They say that Mexico is a country no one ever leaves. Every year, millions of tourists pass through. And Mexicans happily warn that a part of them will remain behind forever. Most visitors are vacationing North Americans who go up on the brilliant beaches of Cancun, Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. The beaches, of course, are among the world’s best ----but those who venture (冒險) inland are rewarded with the true soul of Mexico.
And it is a big soul. The Republic of Mexico is vast, consisting of nearly two million square miles of coastline, desert, rain forest, mountains, and rich plains. From the American borderlands of the wide, agriculturally rich north, the country narrows gently as it sweeps south and east. The two main mountain ranges(山脊), the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental, hug the west and east, finally merging(融入) into the volcanically active central highlands and the capital, Mexico City - the most populous city in the world. Further south, the country narrows to only 100 miles, then broadens again before reaching the Guatemalan border. There are two major peninsulas (半島) in Mexico: the Baja Peninsula to the west and the Yucatan peninsular to the east.
The population is about 106 million. and the generosity (慷慨大方) of the Mexican people is
unsurpassed. Knowing a few simple sentences in Spanish will win hearts.
Mexico has been blessed with an unusually temperate (適度的) climate year-round. The most important thing to remember is that the Mexican summer is also the rainy season, although the rain rarely lasts more than a few hours, and typically arrives in the late afternoon. Extremes(極端)are present only in the North and in Baja, both of which have deserts where the temperature leaps above 100F. Mexico City has a year-round temperature in the high 80s. while the coasts usually stay in the mid-90s. Night time temperatures fall somewhat, but rarely break down below a comfortable 60F.
小題1:All of the following are names of beaches EXCEPT ___________ .
A.Puerto Vallarta | B.Cancun | C.Guatemalan | D.Mazatlan |
小題2:The Republic of Mexico _________.
A.has two peninsulas altogether |
B.has a population of about 106 million |
C.has more than 2 million square miles of coastline |
D.has two main mountain ranges going from west to east |
小題3:The underlined word "unsurpassed" in the 3rd paragraph probably means”
".
A perfect B. false C. ancient D. out of date
小題4:You may suffer extreme temperatures if you go to ___________. .
A.the east | B.the west | C.the south | D.the north |
小題5:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Geography. | B.History. | C.Language. | D.Climate. |