When I was a boy the story I liked best was one about wolves in Russia.Some Russians in a sleigh were driving across the snow, when they were attacked by a pack of hungry wolves.The men whipped up their horses, but the wolves drew nearer and nearer.When the wolves were just about to spring upon the sleigh the men threw out food, which the wolves stopped a moment to devour, allowing the sleigh to get ahead.But the wolves caught up and again food was thrown out and again and again, till there was no food left.See if you can guess the end of the story, or make up an ending of your own.Naturally, I used to think of Russia as a land of wolves, though for some reason people call Russia "The Bear."Russia is a huge country—it is the largest country in Europe—it is as large as all the other countries of Europe put together,and in the far north there are wolves, snow, and sleighs.But there is also a middle Russia which is not so cold and a southern Russia which is quite warm.In the north of Russia it is so cold that even in summer when the snow has gone and the ground has thawed out on top,the ground underneath remains frozen stiff, and, though grass and even flowers grow above, the ground below remains hard and icy.These frozen lands are called "tundras," and there are thousands of miles of such tundras across the north of Russia.At the top of Russia is a sea called "White" and at the bottom of Russia a sea called "Black."The White Sea, I suppose, is called “White” because it is frozen over most of the year and covered with snow—and yet,during a few months of the summer when the ice in it has melted, great ships sail into the White Sea,bringing in loads of all sorts of goods to the one great port on this sea—a city called Archangel—a name that makes one think of heaven.
adj. 融化的;溶解的 v. 融化;溶解(melt的过