20090507 Yosemite National Park (2)

Yosemite National Park

Wawona and Mariposa Grove

Approximately 36 miles south of Yosemite Valley, sightseers will find Wawona, home to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. There, visitors learn about Yosemite's human history as well as its influence on national parks worldwide. Log cabins, a covered bridge and the 19th-century Wawona Hotel (with no phones or televisions) make park guests feel as if they've stepped back in time. Not far from Wawoman lies Mariposa Grove, a grove of 500 enormous, ancient sequoias. The oldest tree in the grove, named "Grizzly Giant," is estimated to be around 2,000 years old.


Learn, play and explore

The park offers a variety of educational programs, including photography walks, art classes and ranger-led bear and geology strolls. An abundance of other activities awaits visitors, including bird watching, rafting, biking, fishing and rock climbing.
For a more relaxed experience, the park also offers guided tram or bus tours, including an eight-hour grand tour. Naturalist John Muir, whose campaign to preserve the area led to the park's creation, once wrote, "No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite." It is this divine beauty that lures people from around the world to this national park.


approximately adv. 大概地
-> almost exactly
eg: The movie lasted approximately two and half hours.
eg: Approximately 20,000 fans came to this band's concert.
eg: The treatment will take approximately 6 months.]

approximate adj.
eg: The approximate cost of replacing this flat tire is $75.

grove n. 樹叢/小樹林
-> a group of tree

abundance n. 豐富/充裕(大多數用單數)
eg: There was an abundance of food at the birthday party. It was too much for us to finish.
eg: This country has an abundance of natural resources.
eg: There was food and drink in abundance at the BBQ party.

abundant adj.
eg: an abundant supply of electricity 電力充分的供應

raft v. 用筏子運載
-> go down the river in a raft
eg: During our weekend camping trip, we went mountain climbing and river rafting (泛舟).
eg: The workers rafted their equipment down the river.

raft v.泛舟
eg: All the adventurers put on life-jacket before they started rafting.

naturalist n.
eg: We learned about several famous naturalist in my biology class.

geology n. 地質學
-> the study of the earth and the land

lure v. 誘惑
eg: The price also lures students.


//== More Info ==//

Wildlife in Yosemite Park guests should keep in mind that wild animals including -- blacks bears and grizzly bears -- roam freely in Yosemite. Yosemite's bears once ruled the region but are now declining in number due to the human pressure. Visitors are required to store food in bear-resistant containers, because bears that grow to rely on people food often become a threat and so - sadly - end up getting killed.


//== Chat room ==//

grand tour 完整的導覽
(第一次去朋友的新家，可要求朋友給一個grand tour)
-> here grand means "including all aspects"
eg: Give me the grand tour.

grand total
-> the total cost of something

grand total of the wedding

in the grand scheme of things 大局/大的方針


grand -> a thousand dollars (口語用法)(複數仍為grand)
eg: He paid 50 grand for that painting.