新西兰英语 786 Ski season begins

 　　It’s winter and snow has fallen in the mountains. Coronet Peak¹ ski² field in Queenstown opened last weekend and Mt Hutt near Christchurch opened today. However, the forecast³ for tomorrow and the next few days is for snow showers so maybe there will be no skiing⁴ until the weather clears.

　　Most ski areas, like The Remarkables in Queenstown and Cardrona in Wanaka, open next weekend. However, some ski areas are planning a later start to the ski season. Mt Ruapehu in the centre of the North Island has two popular ski fields: Whakapapa and Turoa. They plan to open at the end of the month. Many of the smaller club ski fields open early July. Of course it depends on the weather and the amount of snow that falls in early winter.

　　Mt Ruapehu has the highest ski field (2322m) and the longest vertical⁵ skiing area in Australasia. More than 60,000 young Australian skiers and snowboarders come to New Zealand during winter, mostly in July and August. Japanese skiers come here too because our winter is Japan’s summer.

　　The ski season is short. Usually by October the snow is starting to melt⁶ and Spring attracts skiers to other sports like surfing.

　　Vocabulary⁷

　　?ski field – New Zealand word for ski area

　　?club fields – club members operate the ski field which usually has basic⁸ facilities⁹ but is cheaper skiing

　　?vertical – straight down

　　?Australasia – Australia and New Zealand

　　Grammar

　　Most of this text uses present simple.

　　Note present simple for a fact even when it is in the future e.g. Most ski areas open next weekend.

1 peak   

n.山峰，巅，山顶，顶点，尖峰，帽舌；adj.最高的，最大值的；vi.到达最高点，消瘦，变憔悴，逐渐缩小；vt.使竖起，使达到最高点

参考例句：

• Traffic reaches a peak between 8 and 9 in the morning.早晨八九点钟是交通的高峰时刻。
• He was the first to top the mountain peak.他是第一个登上这座山峰的人。

2 ski   

n.滑雪橇，滑雪板；vi.滑雪

参考例句：

• The ski is wooden.这滑雪板是木制的。
• Do you have the skill to ski such a difficult slope?你有沿着这样一个陡坡滑雪的本事吗？

3 forecast   

n./vt.预测；预报

参考例句：

• Heavy rain has been forecast for tomorrow.天气预报明天有大雨。
• I never listen to the weather forecast.我从来不听气象预报。

4 skiing   

n.滑雪运动

参考例句：

• I'm a complete novice at skiing. 滑雪我完全是个新手。
• to go skiing 去滑雪

5 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

6 melt   

v.（使）融化，（使）熔化，使软化，使感动

参考例句：

• If you warm ice,it will melt into water.如果你给冰加热它会融化成水。
• It is easy to melt ice.融化冰很容易。

7 vocabulary   

n.词汇，词汇量；词汇表

参考例句：

• How can I widen my vocabulary?怎样扩大自己的词汇量？
• You can find all the new words in the vocabulary of the text.你能在课文的词汇表中找到所有的生词。

8 basic   

adj.基本的；n.基本；要素

参考例句：

• The family is the basic unit of society.家庭是构成社会的基本单位。
• These rules of playing basketball are basic.这些篮球规则是基本的。

9 facilities   

n.工具；（学习、做事的）天资；（机器等的）特别装置；（供特定用途的）场；设备( facility的名词复数)；容易；能力；灵巧

参考例句：

• facilities for bathing and boating 游泳和划船设施
• childcare facilities for working parents 为职业父母提供的照管儿童的设施