高三英語課文
Unit 13 The USA
1 . The first settlers on the plains of America were Native Americans.美洲平原上的首批定居者是美洲土著人。
2 . While early settlers had killed bison for food, now the killing became more widespread.早期的殖民者只是以殺野牛為食，這時屠宰野牛就更為廣泛了。
3 . Thus Ellis Island became known as the Island of Tears.想要進入美國的人都必須經過多次的智力測驗和體格檢查，大約有200萬人不准入境。因此，埃利斯島被人們稱為「眼淚島」。
4 . Settlers made agreements with Native American cheifs but always broke them afterwards.殖民者同美洲土著人的首領達成了協議，但是這些協議隨後總是被撕毀。
5 . There is a zoo, an art museum, a boating lake, a smaller lake for model boats and, in winter, an ice-skating area.還有一個動物園、一座藝術博物館，一個供人划船用的湖。另有一個比較小的湖，供人們玩模型船艇，冬天就成為滑冰場。
6 . In 1626 the island of Manhattan was bought from local Indians, Native Americans, for a handful of goods worth about $24.曼哈頓島是於1626年從當地的印第安人（即美洲土著人）手中買來的，只花了價值約為24美元的為數不多的貨物
7 . It was an important part of Native American's existence.野牛是美洲土著人賴以生活的重要部分。
8 . They killed the bison, cut off the skins and left the bodies behind to rot.他們把野牛殺死剝皮，屍體就任其腐爛。
9 . The first westerner to discover these islands was an Italian explorer in 1524.首次發現這些島嶼的西方人是一位意大利探險家，時間是1524年。
10 . The Native Americans caught and trained them and were then able to use them to carry their goods when they travelled from one camping ground to another.美洲土著人捕捉野馬，加以馴服。
11 . Today Native Americans express their anger over this business deal.今天，美國的土著人對這樁買賣仍然憤憤不平。
12 . When they objected, they were killed.他們反抗時就被殺害。
13 . Between 1850 and 1910 the bison population is thought to have fallen from 60 million to just a few hundred.人們認為，在1850年到1910年之間，野牛的頭數從6，000萬頭降到只有幾百頭了。
14 . The killing of the bison changed the whole wildlife of the plains. With fewer bison, grass shoots were not eaten, so grass did not grow as strongly.屠宰野牛改變了平原的全部野生生物。野牛少了，嫩草沒有牛來吃了，草就長得不粗壯。
15 . New York never sleeps.紐約是一座不眠的城市。
16 . Soon there were many wild horses across the country.不久，鄉間就有了許多野馬。
17 . The underground railway runs 24 hours a day, and there are all-night cinemas, bars and restaurants.地鐵一天24小時不停地運營。還有通宵電影院、酒吧間和餐館。
18 . From the top of it, you could see up to a distance of 130 kilometres on a clear day.在晴朗的日子裡，從樓的頂層你可以看到130公里遠的地方。
19 . This is because the surface of the earth is not flat but round.因為地球表面不是平的，而是圓的。
20 . It is thought that they arrived more than 30,000 years ago by crossing a land bridge from Asia to America.他們被認為是在3萬多年以前從亞洲跨越一座陸橋來到美洲的。
21 . After the War of Independence ended, New York became the capital of the USA for a short time (1789-90) before Washington, D.C.獨立戰爭結束以後，在華盛頓成為首都之前，紐約市曾經一度是美國的首都，不過時間很短（1789-90）。
22 . This in turn had an effect on the food supply for wolves.這樣又影響了狼的食物供應。
23 . Bones were carved into needles and tools, and the teeth were used to make necklaces.骨頭則雕琢成針和工具，牙齒用來作項鏈。
24 . The towers are further apart at the top than at the base, but this is no mistake.兩座塔樓的樓頂之間的距離比樓底之間的距離要大一些，但是這並不是錯誤。
25 . They also hunted and killed wild animals.他們還獵殺野獸。
26 . There was less food for birds and also for the prairie dog, a kind of animal which lives in holes in the ground.供鳥類吃的食物少了，供草原犬鼠（一種生活在地洞裡的動物）吃的食物也少了。
27 . New York is built on a group of islands on the east coast of the USA at a point where several rivers flow into the ocean.紐約市建立在美國東海岸的一群島嶼上，那兒是好幾條河流入海的交匯點。
28 . Fierce wars between Native Americans and European settlers broke out.美洲土著人和歐洲殖民者之間發生了激烈的戰爭。
29 . There is space for summer picnics, open-air concerts, plays and games.這兒有空曠的地方，供作夏日野餐、露天音樂會、各種娛樂和競賽之用。
30 . Officials used to have trouble with the foreign names of people passing through Ellis Island, and because they were so busy, many people's names got changed in the rush.官員們過去總是搞不清埃利斯島過境人員的外國姓名，因為他們非常繁忙，所以在過境的人蜂擁而至的時候，許多人的姓名都被更改了。
31 . Today Ellis Island is a museum, showing the roots of America's new citizens, who came from all the corners of the earth.今天，埃利斯島成了一座博物館，展示著來自世界各地的美國新公民的根源。
32 . The skins were used for making tents and water containers.還可以用野牛皮製作帳蓬和裝水的容器。
33 . The bison skins were sent by rail to cities to be sold.野牛皮用火車運到城裡出售。
34 . It has 102 storeys and 73 lifts.有102層樓，有電梯73部。
35 . It was also thought that by removing their main supply of food, the Native Americans would be forced to give in.當時還有人認為，斷掉了主要的食物來源，土著人就會被迫屈服。
36 . The building of skyscrapers in New York began around the year 1900.在1900年左右，摩天樓開始在紐約興建。
37 . By 1820 the population of New York had grown to about 125,000, making it the largest city in the USA.到1820年，紐約市的人口增長到12。5萬人左右，使它成了當時美國最大的城市。
38 . From 1830 onwards in the USA and from about 1870 in Canada, settlers began to move westwards and to take possession of the plains as their own.美國自1830年起，加拿大從1870年左右起，殖民者開始向西遷移，並把平原據為己有。
39 . The settlers built railways across the plains and began to hunt even more bison.殖民者在平原上修起了鐵路，於是開始獵取更多的野牛。
40 . Bison waste no longer fell on the ground to improve the soil, which as a result became less good for growing plants.地上不再有野牛的糞便來改良土壤，結果對於植物生長土壤變得不夠肥沃了。
41 . Thus one simple fact, a change in the number of bison, had an effect on the whole wildlife chain of the plains.因此，出現了這樣一個簡單的事實--野牛數目換的變化對平原的整個野生生物鏈都產生了影響。
42 . The World Trade Center, an office building for over 1200 firms employing about 50,000 people, is even higher at 411 metres.世界貿易中心要高得多，有411米。它是一座辦公大樓，樓裡有1，200多家公司，大約有5萬僱員。
43 . The ground supported fewer plants, and the insects which lived on these plants died out.地上長的植物少了，生活在這些植物上的昆蟲就消亡了。
44 . The twin towers are 110 storeys high, but high-speed lifts controlled by computer take only a minute to reach the top.這座雙塔式大樓有110層高，而由電腦控制的高速電梯只需一分鐘就可以到達塔頂。
45 . Some people think that the weather is unpleasant, the city ugly and dirty, the competition fierce and the streets unsafe.有些人認為，這兒的氣候不佳，市容醜陋骯髒，競爭激烈，街上不安全。
46 . In 1892 the age of mass arrivals began, during which 15 million new people passed through Ellis Island into the USA over a period of 62 years.1892年開始了一個國外移民大量湧入的年代，在隨後的62年中，有1，500萬新來的人通過埃利斯島進入美國。
47 . Around the year 1600 the first horses were brought to the American continent by the Spanish.大約在1600年的時候，西班牙人把第一批馬匹帶來美洲大陸。
48 . In this way Native Americans were forced onto poor land that the settlers did not want.就這樣，美洲土著人被趕到殖民者所不要的貧瘠的土地上去了。
49 . Bison were killed for their meat, while their fur provided warm clothing during cold winters.他們殺野牛，吃野牛肉，用野牛毛皮製成冬季御寒的衣服。
50 . Large groups of Native Americans were forced to move away form their old hunting grounds.成批成批的美洲土著人被迫從他們原來的狩獵場遷走。