Studio Classroom July 01

TRAVEL (1)
唯「馬」獨尊的島嶼 MACKINAC ISLAND
一探密西根州小島的歷史及馬匹

Worldwide
Mackinac Island
A place where horsepower takes on a new meaning

Imagine a vacation where you can sit quietly on a big porch and look out over blue water.
Imagine no loud engines or car horns interrupting that quiet.
Instead, the clip-clop of horses' hooves fills your ears.
You'll find that on Mackinac Island, Mich. Located in Lake Huro off the coast of northern Michigan, the 3.8-square-mile island is accessible only by boat or plane.
Its location made it attractive first to Native Americans and then to Europeans.

Missionaries and fur traders arrived in the 17th century.
In time, British and then American soldiers were also posted here.
In the 19th century, commercial fishermen used the island as a base.
After the American Civil War (1861-1865), people wanted to escape the cities, and throngs of tourists found beauty and relaxation on Mackinac.
The island became America's second national park in 1875.
But in 1895, the nation transferred it to Michigan, and Mackinac became Michigan's first state park.

In 1898, when the automobile age threatened to come to the island, the city council banned the "horseless carriage."
That policy allows the island to keep its 19th-century atmosphere.

vocabulary
porch (n) - a small area at the entrance to a building, such as a house or a church, that is covered by a roof and often has walls
horn (n) - a device in a vehicle for making a loud sound as a warning or signal
{Ex. to sound/toot your horn 鳴喇叭}
clip-clop
hoof (n) - the hard part of the foot of some animals, for example horses
missionary - 傳教士
fur - the skin of an animal with the fur still on it, used especially for making clothes （動物的）毛皮
{Ex. a fur coat 毛皮大衣}
in time - 經過一段時間之後；遲早；最後；終於
post - to send somebody to a place for a period of time as part of their job 派駐
{Ex. She's been posted to Washington for two years. 她被派往華盛頓工作兩年。}
throng - a crowd of people
council - a group of people who are elected to govern an area such as a city or county
{Ex. She's on the local council. 她是地方議會的議員。}
ban - to forbid something officially
{Ex. a campaign to ban smoking in public places 禁止在公共場所吸煙的運動 }
atmosphere - the feeling or mood that you have in a particular place or situation
{Ex. Use music and lighting to create a romantic atmosphere. 用音樂和照明創造一種浪漫的氣氛。}