The Story of a Gorge: Taroko National Park

The Geography of Taroko Gorge

The Main Reading Text

The beautiful Taroko Gorge was not always there. It was formed over millions of years by the Liwu River (立霧溪). This powerful river flowed down from the high mountains. As it flowed, it slowly cut through the thick layers of rock, like a knife cutting bread. This slow wearing away of the rock by water is a natural process called erosion.

The rock that makes up most of Taroko Gorge is marble, which is a type of beautiful and strong stone. You can see the marble in the high cliffs. The walls of the gorge are very tall and steep, meaning they go almost straight up. Looking at these massive marble walls truly shows the great power of nature.

The geography of Taroko National Park is very special. Besides the famous gorge, the park also has some of Taiwan's highest mountains, many rushing waterfalls, and thick green forests. Because of these different places, many kinds of plants and animals live within the park.

People come from all over the world to visit Taroko National Park. They come to admire the great beauty of the marble gorge and the mountains around it. There are many trails in the park where visitors can go hiking. These trails lead to amazing views, allowing everyone to experience the wonder of Taroko up close. It is a place that people always remember.

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Key Learning Points

點擊下方的頁籤，切換不同的學習重點。

gorge

n.

[gɔrdʒ] — 峽谷

A deep, narrow valley with steep rocky sides.

• The beautiful Taroko Gorge was not always there.
  美麗的太魯閣峽谷並非一直都在那裡。
• A river runs through the bottom of the gorge.
  一條河流經峽谷底部。

layer

n.

[ˋleɚ] — 層

A sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several, covering a surface or body.

• The river cut through thick layers of rock.
  河流切穿了厚厚的岩層。
• A cake usually has layers of cream and sponge.
  蛋糕通常有好幾層奶油和海綿體。

erosion

n.

[ɪˋroʒən] — 侵蝕

The process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.

• This process is called erosion.
  這個過程被稱為侵蝕。
• Soil erosion is a major environmental problem.
  土壤侵蝕是一個主要的環境問題。

marble

n.

[ˋmɑrbl] — 大理石

A type of hard rock that is usually white with coloured patterns and can be polished.

• The rock that makes up most of Taroko Gorge is marble.
  構成太魯閣峽谷大部分的岩石是大理石。
• The statue was carved from a single block of marble.
  這座雕像是用一整塊大理石雕刻而成的。

steep

a.

[stip] — 陡峭的

Rising or falling sharply, almost vertically.

• The walls of the gorge are very tall and steep.
  峽谷的岩壁非常高聳且陡峭。
• It's a steep climb to the top of the mountain.
  爬到山頂的路很陡。

massive

a.

[ˋmæsɪv] — 巨大的；宏偉的

Exceptionally large.

• Looking at these massive marble walls shows the power of nature.
  看著這些巨大的大理石壁展現了大自然的力量。
• The castle has massive stone walls.
  那座城堡有巨大的石牆。

geography

n.

[dʒɪˋɑgrəfɪ] — 地理；地形

The physical features of an area.

• The geography of Taroko National Park is very special.
  太魯閣國家公園的地理環境非常特別。
• He is studying the geography of Asia.
  他正在研究亞洲的地理。