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Unit Twenty-two
A Pacific Paradise
“There are sharks sleeping at the bottom,” said the guide, flashing a naive grin. “Let’s wake them up.” In a riot of scuba bubbles, tourists and guide plunged 110 feet into an underwater cavern. And true to his word, the guide darted through the gloom, chasing five foot long shadows. Not to worry. In the spectacular undersea world of Palau, the sharks are as laid-back as the local residents. And who wouldn’t be? Slung across the Pacific 800 miles southwest of Guam, the string of islands – eight inhabited, 200 or more still unpopulated – make up one of those increasingly rare commodities, a Pacific paradise.
For skin divers, Palau is heaven under water. At the reefs divers can find a breathtaking variety of ocean life. Scuba veterans can head for the Blue Corner, an undersea canyon replete with waving corals and multicolored anemones. Backlighted by the sun, sharks glide past in the channel. Insouciant Sea turtles swim alongside, eyeballing intruders. Above the surface other delights await: picnicking along the white sand beaches, or a trip to an uninhabited island to play Robinson Crusoe for a day.
There is also history in these islands, now administered by the United States under U.N. trusteeship. During World War II the Japanese had a major headquarters here, and imperial and the U.S. forces clashed in the battle of Peleliu in September 1944. Nearly 13,000 soldiers died. Today jungle vines creep over the rusting hulks of tanks and amphibious vehicles. Long-silent Japanese antiaircraft guns, nestled inside limestone caves, raise their muzzles toward the sky. Skeletons of Japanese warships and fighter planes still litter the bottoms of some reefs and bits of the war wash up on the beach. Japanese visitors leave poignant messages and photos for the spirit of their fallen sons. “This is what our home looks like now.” reads one.
Though Japanese and American influences linger, everyone seems at home in Palau, reachable by plane from Guam and Manila. English is widely spoken and the currency is the U.S. dollar. Despite the exotic land and seascapes, there’s no fast-talking tourist hustle – only a few thousand visitors arrive annually. That may be the best enticement of all.
naive a.1.天真的 2.幼稚的,轻信的
[联想词] cute a.1.漂亮的,娇小可爱的 2.聪明伶俐的,精明的
grin (grinned; grinning) vi.咧嘴笑 n.咧嘴笑
scuba n.水肺(潜水者用的水下呼吸器)
cavern n.洞穴,大山洞
[联想词] cavity n.洞,穴,凹处
gloom n.1.昏暗,阴暗 2.忧郁,沮丧
gloomy a.1.忧郁的,沮丧的 2.令人沮丧的,令人失望的 3.昏暗的,阴暗的,阴沉的
dart vi.猛冲,飞奔 vt.投射 n.1.飞镖 2.急驰,飞奔
sling v.1.抛,掷,扔 2.吊挂,悬挂
inhabit vt.居住于,栖居于
commodity n.商品,货物
reef n.礁,暗礁
canyon n.峡谷
replete a.1.充满的,装满的 2.充实的,完备的
coral n.珊瑚 a.珊瑚色的
anemone a.1.海葵 2.银莲花
glide vi. n.滑行,滑动,滑翔
intrude vi.侵入,侵扰,打扰
administer vt.1.掌管,料理…的事务 2.施行,实行 3.给予,派给
imperial a.帝国的,帝王的
hulk n.残骸
amphibious a.1.水陆两栖的 2.两栖作战的
muzzle n.1.(四足动物的)鼻口部 2.枪口,炮口
skeleton n.1.骨骼 2.框架,骨干 3.梗概,提要
[联想词] skull n.颅骨,脑壳
litter n.1.废弃物,被胡乱扔掉的东西 2.一窝 3.杂乱的东西 vt.乱扔 vi.乱扔废弃物
poignant a.令人痛苦的,辛酸的,惨痛的
linger vi.1.(因不愿离开而)继续逗留,留恋,徘徊 2.继续存留,缓慢消失
exotic a.奇异的,外来的,异国情调的
hustle vt.1.推搡,猛推 2.竭力兜售vi.1.竭力兜售 2.催促 n.忙碌,奔忙
enticement n.1.引诱,怂恿 2.引诱物,诱惑物
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