Where the Galapagos Islands lie today，there was once an unbroken expanse of Pacific．Then the sea began to seethe and simmer，the earth’s crust was pierced，and matter gushed forth continuously．Lava and scoriae（loose，cinder like lava）piled up until one day spewing volcanoes raised peaks above the brawling sea．
Many thousands of years passed before life could settle upon the cooled land．Then wind and waves brought the first hardy seed of primitive plants．After these came others，then insects，lizards，and birds．The chance that any animal would survive the trip from the South American continent more than six hundred miles away was slight；only a few hardy species came through alive．This is why there are many gaps in the animal life of the islands．
Those that did reach the outoftheway islands developed over the ages into a number of quite peculiar forms．Because conditions in the Galapagos differed from those in their original homes，the animals had to change or perish．Only in the Galapagos are there seaweedeating marine lizards，giant tortoises，and flightless cormorants．In fact，most of the species found in the Galapagos Islands are endemic：they exist only in the archipelago.
加拉帕戈斯群岛上有动物吗
在今天的加拉帕戈斯群岛所在地，过去曾有一片与太平洋相连的浩瀚水域。后来，大海开始沸腾翻滚，地壳被刺穿，物质不断喷涌而出。熔岩和岩烬（煤渣似的散乱熔岩）堆积起来，直到有一天熔岩喷涌的火山把山顶伸到喧腾的大海之上。
成千上万年过去了，生命得以在这冷却了的陆地上安身。然后，风和海浪带来第一批原始动物的坚强种子。在它们之后，又来了一些别的东西，然后是昆虫、蜥蜴和鸟类。从600英里之外的南美大陆远涉到此而能活着，这种可能性对任何动物来说都是微乎其微的。只有少数几种壮实耐苦的动物闯过死关活了下来。这就是为什么岛上动物的生存有间断的缘故。
最终抵达这些荒僻岛屿的幸存者，经过世世代代的演变，成为许多奇特的种类。只有在加拉帕戈斯群岛才有食海藻的蜥蜴、巨龟和不会飞的鸬鹚。实际上，在加拉帕戈斯群岛发现的各种动物中，大多是该地所特有的：它们只生存在这个群岛上。
The Aswan High Dam on the Nile River
The Aswan high dam project，located on the Nile River in upper Egypt，came into being as a result of Egypt’s need to increase the land under cultivation．This need was a direct result of population growth．The dam was engineered to increase the arable lands by some two million acres，and it was expected that the increase in agricultural production would feed more than five million persons．The dam would thus alleviate the problem of population growth and better the lot of the people in general．
One unfortunate result of the project，however，was that it threatened to precipitate a“cultural catastrophe”．Within a period of five years，the rising waters were to form a lake two hundred feet deep，inundating some three hundred miles of the fabled Nubian Valley and obliterating some of man’s most spectacular monuments．More than two dozen important sites in the valley reflect one of man’s oldest civilizations．There are beautiful temples and treasures of extreme antiquity in the area．An international appeal was made to raise the funds needed to save these monuments，including the great temple of Abu Simbel and the fabulous island of Philae．In additon to contributing ten million dollars，the United Arab Republic agreed to allow archaeologists making immediate explorations to keep half of the works excavated
尼罗河上的阿斯旺高坝
阿斯旺高坝位于埃及的尼罗河上，它因埃及需要扩大耕地而得以诞生。这一需要是人口增长带来的直接结果。设计这一水坝可增加约200万英亩可耕地，预期农业生产的增长将养活500多万人。因此，这个水坝将缓解人口增长问题，并将从总体上改善埃及人民的命运。
然而，这一工程的一个不幸后果是，它显示了一场“文化灾难”的凶兆。在5年时间内，上涨的河水将形成一个200英尺深的湖泊，从而淹没传说中约300英里的努比亚谷，并将使人类一些最为壮观的遗迹灭迹。山谷中二三十处重要遗址反映了人类最古老的文明之一。在这一地区，有漂亮的庙宇和一些远古的珍宝。
为挽救包括阿布辛拜勒大庙和神奇的费力岛在内的遗迹，当局发出了一项国际呼吁，以募集此项工作所需的款项。阿拉伯联合共和国除捐款1000万美元外，还同意让迅速进行探查的考古学家们分享一半挖掘出的文物。
The Sediment Layer Overthe Bottom of the Seas
The acquisition of new knowledge about a problem does not always help scientists solve it．Sometimes it complicates the original problem．A striking example of this occurred when the findings of the International Indian Ocean Expedition were reported in 1962．