5-year-old boy is too young to save the pangolins, you'd be wrong. Landon told us nobody's too young to save anything.

The following is adapted from a promotional film about Yancheng.

There are many unsolved mysteries in life even though science, technology, and research have come a very long way. Let's enjoy the following unsolved mysteries.

Stonehenge, a rock circle, is (不仅) one of Britain's most famous historical places but also one of its greatest mysteries. Every year it 'receives (超过) 750,000 visitors. People like to go to this place e in June as they want to see the sun rising on the longest day of the year.

For many years, historians believed Stonehenge was a temple where ancient leaders tried to communicate the gods. However, historian Paul Stoker thinks this can't be true Stonehenge was built so many years ago.

Another popular idea is that Stonehenge might be a kind of calendar. The large stones were put together a certain way. Other people believe the stones have a medical purpose. They think the stones can prevent [rlnɪs] and keep people healthy. No one is sure . Stonehenge was used for, but most agree that the position of the stones must be for a special p . Some think it might be a burial place(墓地) o a place to honor ancestors. Others think it was built to celebrate a victory over an enemy(敌人).

Dongguan is a modern city. Now you can enjoy your life comfortably and conveniently (方便地)in Dongguan. If you want to shopping, you have many choices. There are many shopping malls in the city center and every town in Dongguan, such as Wanda Plaza, One Mall, One City and so on. You can shop in one of all day and find almost everything there. Of all the shopping malls, I think Wanda Plaza is the most convenient it is the closest to the subway stations. There are a lot of wonderful and you can enjoy your meals there.

As for movie theaters, I think Bingo Cinema is the best. You can the newest movies there. Bingo Cinema has the most comfortable seats. It has the biggest screens (屏幕).

One more thing l want to introduce for you is Dongguan's cafes. You can have not only fresh coffee and juice, but also yummy cakes and bread there. They are fantastic places to enjoy afternoon tea. Among them. Starbucks from the US is the most with people. Many people like to go to Starbucks for coffee. Because it gives them good services. Some singers from foreign countries sing beautiful in the bar. Many people like to deal with the business, spend time friends or even just do some reading in this kind of situation. Dongguan is a fantastic city. People can find what they want easily and have good time in Dongguan.

Lizzie's diary from Antarctica (南极洲)

Day 3: Tuesday December 2

We planned to go to Rothera that morning. We'd be staying there for the next two weeks. Because Antarctica is the windiest place on the earth, sometimes you can't fly at all.

We had a nervous wait over breakfast to find out if we'd be leaving that day. People have to stay in Stanley for weeks while the pilots wait for good weather.

It turned clear at 9:30 and we took off at 10:30 on a little red plane called a Dash-7. But even when we were in the air, there was still a chance we wouldn't be able to fly the whole day.

Day 4: Wednesday December 3

After waking up in the Antarctic for the first time today I can understand why everybody who comes here falls in love with the place. It is really beautiful.

We're staying at Rothera Survey Base with mountains of ice all around. It's about -2℃ today, which for me is very cold, but I often see the regulars (常客) here walking around in T-shirts.

Day 5: Thursday December 4

I woke up to another beautiful sunny day here in the Antarctic. I'm told it's a bit colder today, about -1℃, but it's not very windy so it feels warmer. Those of us who are new to the base have to do a special training course before we're allowed to go off base to other stations or to go snowboarding over the nearby hill.

Day 7: Saturday December 6

Not a cloud in the sky and it's warm enough to sit outside (in a jacket).

The most amazing thing about this place is how the scenery（风景）changes every day. At first, I thought I was going mad. I'd step outside in the morning and think," I'm sure that big mountain of ice wasn't there yesterday." It's because the sea ice is always moving—slowly thankfully!

The world is full of wonders, only if we open our eyes to see them. Millions of people around the world have been working together to honor the wonders in the nature. , The final list of the New Seven Wonders of Nature finally came out. Let's take a look at some.

◆The Amazon Rainforest

Stretch across nine different countries. A single hectare(1, 000 m')of Amazon rainforest contains about 900 tons of living plants, including more than 750 types of trees and l, 500 other plants.

This is because its plants continuously recycle carbon dioxide into oxygen. About 20 percent of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.

◆Komodo National Park, Indonesia

The park is home to the endangered Komodo dragon, which can be as long as three meters and weigh over 70kg.

No wonder that one of the most popular tourist activities in the park is scuba diving (戴水肺潜水).

◆Table Mountain, South Africa

 People say that it's as if the gods themselves put this mountain into place so they could drink and eat on it. The gods even have tablecloth— the cloud over the top of the mountain.

Round eyes, round head, round ears, round body! What is this lovely little animal?

He looks like a bear. But he is not a bear. He's a KOALA.

People in Australia love koalas and take care of them. They have set up places for them to live safely. No one can kill them for their pretty fur(毛皮). When a koala is born, he has no fur. And he is not as big as your little toe (脚趾)!The mother koala has a pocket in the front of her body. The baby goes into this warm pocket. There he stays for six months.

The koala could not live without a special kind of tree. The tree gives him both his home and his food. For most of the day the koala sleeps in the tree.

At night the koala looks for food. He may go miles to find it. He likes only the bark(树皮)and the leaves of the tree. He eats nothing else. And he eats more than two pounds each night!

How lovely the koalas really are!

If you look up at the night sky from a busy city street, you'll see a few stars shining brightly. Do the same thing in the countryside or from a mountaintop, and you'll see a lot more of them. Just how many stars are there in space? You could try counting them yourself if you want, but it's probably a better idea to ask the experts at the European Space Agency (ESA). It has come up with its own estimates (估计) on the number of stars in our universe (宇宙).

According to the ESA, there could be as many as 1022 to 1024 stars in the universe. However, this is only an estimate. Remember that Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity tells that time is not continuous. So experts might be counting stars and galaxies (星系) that disappeared a long time ago.

This number includes stars that are much larger than our sun, and others that are much smaller. It considers trillions (万亿) of galaxies that are spread out across our universe. Some of these galaxies are considered to be Dwarf Galaxies because they have as few as 10 million stars. Others are Giant Galaxies because they have more than a trillion stars.

The ESA estimate also includes the Milky Way, and it is our home galaxy. According to ESA scientists, it is made up of at least 100 billion stars. In fact, our sun is a medium-sized star in it. It is a member of the white cloud of stars which can sometimes be seen across a moonless night sky.

Many stars have planets around them. In fact, some scientists believe that there are as many planets as stars out there. Perhaps there is life on these planets, just waiting to be discovered. If that's it, maybe there are a few alien scientists who can give us an exact answer about the number of stars in the universe.

Earthquakes always happens suddenly, so it is difficult to warn people about them. Usually people have little or no idea about what to do during an earthquake. The following advice may help you.

If you are inside a building, remember not to jump out of high buildings. You can hide under a table and stay away from windows. Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Be brave and be helpful, especially when you are with other people.

If you're in a lift, try to get out at the nearest floor when it stops shaking, but be sure you're safe.  

Move away from buildings when you are outdoors. Don't stand near street lights or under power lines. Be careful of falling rocks when you are in the mountains. Run away from the sea and move quickly to a higher ground.

 We are students from Thailand, and we want （ save） the elephants. The elephant is one of Thailand's （ symbol）. It is a symbol of good luck. Some elephants can play soccer and musicthey are smart animals. People say that "an elephant never （forget） ". Elephants can walk for a long time and never get（lose）. But they aregreat danger. People cut down trees so elephants are （lose） their homes. There（be） only about 3000 elephants now. We must （save） the trees and not buy things （ make） of ivory.