The National Park Service
America's national parks are like old friends. You may not see them for years at a time, but just knowing they're out there makes you feel better. Hearing the names of these famous old friends -Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon -revives memories of visits past and promotes dreams of those still to come.
From Acadia to Zion, 369 national parks are part of a continually evolving system. Ancient fossil beds, Revolutionary War battlefields, magnificent mountain ranges, and monuments to heroic men and women who molded this country are all a part of our National Park System (NPS). The care and preservation for future generations of these special places is entrusted to the National Park Service. Uniformed Rangers, the most visible representatives of the Service, not only offer park visitors a friendly wave, a helpful answer, or a thought-provoking history lesson, but also are skilled rescuers, firefighters, and dedicated resource protection professionals. The National Park Service ranks also include architects, historians, archaeologists, biologists, and a host of other experts who preserve and protect everything from George Washington's teeth to Thomas Edison's wax recording.
Modern society has brought the National Park Service both massive challenges and enormous opportunities. Satellite and computer technologies are expanding the educational possibilities of a national park beyond its physical boundaries. Cities struggling to revive their urban cores are turning to the Park Service for expert assistance to preserve their cultural heritage, thirsty for recreational outlets are also working with the NPS to turn abandoned railroad tracks into bike and hiking trails, as well as giving unused federal property new life as recreation centers.
To help meet these challenges and take advantage of these opportunities, the National Park Service had formed partnerships - some dating back 100 years, some only months old - with other agencies, state and local governments, corporations, American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives, Park Friends groups, cooperating associations, private organizations, community groups and individuals who share the National Park ethic.
National Park Week 1996 is a celebration of these partnerships.
词汇：
revive 重新唤起，重新记起；苏醒，复苏 fossil 化石的
promote 促成，促进；晋升，提升 evolve 演化；使逐步形成
range 山地；山脉 entrust 委托管理；委托
ranger 国家公园管理员，国有森林护林员 core 中心；核心
trail 小道，小径 ethic 道德规范，伦理标准
注释：
1.Your may not see them for years at a time，but just knowing they're out there makes you feel better：你可能几年都见不到它们一次，但是只要知道它们在那里，你的心情就会比较畅快。注意：may not中的mot可以否定may，也可以否定后面的动词。如否定may，作“不允许”解；如否定后面的动词，做“可能不”解。not是否定may还是其后面的动词，这取决于上下文。在所讨论 的句子中，not否定see。但mayn't没有歧义，只作“不允许”解。at a time：每次，一次。又如：I am away two weeks at a time.我每次外出总要两星期不回家。
2.Yosemite：优山美地国家公园（位于加州中东部）
3.Yellowstone：黄石国家公园（位于怀俄明州西北部）
5.a continually evolving system：一种不断演化的体系
6.…monuments to heroic men and women who molded this country…：……为塑造这个国家而献身的英雄儿女纪念碑……
7.a host of other experts：许多其他的专家
8.pocket park：处于城市建筑群之间的小公园
9.Growing communities thirsty for recreational outlets…：渴望娱乐场所不断发展的社区……
练习：
1. Why are America's national parks like old friends?
A) Because they are always out there.
B) Because they are very old.
C) Because they make people feel better.
D) Because they are very famous.
2. Which of the following statements is true about uniformed rangers?
A) They take tourists to national parks.
B) They always act as tourist guides.
C) They help set up new national parks.
D) They protect the National Park System.
3. The National Park Service does all the following EXCEPT
A) offering help to visitors
B) molding the Nation.
C) keeping people better informed of the National Park System.
D) helping preserve the cultural heritage.
4. What is this passage about?
A) It is about the American National Parks.
B) It is about the National Park Service.
C) It is about the National Park Service partnerships.
D) It is about the care and preservation of the National Parks in America.
5. What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss?
A) The pocket parks in America,
B) The preparations made for the celebration of National Park Week 1996.
C) The work that has been done by the partners.
D) The preservation of national resources in America.
答案与题解：
1.A 第一段第二句实际上回答了这个问题：You may not see them for years at a time, but just knowing they're out there makes you feel better.。你可能几年都见不到它们一次，但是只要知道它们在那里，你的心情就会比较畅快。可以看出，这种感情跟对一个老朋友的感情基本上是一样的。所以，A是正确答案。
2.D 文章第二段中说：Uniformed Rangers, the most visible representatives of the Service, not only offer park visitors a friendly wave, a helpful answer, or a thought-provoking history lesson, but also are skilled rescuers, firefighters, and dedicated resource protection professionals. 穿着制服的公园管理员是公园行政部门最显眼的代表。他们不仅向游客挥手表示欢迎，帮助解答问题，或给他们上一堂启迪思想的历史课，而且也是熟练的救生者、消防员和有奉献精神的资源保护人员。由此可见，D应是正确答案。
3.B 此题答案可用排除法在第二段中找到。…a helpful answer（排除A），a thought-provoking history lesson（排除C），…preserve and protect everything…（排除D），因此只有B是正确答案。
4.B B跟标题一致，标题一般体现的是整篇文章的中心思想，因此B是正确答案。
5.C 此题要求读者预测下一段的内容。文中最后一句说：National Park Week 1996 is a celebration of these partnerships.1996年国家公寓周是这些合作伙伴的一个庆祝会。可以看出，下一段很有可能阐述国家公寓的合作伙伴所做的事。因此，C是正确答案。
译文：国家公园的服务机构
美国国家公园就像老朋友一样，你可能几年都见不到它们一次，但是只要知道它们在那里， 你的心情就会比较畅快。听到这些有名的老朋友的名字：优山美地、黄石、大峡谷国家公园—— 就会唤起对过去游览的记忆或激发起想要到那里游览的激情。
从阿卡迪亚到锡安，369个国家公园是一种不断演化的体系的组成部分。古老的化石床、独 立战争的战场、宏大的山脉、为塑造这个国家而献身的英雄儿女纪念碑，都是我们国家公园体系 的组成部分。为下一代看管和保存这些具有特殊意义的地方的重任落在了国家公园行政部门的肩 上。穿着制服的公园管理员是公园行政部门可以看得见的代表。他们不仅向游客挥手表示欢迎， 帮助解答问题，或给他们上一堂启迪思想的历史课，而且也是熟练的救生员、消防员和有奉献精 神的资源保护人员。国家公园行政部门的人员还包括建筑师、历史学家、考古学家、生物学家和 许多其他的专家。他们负责保存并保护这里的一切，从乔治?华盛顿的牙齿到托马斯》爱迪生的 蜡制唱片。
现代社会为国家公园行政部门带来了巨大的挑战和非常巨大的机会，卫星和计算机技术扩大 了一个国家公园超越其自然界线的教育的可能性。一些城市为使它们的都市中心复苏，正求助于 公园行政部门来保护它们的文化遗产、处于建筑群之间的小公园和绿色空间以及活跃当地的经济 等。渴望娱乐场所不断发展的社区也和国家公园系统一起工作，除将废弃了的铁路线变为自行车 道和人行道之外，还把一些弃置了的设施建成娱乐中心，从而赋予它们新的生命。
为帮助迎接这些挑战和利用这些机会，国家公园行政部门巳和其他机构、州、地方政府、企 业、美印第安部落、阿拉斯加土着、公园友好小组、社区组织和个人结成合作伙伴。这些合作伙 伴有些已经合作了一百年，有些则合作了几个月。
1996国家公园周是这些合作伙伴的一个庆祝会。
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