Read and listen.
The Grand Canyon
Postcard
Dear Mum and Dad,
I’m visiting the Grand Canyon at the moment. It’s
awesome! I’m staying here for three days.
So far I’ve been on a helicopter trip inside the canyon,
which was fantastic, but very expensive. Then I went
for a hike along the South Rim. Amazing views over the
canyon! And today I’ve just walked on the Skywalk glass
viewing platform. It was incredibly scary!
The weather is great – hot and sunny every day!
Love,
Matt
Network Intermediate Unit 3 pp.34–35
© Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE
Brochure for helicopter trip
Don’t miss these Grand Canyon attractions!
Grand Canyon Aerial Tour
Generations of tourists have enjoyed the breathtaking
views from planes and helicopters flying over and into
the Canyon. Take off from Grand Canyon Airport and
enjoy a 30-minute helicopter tour which takes you inside
the Canyon. From there, you can get extraordinary
close up views of the layers of rock formed over billions
of years. Prices start at $158 for adults and $138 for
children.
Grand Canyon Skywalk – The Glass Bridge
Go where the eagles fly! The Skywalk, which is at
Grand Canyon West, is a unique glass-bottomed
observation deck that extends 25 meters over the rim
of the canyon. Admission is $32 for adults. Open from
7.00am to 7.00pm every day of the year.
South Rim Hikes
Experience a hike along the South Rim. Our guides
will accompany you along the spectacular Rim Trail: an
excellent choice for quiet views of the inner canyon and
for visitors who prefer an easy hike. South Rim guided
walks last three hours and cost $30 for adults and $25
for children.
Book now – we won’t disappoint you!
Network Intermediate Unit 3 pp.34–35
© Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE
Encyclopaedia entry
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon, which is in the State of Arizona
in the USA, is a steep-sided canyon created by the
Colorado River. It is in the Grand Canyon National Park,
one of the most important national parks in the United
States.
The Grand Canyon is 446km long, up to 29km wide
and has a maximum depth of 1,830 metres. When the
Colorado River formed the Canyon, it exposed nearly
two billion years of the Earth’s geological history.
At the same time the Colorado Plateau rose as a result
of tectonic movement. Geologists sometimes disagree
about exactly when this happened, but most agree that
the Colorado River began to flow through the area at
least 17 million years ago.
Before European immigration, Native Americans lived
in the Canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people,
who were Native Americans, considered the Grand
Canyon a sacred site and started coming to the area
around the year 1200. The first European to ‘discover’
the Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain
in 1540.
Network Intermediate Unit 3 pp.34–35
© Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE