Traveling Through Texas 乐游德州
Be sure to allow plenty of time to explore this giant of a state
切记要留足够的时间畅游这个幅员广大的州
September 16
"Everything's bigger in Texas!"
First-time visitors to the "Lone Star State" might think that's just an idle boast until they travel through the state's 266,807 square miles. Where to start is usually the hardest decision as this state offers everything from world championship rodeos to an international space center.
Dallas
Dallas, located in northeastern Texas, is a good jumping-off point since many areas of interest lie south of here. But before you leave town, don't miss its world-class museums and other attractions.
Dallas' most-visited historic site is The Sixth Floor Museum, which chronicles the life, times and tragic assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Fort Worth
Next, grab your cowboy boots and head for the neighboring city of Fort Worth for a taste of Texas history. In the late 1800s, more than four million head of cattle were driven through the city that eventually became nicknamed "Cowtown."
Tour the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame to learn about the heritage of the great cowboy era. As an added bonus, witness America's only daily cattle drive as Texas Longhorns are driven right through the heart of the Stockyards.
「在德州，什麽都以大取胜！」
初次来到孤星州的游客在走访这个面积266,807平方英里的大州之前，或许会觉得这个说法不过是无聊的大话。通常游客最难下的决定在於要从「哪里」出发。从世界锦标级的牛仔竞技秀到一座国际太空中心，这个州可供人参观、玩赏的东西可说是应有尽有。
达拉斯
德州东北部的达拉斯是绝佳的旅游起点，因为许多观光景点都位於达拉斯以南，但在离开此地之前，可别错过当地世界级的博物馆和其他景点喔。
「第六楼博物馆」是达拉斯最常有人造访的历史景点，博物馆记录了美国总统约翰?F?甘乃迪的生平、时代背景和他遇刺的悲惨经过。
沃思堡
接着不妨拎着你的牛仔靴去邻近的沃思堡市品味德州历史风情吧。十九世纪末，超过四百万头牛曾被驱赶过城，後来沃思堡市就被昵称为「牛镇」。
游览「沃思堡牲畜围栏国家历史保护区」和「德州牛仔名人堂」可以让你认识伟大的牛仔年代的历史传承。游客还有一个额外的好处，就是观赏美国唯一的每日赶牛活动，看着德州长角牛被驱赶着通过牲畜围栏区中央。
Word Bank
world-class (adj)世界级的
Don't miss the musical when it comes next month because the actors all give world-class performances.
chronicle (v)记录；记载（历史事件）
The writer chronicles the rise and fall of Roman civilization.
assassination (n)刺杀；暗杀
Americans were shocked when they heard about President Kennedy's assassination.
driven (pp)被驱赶的
In the 1800s, Texas cattle were sometimes driven over 1,000 miles to market.
More Information
rodeo (n)牛仔竞技秀
stockyard (n)（牲畜於贩售或屠宰前暂居的）围栏
Texas Longhorn (n)德州长角牛
Chat Room:
Teaching Topic: Heart Idioms 教學主題： 和心相關的片語
my heart is in my mouth：非常恐惧或害怕
take something to heart = take something seriously：听进去了，牢记在心
wear one's heart on one's sleeve：很公开，毫不掩饰地将自己的心情，感觉说出来
---Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Chat Room. My name is Linda.
---And I'm Ken. We're glad you could join us. So Linda, have you ever had your heart in your mouth?
---Where did you ever hear that?
---At a horror movie. The people sitting next to me said that their hearts were in their mouths in one very scary scene.
---Oh, sure. If you have your heart in your mouth, it means that you're very anxious or scared about something. You know the first time I rode in a car when my son drove, believe me, my heart was in my mouth.
---当你感到非常恐惧或害怕的时候，你可以说my heart is in my mouth，很传神的一个片语，恐惧到心脏都跳到嘴里了。 So were you scared for a long time?
---Well, no, because he soon took to heart what I said and we were fine.
---He took it to heart?
---Yes, it means he took it very seriously. I could tell he took it serious... seriously because he wears his heart on his sleeve.
---How can you wear your heart on your sleeve?
---Well, that means that it's easy to see how someone feels about something.
---Oh, I get it. take something to heart = take something seriously也就是听进去了，牢记在心。wear one's heart on one's sleeve字面上的意思是把心穿在袖子上，意思就是很公开，毫不掩饰地将自己的心情，感觉说出来。
---Well, we need to visit Michelle now. But from the bottom of our hearts, we hope you'll visit us again in Chat Room.
world-class (adj)世界级的
1 The world-class conductor will be performing at the Lincoln center tonight.
这位世界级的指挥今晚会在林肯中心表演。
2 The world-class soprano is now performing in Tokyo.
这位世界顶级的女高音目前在东京演出。
assassination (n)刺杀；暗杀
assassin(n)刺客，凶手；assassinate(v)
1 The assassination of the president shocked the whole nation.
刺杀总统的事件震惊了全国。
driven (pp)被驱赶的
1 The shepherds drove the sheep up the hill.
牧羊人把羊赶到山丘上。
2 The cowboy drove the cows into the barn.
牛仔把牛赶进农舍里。
3 His father's violent behavior drove him to leave home at the very young age.
他父亲残暴的行为逼着他很年轻的时候就离开了家。
September 17
Dinosaur Valley
Seventy miles southwest of Dallas, you can see where dinosaurs once roamed the earth in Dinosaur Valley State Park. The park covers over 1,500 acres and lays claim to some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. Because the tracks are all within a riverbed, they can be viewed most easily when the river is low.
Houston
Approximately 240 miles southeast of Dinosaur Valley is Houston ─ a city you could tour for an entire year and not see everything. Many visitors, though, start out at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The center offers a multitude of exhibits and interactive stations that give visitors the chance to simulate jumping on the moon, landing the shuttle and more.
Austin
Austin, the capital city, about 164 miles northwest of Houston, has been called everything from quirky to eccentric. These days, it's called one of America's most desirable places to live.
A must-see for every visitor is the Texas State Capitol, which at its completion was the seventh largest building in the world. Today, Texans love to brag that it is the largest state capitol and that it is seven feet taller than the national Capitol in Washington, D.C.
恐龙谷
「恐龙谷州立公园」位於达拉斯西南方七十英里之处，你可以在这里目睹恐龙曾经漫游之地。公园占地超过一千五百英亩，号称拥有一些世界上保留最完好的恐龙足迹。由於所有的足迹都位於一条河床内，河水水位降低时，最可以轻易欣赏得到。
休士顿
休士顿位在「恐龙谷」东南方约两百四十英里处，你在这里玩上一整年，都还无法尽览休城风光。不过许多游客选择从「美国太空总署」的「詹森太空中心」开始玩起。这个中心设有为数众多的展览品和互动站，给访客一个机会模拟在月亮上跳跃、降落太空梭和其他体验。
奥斯汀
首府奥斯汀在休士顿西北方约一百六十四英里处。历代的人曾用各种形容词形容奥斯汀，用词从怪里怪气到离经叛道都有，最近则被誉为全美最适合居住的地方之一。
「德州议会大厦」是每个观光客必到之处。大厦甫落成时，是全世界第七大建筑物。现在德州人还是很喜欢吹嘘这是最大的议会大厦，比华盛顿特区的「国会大厦」还高出七尺。
Word Bank
lay claim to (idiom)宣称拥有
Three countries lay claim to the oil deposits that lie beneath the ocean floor in this area.
simulate (v)模拟；假装
For the beginners, the flight school uses computers to simulate taking off, flying and landing a plane.
eccentric (adj)怪异的；古怪的
Professor Landon is brilliant, but he exhibits some eccentric behavior like never wearing shoes to class.
brag (v)吹嘘；自夸
Paul liked to brag about his good grades, but he stopped after he got a low score in chemistry.
More Information
riverbed (n)河床
quirky (adj)古怪的
capitol (n)美国州议会大厦
Chat Room:
Teaching Topic: Tracking 教學主題： 追蹤
tracks：足迹，指动物的足迹
footprints：脚印，人的脚印
to track：寻着足迹追踪
tracker：追踪者
track down someone：寻找某人
---Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Chat Room. Today we'd like to welcome Linda to the Chat Room. Hi, Linda.
---Hi, Ken. Hi, everyone. It's really nice to be here with you all. So Ken, what should we chat about today?
---Well, the article today talks about animal tracks. Instead of tracks, could we say footprints?
---Oh, yeah, I guess so. Although when we think of footprints, we usually refer to people. Usually we say tracks for animals.
---tracks是足迹，footprints是脚印，tracks比较是指动物的足迹，而footprints是人的脚印。
---But you know we do say trackers.
---tracker. What's that?
---Well, it's a person who follows tracks or footprints to find an animal or person. This person we often think of in the wild or the jungle or forest areas when they're trying to find someone. They are tracking.
---track是足迹，当动词用to track就是寻着足迹追踪的意思；tracker就是一个追踪者。 But I've also heard track someone down. Can anyone do that?
---Yes. Actually the police often try to track down a criminal. But to track down can also mean to look for someone who was moved maybe. You want to get in touch with that person, so you ask his friends if he has an e-mail or a phone number. Or you can look in the phone book or even talk to the person's parents. Things like that. You can track them down. And we also use this for things. Maybe you've misplaced something and then finally you find it. So you have tracked it down.
---But it's better if you keep track of it, right?
---Well, definitely would be easier.
---track down某个人就是去寻找他，警察会去track down罪犯，你可以track down你失去联系多年的好朋友。
---Well, I see we've lost track of the time. We have to go. But stay tuned for Studio Classroom right after this.
lay claim to (idiom)宣称拥有
1 Both companies laid claim to the new design.
两家公司都声称这个新的设计是属于他们的。
2 I never laid claim to this house, because it belongs to my husband's mother.
我从来都没有宣称这个房子是我的，因为这个房子是属于我的婆婆的。
simulate (v)模拟；假装
1 The software simulates all sorts of road conditions for drivers to practice on.
这个软体模拟各种路况让司机来练习。
2 The technicians used a smoke machine to simulate dense fog in the studio.
技工们使用烟雾器在摄影棚中来模拟浓雾的状况。
eccentric (adj)怪异的；古怪的
1 George might be eccentric, but he is extremely talented.
George也许是怪怪的，但是他相当有天分。
2 An eccentric old man lives next door to us, we have never seen him interact with anyone.
我们旁边住了一个奇怪的老人家，我们从来没有看到他和谁互动过。
September 18
San Antonio
Driving 77 miles southwest brings you to the Alamo, the famous 18th century San Antonio landmark, where over 180 people died fighting for Texas independence. More than 2.5 million people visit this historic site each year.
In the 1920s, a local architect came up with development plans to capitalize on the river that meanders through the city. Today, San Antonio's River Walk is flanked by restaurants and trendy shops and is one of the state's most popular tourist attractions.
No trip to San Antonio is complete without sampling Tex-Mex fare. Try the steak ranchero at Rosario's Mexican Cafe and you'll know you've been to Texas!
Marfa
If you enjoy a mystery, a 330-mile side trip to Marfa in West Texas might be right up your alley. Brightly glowing balls of light hovering above the ground have been seen and reported in the area for over 100 years. The lights remain unexplained, and thousands flock to Marfa every year hoping to witness the mystery lights.
Visiting all of these places will just scratch the surface in this state of gigantic proportions. But that's OK ─ that leaves plenty to see on your next visit to the Lone Star State.
圣安东尼奥
开车再往西南方七十七英里你就会抵达阿拉摩，这是圣安东尼奥远近驰名的十八世纪地标，一百八十多人曾在此地为德州独立而战死。每年超过两百五十万人造访这个历史景点。
在一九二０年代，当地一位建筑师想出一个利用蜿蜒流过圣安东尼奥的河流来开发这个城市的计画。现在在圣安东尼奥的「河滨步道」两侧，餐厅和时髦商家林立，是德州最受欢迎的观光景点之一。
你到圣安东尼奥一游，若没有品尝德墨风味的美食，此行就不算圆满。试试「萝莎瑞欧墨西哥餐馆」里的牧场牛排，你就会觉得这次来德州算是不虚此行！
马法
若你喜欢神秘，那麽再开个三百三十英里到德州西部的马法走一趟说不定正合你的胃口。一百多年来，在这一带，一直有人目睹并传述盘旋於地面上的闪亮光球。至今这些光球之谜仍然未解，每年都有数千人前来马法观赏这些谜样光球。
游历这些景点仅能算是触及这个超级大州的皮毛，但是无所谓，下次你到孤星州观光时就还有得玩了。
Word Bank
capitalize (v)（为谋求私利）利用
Vivian capitalized on her ability to speak Chinese, English and Spanish to get a job with an international investment firm.
flanked (pp)两侧被包围的
The politician was flanked by reporters who repeatedly asked questions about his latest scandal.
right up one's alley (idiom)合…的胃口；符合…的志趣
Since you excel in science and math, something in the medical field might be right up your alley.
scratch the surface (idiom)只触及皮毛
I read all of the books in the library about different personalities, but I've just scratched the surface of this issue.
More Information
Tex-Mex (adj)德州墨西哥的；德州和墨西哥混合的
Chat Room:
Teaching Topic: Measure Words for Animals 教學主題： 動物集合名詞
flock当名词表示一群，通常用在鸟类，绵羊，山羊
herd也是指一群，通常用在家畜或野兽，有时候可以形容一大群从事相同事情的人
brood是一窝的，通常指一窝的小鸟或小鸡，但是如果一个妈妈连续生了好几个孩子，也可称之为a brood of kids
drove也是指一群的牛，猪；in droves：成群结队，一群又一群的
---Hi, everyone. My name is Linda.
---And I'm Ken. It is nice to have Linda back with us today. So Linda, I see that the word flock is used as a verb in today's article. It is also a noun, right?
---That's exactly right. As a noun, it is used as a measure word for a gathering of birds, and also for groups of sheep and goats that are looked after by people.
---flock当名词表示一群，通常用在鸟类，绵羊，山羊。 Are there any other common measure words for animals?
---Well, we use herd for a group of animals like cattle or even a group of wild animals that live and travel together. Like elephants or zebras or antelope.
---Can we ever say a herd of people?
---Yes, we can. Actually we use it for a huge group of people that may be doing the same thing. For example, if there is a big sale at a store and lots and lots of people are outside waiting for the doors to open, we can say there's a herd of people out there.
---herd也是指一群，通常用在家畜或野兽，有时候可以形容一大群从事相同事情的人。 Any others?
---Well, the day before yesterday, we saw the article talk about cattle being driven. When we move or drive a group of animals like cattle or even geese, we call them a drove. A drove of cattle or a drove of geese. And we can also say people came in droves to see the new movie. That means that many, many people came.
---You know, I was reading the other day and read about a pack of wolves. I wasn't sure, but is that the measure word for wolves?
---Yes, it is. Pack is used for any group of animals that hunt together. We can also use it for birds that live on the ground and hunt, like grouse. And we can use it for people. A pack of kids came into the room.
---And another one I'm interested in is a brood.
---Oh, a brood. That's a great word. Usually it's used to refer to a group of birds that's still under the care of their mother. Like a brood of baby chicks. But you know we can also use it for people. If a woman has like five or six little kids, we can say she has a brood of kids.
---brood是一窝的，通常指一窝的小鸟或小鸡，但是如果一个妈妈连续生了好几个孩子，我们也可以称之为a brood of kids；另外drove也是指一群的牛，猪，因此片语in droves就表示成群结队，一群又一群的。
---Time now for us all to flock over to Michelle for some Language Tips.
capitalize (v)（为谋求私利）利用
不及物动词；capitalize on something：利用某个事物
1 She capitalized on her knowledge and experience in fashion and landed an editorial job in New York.
她利用自己对时尚的知识和经验得到了一个纽约的编辑的工作。
2 The football team capitalized on the opponent's weakness and won the game.
这支足球队利用对手的弱点赢得了足球赛。
flanked (pp)两侧被包围的
常常用于被动语态
1 The pop singer was flanked by security guards when she arrived the airport.
这位流行歌手到达机场时左右都有保安护卫。
2 The road to the castle was flanked by tall trees.
到城堡的路两侧都是高高的树木。
scratch the surface (idiom)只触及皮毛
1 We only scratched the surface of the financial issue during our last meeting.
我们上一次会议中对于这个财务的问题并没有很深入的讨论。
2 The limit medical aid we provided only scratched the surface of the problem here.
我们提供的有限的医疗援助对于这里的情况只是杯水车薪。
