Passage 37
学霸导读 走遍美国西南各地沙漠，作者发现火焰谷的风光最好，到底她美在哪里？
Established in 1935， Valley of Fire is Nevada’s f irst state park. The name is attributed to an off icial in the 1920s， who noted that the sky’s red glow made the entire valley seem to be ablaze （ 着火的 ） when he was traveling through the area as the sun set.
Though the park’s proximity （ 临近 ） to Las Vegas makes it popular for weddings and day trips， Valley of Fire isn’t c 1 . You can always f ind a serene （ 宁静的 ） trail.
In the visitors’ center， you may browse the exhibits to learn about the park’s geography， wildlife and history before venturing out. Rangers （ 护林人 ） can direct you to that perfect vista （ 景观 ）.
The park has something to offer everyone. Most of 12 designated （ 指定的 ） trails offer short and easy hikes （ about a mile round trip ） with w 2 waiting around every corner. No matter what direction you look in， you’ll see spectacular stone marvels （ 令人惊叹的事物 ） and incredible splashes of color.
If scenic drives are your passion， cruise （ 漫游 ） along Valley of Fire Highway.
Starting from the west， take a slight detour （ 绕道 ） along a 3-mile scenic loop road to reach Arch Rock， a fragile stone arc created by centuries of erosion （ 侵蚀 ） and a f 3 photo opportunity， and Atlatl Rock， known for petroglyphs （ 岩画 ）.
The main road winds past other fascinating stones， including the Beehives， a collection of mounds （ 土墩 ） dramatically c 4 by wind and water to resemble a beehive （ 蜂窝 ）. A short trail will take you up close and around them.
Another drive, Mouse’s Tank Road, h 5 north toward Mouse’s Tank Trail. There you’ll f ind the greatest concentration of petroglyphs in Nevada. Thousands of years ago, Pueblo and Paiute Indians made seasonal camps here, and they portrayed their lives in various petroglyphs.
Most of the many animals native to the area are nocturnal （ 夜行的 ）. If you hike very early or late in the day， you are more likely to see some of the critters （ 生物 ） that inhabit the park， including coyote （ 郊狼 ）， bobcat （ 美洲野猫 ）， kit fox （ 沙狐 ）， skunk， antelope and big horn sheep.
I’ve photographed deserts all over the Southwest, but Valley of Fire State Park keeps c 6 me back to search for yet another hidden gem. A ranger once told me there were many arches in the park still waiting to be d 7 , and I f ind something new every time I visit.
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高频词汇
venture /'ventʃər/ v. 冒险去（或做）；冒昧地说
spectacular /spek'tækjələr/ adj. 壮观的，壮丽的；令人惊叹的
splash /splæʃ/ n. 溅上的液体；色块
fragile /'frædʒaɪl/ adj. 易损 坏的；易碎的；脆弱的
opportunity /ˌɒpə'tʃuːnəti/ n. 机遇，时机， 机会
resemble /rɪ'zembl/ v. 像；看起来像；与……相似
portray /pɔː'treɪ/ v. 描绘，描述， 描写