Ali Mountain
j Guide Self-introduction
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, we are the guides who work in the Star of Sky travel company. Welcome to Alishan in Taiwan of Chia-Yi.
We are from Taichung, a city located in western Taiwan. We will keep you company during your entire stay here. Of course, you can feel free to consult me anytime when you have some questions about the details of the trip! In addition, I have ensured1 that you can enjoy a well-organized and effective travel itinerary2. What I mean3 is that we will provide you with a smooth and relaxing tour. For example, I will assist4 you in checking in and out of the hotel, confirm your transport arrangements, organizing the itinerary, making reservation, and handling5 any problem that may arise6. I have been trained to respond quickly to any need you may have.
k Reading Selection
I. Locations
The Alishan National Scenic Area7 is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations8, the Alishan Forest Railway and several hiking trails. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers. Alishan or Mount Ali9 has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea and wasabi10.
The development of Alishan began in the 19th century. The government started planning the forest’s hiking area of Alishan in 1974. The area of Alishan is 1,400 hectares11. The peak12 is 2800 meters high. Alishan shows changeable features because of different weather temperatures. The spots of special interest at Alishan are the sunrise(日出), the sea of clouds(雲海), the sunset(日落), the forest(森林), and the railway(鐵道). These are called the five wonders of Alishan(阿里山五奇). And there are a lot of beautiful flowers. The oriental cherry13 is the most well-known, and it attracts numerous visitors every year during the blossom season.
II. Climate
Alishan National Scenic Area spans14 a broad range in altitude15. Lower elevations16, such as in LeYe Township17, share the same subtropical18 and tropical19 climate as the rest of southern Taiwan, while the climate changes to temperate20 and alpine21 as the elevation increases. Snow sometimes falls at higher elevations in the winter.
Average temperatures：
l Low elevations: 24 °C in the summer, 16°C in the winter.
l Medium elevations: 19 °C in the summer, 12°C in the winter.
l High elevations: 14 °C in the summer, 5°C in the winter.
III. Food & Drink
u Eat
ü Budget22
For a meal on the train, don't miss the Fencihu lunch box23 (fencihu biendang), which has a deep-fried24 cutlet25, Taiwanese sausage26 and a selection27 of mountain veggies28 on rice. Vendors come onto the train to sell them at Fencihu station (NTD100 a pop29).
Stalls30 selling noodles, rice dishes and basic street food can be found at the Alishan main square31, at Jhushan32 and the Jhoushen Temple.
While you are waiting for the sun to rise, a hot drink from the vendor will warm your hands. Also try the egg crepe33, scallion34 pancakes and French toast. Hot clear soup with blood rice cake is also available.
ü Mid-range35
Alishan's main square has half a dozen largely identical36 restaurants specializing37 in hotpot38, using mountain vegetables and mountain game39 like deer and wild boar40. Most cater41 mostly to groups and thus offer vast42 spreads43 (eg. 10 dishes for $1000), but if you stick to the menu, a "small" pot for two-three goes for around $300.
u Drink
Alishan is famous for High Mountain Oolong (Gau-shan wulong) tea44 and you'll see plenty of plantations on the way up. There are a number of tea shops in the main village that will serve up45 a pot46 the traditional way for $200 or so. They will also let you try a number of teas for sale, and this is a good way to pass the evening. But this is with the expectation that you will buy something. Teas are mostly sold in vacuum47 sealed48 bags of 150g, and usually will cost about $400-$800, although some can be as high as $3000 for this amount.
Nightlife in any sense is virtually49 nonexistent50, but all restaurants are happy to sell you a beer and you can pick your own poison51 at the convenience stores.
IV. Landscapes
l Alishan Forest Railway
² History：
The narrow gauge52 lines were originally constructed by the Japanese Colonial Government in 1912 to facilitate53 the logging54 of cypress55 and Taiwania wood, however today the line caters mostly to tourists. Passenger carriages56 were first added to the trains in 1918. The first motive power was a Shay locomotive57 purchased second hand from the Kiso58 Forest Railway in Japan. Eventually the railway acquired 20 Shay59 locomotives.
² Lines：
i. Main Line (Alishan Line/阿里山線)
Chiayi (嘉義) - Alishan (阿里山)
Includes several steep gradients60 (max. 6.26%), a spiral61 and four switchbacks62; longest line with most dramatic63 climate change.
ii. Zhushan Line (祝山線)
Alishan (阿里山) - Zhushan (祝山)
Early morning trains, popular for viewing the sunrise over Jade Mountain (玉山).
iii. Mianyue Line (眠月線)
Alishan (阿里山) - The Stone Monkey (石猴)
Closed due to earthquake damage.
l Fenqihu (奮起湖)
Small town of low wooden buildings built into the mountainside at 1,400 meters, midpoint of the Alishan Forest Railway. Be Famous for natural rock formations64, mountain streams, forests, and ruins of a Shinto temple in the vicinity65. Also famous for its production of high altitude food products such as bamboo shoots and aiyu jelly66. The local box lunches (Fencihu bento) which were once sold to passengers on the rail line are also well known.
l Jhushan (祝山) (train from Alishan station)
The top attraction in Alishan, everybody crowds aboard67 the predawn68 trains for the half-hour trip to this peak on the east side of Alishan, where you can see the sun rise over Yushan. There's a viewing platform69 right70 next to the station, but it's worth it to hike an extra 15-20 minutes past the helicopter pad71 to the very top, where the crowds are a little thinner. As the sun is already up behind the mountain, the sky is already quite light by the time you get to the top, and the sun is very bright when rising up -- hawkers72 sell disposable73 $10 eclipse-style filtered74 glasses, but it's better to not stare75 at all. On the way back, skip the train and walk back instead, it's a pleasant 3-4 km downhill hike.
l Giant Trees Trail (near Shermuh76 station)
There are in fact two of these, both near Shermuh station, and they can be walked in a pleasant half-hour loop. True to the name, the cypresses here are giant indeed, and many have been growing for well over a millennium77 The small Cihyun78 Temple, originally built by the Japanese and the Tree Spirit Pagoda79 are along the way. The trail is particularly80 spooky81 when the mist82 rolls in83.
l Shoujhen Temple (受鎮宮)
The largest temple in Alishan is definitely worth a visit. The exterior84 and first floor are imposing85 enough, but don't miss a visit to the second floor, featuring an incredibly ornate86 golden altar and a surreal87 room with 10,000 miniature88 Buddhas89, each lit up with its own LED.
l Two Sisters Pond (姊妹潭)
There are two scenic little ponds in the forest. The Elder Sister Pond, the larger of the two, has a much-photographed90 octagonal91 little pavilion92 in the middle. The (demanding) trail to Tashan93 starts from here.
V. Notice
Ø What to Wear
It is best to bring an extra coat, especially in mountainous regions94 that are over one thousand meters above sea level. It can get particularly cold at Alishan Forest Recreation Area95 at nighttime. If you forgot to bring one, hotels typically rent them out. One will often encounter96 stone steps in the Alishan region, so non-slip walking shoes would be most suitable. Dress shoes, high-heeled shoes, and slippers are not appropriate.
Ø What Else to Bring
It is recommended97 that one bring an umbrella. The Alishan region receives frequent98 rainfall. General stores and grocery stores will often have them for sale, displayed at an easy to spot location. If you have a prescription99 or other pharmaceutical100 needs, please be prepared ahead of time. There are no convenience stores after Chukou101. As for pharmacies102 that sell western medicine, there are none in the scenic area. Within the Alishan Scenic Area, roads such as Provincial Highway 18 and County Highway 162 have their fair share of turns. Some people might become carsick as a result, medicine for carsickness is recommended in this case. Some tourists can develop symptoms103 of mountain sickness even at a mountainous region that does not exceed 2,500 meters above sea level. When such symptoms develop, it is best to proceed104 to a lower level and let the body adjust105. If tourists have concerns about their physical condition, they can prepare appropriate medication ahead of time, just in case the need arises.
l Vocabulary and Phrases
1. ensured 保證2. itinerary 行程
3. mean 打算
4. assist 幫助
5. handling 處理
6. arise 產生、發生
7. Alishan National Scenic Area
阿里山國家風景區
8. plantations 農園、大農場
9. Mount Ali 阿里山別名
10. wasabi 山葵
11. hectares 公頃
12. peak 頂峰；高峰
13. oriental cherry 櫻花
14. spans (橋、拱等)橫跨；跨越
15. altitude 海拔高度
16. elevations 高地、高處
17. LeYe Township 鹿野鄉
18. subtropical 副熱帶的；亞熱帶的
19. tropical 熱帶
20. temperate 氣候溫和的；溫帶的
21. alpine 高山的；阿爾卑斯山的
22. Budget 預算
23. Fencihu lunch box 奮起湖便當
24. deep-fried 油炸的
fired 油煎的
25. cutlet 厚肉片；（尤指羊或豬）肉排
26. sausage 香腸；臘腸
27. selection 選擇
28. veggies 蔬菜
29. pop 每個人 (= population)
30. stalls 攤位，售貨亭（尤指集市上的）
31. square 廣場
32. Jhushan 祝山
33. crepe 油煎薄餅；烤薄餅
34. scallion 青蔥
35. Mid-range 中檔的；大眾型的
36. identical 完全同樣的；相同的
37. specializing 使專門化；使特殊化 / 38. hotpot 火鍋
39. game 獵物；野禽；野味
40. boar 野豬
41. cater 滿足需要；適合
42. vast
遼闊的；巨大的；龐大的；大量的
43. spreads 價格差異
44. High Mountain Oolong tea
高山烏龍茶
45. serve up 端上（食物）
46. pot 鍋
47. vacuum 真空的
48. sealed 密封的
49. virtually 事實上
50. nonexistent 不存在的
51. pick your own poison 選你所喜歡的
52. gauge 寬度；厚度
53. facilitate 促進；促使；使便利
54. logging伐木作業
55. cypress 柏樹
56. Passenger carriages【英】(火車)客車廂
57. locomotive 機車；火車頭
58. Kiso木曾
59. Shay 謝伊
60. gradients 坡度，斜率，傾斜度
61. spiral 螺旋形；螺旋式
62. switchbacks
（上山公路坡道上的）急轉彎
63. dramatic突然的
64. rock formations 岩層
65. vicinity 周圍地區；鄰近地區；附近
66. aiyu jelly 愛玉
67. aboard 在車上的
68. predawn 黎明前的
69. platform 講台；舞台
70. right 正好；恰好；直接地
71. helicopter pad 直升飛機起降場
72. hawkers 小販 / 73. disposable
用後即丟棄的；一次性的
74. filtered 過濾的
75. stare 盯着看；凝視；注視
76. Shermuh 神木
77. millennium 千週年紀念日；千禧年
78. Cihyun 慈雲
79. Pagoda 寶塔
80. particularly 特別；尤其
81. spooky 怪異嚇人的；陰森可怖的
82. mist 薄霧
83. rolls in大量湧入；滾滾而來
84. exterior（尤指建築物的）外部，外觀
85. imposing 壯觀的；使人印象深刻的
86. ornate 華美的；富麗的；豪華的
87. surreal
離奇的；夢幻般的；超現實的
88. miniature 迷你版的
89. Buddhas 佛陀；佛像
90. photographed 為…拍照
91. octagonal 八邊形的；八角形的
92. pavilion 涼亭
93. Tashan 塔山
94. regions 地區
95. Alishan Forest Recreation Area
阿里山森林遊樂區
96. encounter遭遇，遇到
97. recommended 推薦；介紹
98. frequent頻繁的；常發生的
99. prescription計劃；建議；秘訣
100. pharmaceutical
製藥的；配藥的；賣藥的
101. Chukou 觸口
102. pharmacies藥劑業
103. symptoms 症狀、徵候
104. proceed繼續做（或從事、進行）
105. adjust調整；調節
m Conversation
PART I
P：今天我們來到這個聞名國際社會的阿里山。讓我先來為你介紹阿里山吧。
Today we have come to the famous Alishan. Let me introduce Alishan to you.
P：阿里山的開發始於19世紀，1974年政府著手規劃阿里山森林遊樂區。
The development of Alishan began in the 19th century. The government started planning the forest’s hiking area of Alishan in 1974.
V：阿里山的面積有多大？海拔多高？
How large is the area of Alishan? How high is the elevation?
P：阿里山面積有1,400公頃，海拔最高點有2800公尺高。
The area of Alishan is 1,400 hectares. The peak is 2800 meters high.
V：哇！那氣候一定很涼爽。
Wow! That climate must be very nice and cool.
climate氣候 / development發展；生長 / hectare公頃elevation海拔 / well-known出名的；眾所週知的
PART II
P：阿里山因不同的天氣溫度而展現出千變萬化的風貌。
Alishan shows changeable features because of different weather temperatures.
V：你可以為我們介紹阿里山有哪些比較奇特的景點嗎？
Can you recommend the interesting spots for us to visit?
P：阿里山最為人稱道的是日出、雲海、晚霞、森林、鐵道；並稱為阿里山五奇。
The spots of special interest at Alishan are the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the sunset, the forest, and the railway. These are called the five wonders of Alishan.
P：而且還有許多漂亮的花卉，尤其是櫻花最聞名，每年賞花季吸引了眾多遊客。
And there are a lot of beautiful flowers. The oriental cherry is the most well-known, and it attracts numerous visitors every year during the blossom season.
changeable 善變的 / temperature溫度 / blossom season花季feature特徵；特色 / recommend推薦 / oriental東方的；亞洲人
From: http://www.cypd.gov.tw/fbs/CmsShow.aspx?Parm=20061111165048458,2006111116328411,5
n Reading for Details
A. T or F: If the question is true, please put a T, or it is false, please put a F.
1. The development of Alishan began in the 19th century.
2. Teas are mostly sold in vacuum sealed bags of 150g, and usually will cost
between $600-$1000, although some can be as high as $8000 for this
amount.
3. The spots of special interest at Alishan are the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the
sunset, the forest, and the railway.
4. Alishan shows changeable features because of different weather
temperatures..
5. The guides work in a Sea of Star company.
B. Short Answers: Give a short answer to each of the following questions.
1. What are the five wonders of Alishan?
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2. What is the year passenger carriages were first added to the trains?
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3. What are the clothes that is not appropriate to wear?
→
4. How large is the area of Alishan? How high is the elevation?
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5. What’s your advice about our presentation?
→ (Open Question)
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