A

  The Great Wall, China

        Stretching over 21,000 kilometers,  the Great   Wall was built to prevent invasions and has a history   of more than 2,000 years. UNESCO in February,  2019 called it an absolute masterpiece, not only    because of the ambitious character of the undertaking    but also because of the perfection of its construction.

      But perfection isn't protection. 51.2 percent of   the Great Wall either has already disappeared or is at    significant risk of disappearing. Besides wind and rain   erosion, the main reasons for the destruction of the  Great Wall are human factors such as tourism,   construction, and human contact.

  Pamukkale, Turkey

    Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in  Turkish, is famous for its shining white calcite   terraces (·½½âʯ½×µØ) with warm and mineral­rich   water flowing.

       Before being listed as a World Heritage Site in  1988, Pamukkale had been severely damaged by   human activities. People used hot spring water to fill   swimming pools; some visitors stood on the rocks and   some even bathed in the hot springs with soap and  shampoo. To protect the terraces, the Turkish   government has decided to pull down the hotels and   require all tourists to visit this site barefoot.

  The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

     Home to over 400 types of coral and 1,500   species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors   to Australia from all over the world.

        However, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to    suffer increasingly frequent bleaching events, cases in   which corals turn white and may die, according to a  UNESCO report. The heatwaves caused by global   warming have killed half of the coral here in the past   two years, according to a CNN report. Pollution from industry development and harmful fishing practices  are also big concerns.

 The Dead Sea, on the Israel­Jordan border

At 429 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is 8   times saltier than the ocean, meaning that the water is  so dense that even tourists who can't swim will be  able to float.

       But the seaside resorts built in the 1980s now sit  kilometers away from the edge of the water, which  has lost half of its surface area in the past 40 years.  The damage is irreversible due to the nature of the  mineral industry and the type of the agricultural use  that consumes lots of water.

21£®Which of the following are you required to visit   without shoes?

A£®The Great Wall, China.

B£®Pamukkale, Turkey.

C£®The Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

D£®The Dead Sea, on the Israel­Jordan border.

22£®Which of the following statements is true?

A£®The main reason for the destruction of the Great    Wall is wind and rain erosion.

B£®Pamukkale was damaged by human activities   after 1988.

C£®Pollution and the heatwaves caused by global   warming killed much coral in the Great Barrier Reef.

D£®Half of the Dead Sea's surface area has   disappeared in the past two decades.

23£®What do the above spots have in common?

A£®They are all famous endangered natural spots.

B£®They're damaged only by human activities.

C£®They all draw the attention of the governments.

D£®They're all seriously damaged.