4.0大峡谷
Section outline
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What did the Colorado River have to do with the formation of the Grand Canyon?
You are walking home from school. You notice it is starting to rain. The raindrops hit your face. You start to run so you don’t get wet. Your mother has a towel ready when you run in the door. Despite being a little wet, the rain had no effect on you. You simply wipe the water away. In what ways can water affect things?
::科罗拉多河和大峡谷的形成有什么关系？你正从学校走回家。你注意到开始下雨了。雨滴打在你的脸上。你开始跑，这样你就不会湿了。当你跑进门时，你妈妈已经准备好了一条毛巾。尽管有点湿，但雨对你没有影响。你只要把水擦掉就行了。水会以什么方式影响事物？
Some large features on Earth were caused by water. The Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River. There are many rivers as big. There are rivers that are much larger. The Mississippi River is the largest river in the U.S. Only the Colorado has formed such a large canyon. The Grand Canyon is its own league.
::地球上的一些大型地貌是由水造成的。科罗拉多河形成了大峡谷。有许多河这么大。有些河流要大得多。密西西比河是美国最大的河流，只有科罗拉多河形成了如此大的峡谷。大峡谷自成一派。
In most cases, water is harmless. Over time, water can have a great effect. When water runs over the land it can wash the soil away. With enough time, it can carve through rock. Given enough time, it can create a canyon over a mile wide. It is hard to believe that water created the Grand Canyon.
::在大多数情况下，水是无害的。随着时间的推移，水会产生很大的影响。当水流过土地时，它会把土壤冲走。只要有足够的时间，它就能凿穿岩石。如果时间足够，它可以形成一个超过一英里宽的峡谷。很难相信是水创造了大峡谷。
Scientists have learned that the Grand Canyon took a long time to form. Every time it rained, the water ran across the ground. A little soil and rock was washed away with every rainstorm. Water can cause a lot of change if it has time. Scientists are unsure of the canyon’s exact age. What they do know, it is old.
::科学家们已经了解到大峡谷的形成需要很长时间。每次下雨，水就会流到地上。每次暴雨都会冲走一点土壤和岩石。如果有时间，水可以引起很多变化。科学家们不能确定峡谷的确切年龄。他们所知道的，是古老的。
A lot of people visit the Grand Canyon every year. They are amazed at its size. Some people hike to the bottom of the canyon. It is like walking back in time. At the top of the canyon are the younger rocks. Rocks at the bottom are older. Water has made it possible to study these layers. Scientists use this area to learn about Earth’s past. The Grand Canyon is like a window to the past.
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每年都有很多人参观大峡谷。他们对它的大小感到惊讶。有些人徒步到峡谷底部。这就像时光倒流。峡谷的顶部是较年轻的岩石。底部的岩石更古老。水使研究这些层成为可能。科学家们利用这个区域来了解地球的过去。大峡谷就像一扇通向过去的窗户。
