2016年托?？荚嚶犃?fù)習(xí)材料5

托福聽力背景知識：尼亞加拉瀑布

尼亞加拉瀑布(Niagara Falls)位于加拿大和美國交界的尼亞加拉河中段地區(qū)，有著世界七大奇景之一的美譽。尼亞加拉瀑布其實不是一個瀑布。有人說它由兩個瀑布組成，“加拿大瀑布”和“美國瀑布”--加拿大人多半這么說;如照美國人的說法，則是3個瀑布：“馬蹄瀑布”(Horseshoe Falls，就是“加拿大瀑布”，它狀如馬蹄)、“美國瀑布”(American Falls)和“新娘面紗瀑布”(Bridal Veil Falls)。

“新娘面紗”在寬闊的“美國瀑布”旁邊，盡管只細細一縷，卻自成一支，所以美國人“宣告”了它的“獨立”。 尼亞加拉的三條瀑布流面寬達1160米(如果加上兩個島嶼，寬可達1240米)，雖然分成三股，卻是同一水源，同一歸宿--尼亞加拉河。

Niagara Falls comprises three distinct cataracts. The tallest are the American and Bridal Veil falls on the American side, separated by tiny Luna Island and plunging over jagged rocks in a 180ft drop; the broad Horseshoe Falls which curve their way over to Canada are probably the most impressive. They date back a mere twelve thousand years, when the retreat of melting glaciers allowed water trapped in Lake Erie to gush north to Lake Ontario. Back then the falls were seven miles downriver, but constant erosion has cut them back to their present site. The falls are colorfully lit up at night, and many say they're most beautiful in winter, when the grounds are covered in snow and the waters turn to ice.

The best views on the American side are from the Prospect Point Observation Tower (daily; 50￠), and from the area at its base where the water rushes past; Terrapin Point on Goat Island in the middle of the river has similar views of Horseshoe Falls. The nineteenth-century tightrope-walker Blondin crossed the Niagara repeatedly near here, and even carried passengers across on his back; other suicidal fools over the years have taken the plunge in barrels. One survivor among the many fatalities was the Englishman Bobby Leach, who went over in a steel barrel in July 1911 and had to spend the rest of the year in hospital. That practice has since been banned (though a couple of maniacs did it in summer 1995 and came away with minor bruises), for reasons which become self-evident when you approach the towering cascade on the not-to-be-missed Maid of the Mist boat trip from the foot of the observation tower (summer Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm; $8.50; 716/284-4233).

以上就是托福聽力背景知識：尼亞加拉瀑布，大家可以整理其中的陌生詞匯及句型，以及相關(guān)的歷史知識，在托福聽力考場上遇到此類問題的時候，你一定會感到驚喜。

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