高二阅读理解地理类.doc

地理类
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The total area of the United States is some million square kilometers, which makes it the fourth largest country in the world. Its mainland covers a distance of nearly 5,000 kilometers from east to west, and about 2,500 kilometers from south to north. Surrounded by three oceans and the Gulf of Mexico, it has a long coastline(海岸线) of about 20 000 kilometers, which makes it one of the countries with the longest coastline in the world.
The United States lies in the south of North America and its southern tip reaches the subtropical zone(亚热带). On the north the country shares more than 6,000 kilometers of land border with Canada which runs approximately(大约) along the 49th parallel(纬线) in the west part and then across the four of the five Great Lakes before turning to the northeast. The border between the United States and Canada is open and undefended.
The southern land neighbour of the United States is Mexico with which it shares mon border of some 3,000 kilometers. The coast area of the Gulf of Mexico is the most important oil-producing region(地区) in the United States.
To the west of the mainland is the Pacific across which the United States trades(贸易) its products for goods from the Far East. To the east of the country lies the Atlantic which witnessed(目睹) large numbers of European immigrants(移民) sailing to their American colonies(殖民地). The Atlantic is still t