Winter is a very special time in Northern Norway. Winter also means skiing, and Narvik can offer some of the best skiing in Norway. The view and light change frequently and no two days are the same. For many people, the northern lights are an unforgettable sight, and in Narvik the sky is especially clear and great for watching at night.

The tourist season lasts from February to April, although May can be fascinating too, often with fantastic dry snow and an unbelievable light lasting well into the evening.

Ski hire

It is possible for adults and children to hire skiing equipment such as snowboards. All equipment is prepared for us. If you would like to book your equipment, please email Narvikfjellet.

Cross-country skiing

There are 12 kilometers of cross country ski run in Narvik. You need to bring your own skis as there is no cross-country hire. However, equipment can be bought at local sports shops in and around Narvik.

Off-piste skiing（非場地滑雪）

In order to explore Narvik’s off-piste opportunities you need to know the dangers when choosing routes. It is suggested that you bring necessary equipment such as a shovel（雪鏟）and a GPS locator. Ask Narvikfjellet for an experienced guide. With a guide you can explore Narvik’s special off-piste areas in a safe manner.

Sometimes it is nice to do something different and not everybody enjoys skiing. Then you can go horse-riding, or visit the local museums.

Price examples for the 2013--2014 season

Time                           Children(8-15 years old)       Adults

1 day                                   NOK 230                 NOK 325

3 days                        NOK 590                 NOK 835

5 days                        NOK 815                 NOK 1,170

7 days                        NOK 970                 NOK 1,375

Children 0-7 years can enjoy the service for free

1.. In Northern Norway, the tourist season may last ______.

A. one month             B. two months            C. three months       D. four months

2.. What can we know from the text?

A. Narvik is located in the south of Norway.

B. You are provided with skiing equipment for free.

C. Narvik is only open to adults and children over eight.

D. You can book skiing equipment through the Internet.

3.. When you go off-piste skiing, the following are a must EXCEPT ______.

A. a shovel                           B. a horse          C. a guide           D. a GPS locator        

4.. If Mr. and Mrs. Smith stay in Narvik with their six-year-old daughter for three days in 2013,     they should pay ______.

A. NOK 1,160             B. NOK 1,425              C. NOK 1,670              D. NOK 2,260

5.. You are most likely to find this text in a ______.

A. Travel Guide                                                B. Book Review

C. Medical Report                                           D. Science Textbook

 

Winter is a very special time in Northern Norway. Winter also means skiing, and Narvik can offer some of the best skiing in Norway. The view and light change frequently and no two days are the same. For many people, the northern lights are an unforgettable sight, and in Narvik the sky is especially clear and great for watching at night.

The tourist season lasts from February to April, although May can be fascinating too, often with fantastic dry snow and an unbelievable light lasting well into the evening.

Ski hire

         It is possible for adults and children to hire skiing equipment such as snowboards. All equipment is prepared for us. If you would like to book your equipment, please email Narvikfjellet.

Cross-country skiing

         There are 12 kilometers of cross country ski run in Narvik. You need to bring your own skis as there is no cross-country hire. However, equipment can be bought at local sports shops in and around Narvik.

Off-piste skiing（非場地滑雪）

        In order to explore Narvik’s off-piste opportunities you need to know the dangers when choosing routes. It is suggested that you bring necessary equipment such as a shovel（雪鏟）and a GPS locator. Ask Narvikfjellet for an experienced guide. With a guide you can explore Narvik’s special off-piste areas in a safe manner.

         Sometimes it is nice to do something different and not everybody enjoys skiing. Then you can go horse-riding, or visit the local museums.

Price examples for the 2012--2013 season

Time	Children(8-15years)	Adults
1 day	NOK 230	NOK 325
3 days	NOK 590	NOK 835
5 days	NOK 815	NOK 1,170
7 days	NOK 970	NOK 1,375
Children 0-7 years can enjoy the service for free

1.In Northern Norway, the tourist season may last ______.

A. one month             B. two months            C. three months         D. four months

2.What can we know from the passage?

A. You can book skiing equipment through the Internet.

B. You are provided with skiing equipment for free.

C. Narvik is located in the south of Norway.

D. Narvik is open to adults and children over eight.

3.When you go off-piste skiing, the following are a must EXCEPT ______.

A. a shovel                  B. a horse          C. a guide           D. a GPS locator

4.If Mr. and Mrs. Smith stay in Narvik with their six-year-old daughter for three days in 2012,they should pay ______.

A. NOK 1,160             B. NOK 1,425              C. NOK 1,670              D. NOK 2,260

 

The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis.
Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles—nearly the size of Mongolia—to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
“It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse,” said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. “They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas(熱帶稀缺大草原), coastlines—sensitive and vulnerable places.”
Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. “Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters,” said Seto.
The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. “We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing,” she said. “Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion(轉(zhuǎn)化) to changes in local and regional climate.”
The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world’s urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles—half the size of Ohio.
“This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data,” said Seto. “We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we’re not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world’s largest cities.”
Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. “Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use.”
【小題1】According to the passage, the most dangerous place for city expansion is the _____.

A．forest

B．desert

C．savannas

D．coastline

【小題2】The underlined word “vulnerable” (in Para. 3) probably means “____”.

A．diverse in plants	B．beautiful in scenery
C．easily damaged	D．very productive

【小題3】From Para. 5, we can infer that ____.

A．urbanization is a good way to improve people’s standards of living

B．cities develop very fast and more and more people come to live in cities

C．more and more agricultural farmlands are used to make room for local animals

D．in the past, researchers focused their attention on the expanding urban areas

【小題4】Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their ____.

A．growing population	B．rising middle class
C．unique living patterns	D．economic development

The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis.
Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles—nearly the size of Mongolia—to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
“It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse,” said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. “They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas(熱帶稀缺大草原), coastlines—sensitive and vulnerable places.”
Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. “Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters,” said Seto.
The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. “We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing,” she said. “Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion(轉(zhuǎn)化) to changes in local and regional climate.”
The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world’s urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles—half the size of Ohio.
“This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data,” said Seto. “We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we’re not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world’s largest cities.”
Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. “Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use.”
【小題1】According to the passage, the most dangerous place for city expansion is the _____.

A．forest

B．desert

C．savannas

D．coastline

【小題2】The underlined word “vulnerable” (in Para. 3) probably means “____”.

A．diverse in plants	B．beautiful in scenery
C．easily damaged	D．very productive

【小題3】From Para. 5, we can infer that ____.

A．urbanization is a good way to improve people’s standards of living

B．cities develop very fast and more and more people come to live in cities

C．more and more agricultural farmlands are used to make room for local animals

D．in the past, researchers focused their attention on the expanding urban areas

【小題4】Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their ____.

A．growing population	B．rising middle class
C．unique living patterns	D．economic development

The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis.

Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles—nearly the size of Mongolia—to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.

“It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse,” said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. “They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas(熱帶稀缺大草原), coastlines—sensitive and vulnerable places.”

Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. “Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters,” said Seto.

The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. “We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing,” she said. “Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion(轉(zhuǎn)化) to changes in local and regional climate.”

The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world’s urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles—half the size of Ohio.

“This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data,” said Seto. “We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we’re not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world’s largest cities.”

Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. “Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use.”

1.According to the passage, the most dangerous place for city expansion is the _____.

A．forest            B．desert            C．savannas          D．coastline

2.The underlined word “vulnerable” (in Para. 3) probably means “____”.

A．diverse in plants                        B．beautiful in scenery

C．easily damaged                         D．very productive

3.From Para. 5, we can infer that ____.

A．urbanization is a good way to improve people’s standards of living

B．cities develop very fast and more and more people come to live in cities

C．more and more agricultural farmlands are used to make room for local animals

D．in the past, researchers focused their attention on the expanding urban areas

4.Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their ____.

A．growing population                      B．rising middle class

C．unique living patterns                    D．economic development