搜索
Unit5CANADA-“THETRUENORTH”ATRIPON“THETRUENORTH”LiDaiyuandhercousinLiuQianwereonatriptoCanadatovisittheircousinsinMontrealontheAtlanticcoast.Ratherthantaketheaeroplanealltheway,theydecidedtoflytoVancouverandthentakethetrainfromwesttoeastacrossCanada.Thethoughtthattheycouldcrossthewholecontinentwasexciting.Theirfriend,DannyLin,waswaitingattheairport.Hewasgoingtotakethemandtheirbaggagetocatch“TheTrueNorth”,thecross-Canadatrain.Onthewaytothestation,hechattedabouttheirtrip.“You’regoingtoseesomegreatscenery.Goingeastward,you’llpassmountainsandthousandsoflakesandforests,aswellaswideriversandlargecities.SomepeoplehavetheideathatyoucancrossCanadainlessthanfivedays,buttheyforgetthefactthatCanadais5,500kilometresfromcoasttocoast.HereinVancouver,you’reinCanada’swarmestpart.PeoplesayitisCanada’smostpopularcitiestolivein.Itspopulationisincreasingrapidly.ThecoastnorthofVancouverhassomeoftheoldestandmostbeautifulforestsintheworld.Itissowettherethatthetreesareextremelytall,somemeasuringover90metres.”Thatafternoonaboardthetrain,thecousinssettleddownintheirseats.Earlierthatday,whentheycrossedtheRockyMountains,theymanagedtocatchsightofsomemountaingoatsandevenagrizzlybearandaneagle.TheirnextstopwasCalgary,whichisfamousfortheCalgaryStampede.CowboysfromallovertheworldcometocompeteintheStampede.Manyofthemhaveagiftforridingwildhorsesandcanwinthousandsofdollarsinprizes.Aftertwodays’travel,thegirlsbegantorealizethatCanadaisquiteempty.Atschool,theyhadlearnedthatmostCanadianslivewithinafewhundredkilometresoftheUSAborder,andCanada’spopulationisonlyslightlyoverthirtymillion,butnowtheywereamazedtoseesuchanemptycountry.Theywentthroughawheat-growingprovinceandsawfarmsthatcoveredthousandsofacres.Afterdinner,theywerebackinanurbanarea,thebusyportcityofThunderBayatthetopoftheGreatLakes.ThegirlsweresurprisedatthefactthatoceanshipscansailuptheGreatLakes.BecauseoftheGreatLakes,theylearned,Canadahasmorefreshwaterthananyothercountryintheworld.Infact,ithasone-thirdoftheworld’stotalfreshwater,andmuchofitisintheGreatLakes.Thatnightastheyslept,thetrainrushedacrossthetopofLakeSuperior,throughthegreatforestsandsouthwardtowardsToronto.“THETRUENORTH”FROMTORONTOTOMONTREALThenextmorningthebushesandmapletreesoutsidetheirwindowswerered,goldandorange,andtherewasfrostontheground,confirmingthatfallhadarrivedinCanada.AroundnoontheyarrivedinToronto,thebiggestandmostwealthycityinCanada.TheywerenotleavingforMontrealuntillater,sotheywentonatourofthecity.TheywentupthetallCNTowerandlookedacrossthelake.Inthedistance,theycouldseethemistycloudthatrosefromthegreatNiagaraFalls,whichisonthesouthsideofthelake.ThewaterflowsintotheNiagaraRiverandoverthefallsonitswaytothesea.Theysawthecoveredstadium,homeofseveralfamousbasketballteams.Astheywalkednorthfromtheharbourarea,LiDaiyusaid,“LinFei,oneofmymother’soldschoolmates,liveshere.Ishouldphoneherfromatelephonebooth.”TheymetLinFeiaroundduskindowntownChinatown,oneofthethreeinToronto.OverdinneratarestaurantcalledThePinkPearl,thecousinschattedwithLinFei,whohadmovedtoCanadamanyyearsearlier.“WecangetgoodCantonesefoodhere,”LinFeitoldthem,“becausemostoftheChinesepeopleherecomefromSouthChina,especiallyHongKong.It’stoobadyoucan’tgoasfarasOttawa,Canada’scapital.It’sapproximatelyfourhundredkilometresnortheastofToronto,soitwouldtaketoolong.”ThetrainleftlatethatnightandarrivedinMontrealatdawnthenextmorning.Atthestation,peopleeverywherewerespeakingFrench.ThereweresignsandadsinFrench,butsomeofthemhadEnglishwordsinsmallerletters.“Wedon’tleaveuntilthisevening,”saidLiuQian.“Let’sgodowntown.OldMontrealisclosetothewater.”Theyspenttheafternooninlovelyshopsandvisitingartistsintheirworkplacesbesidethewater.AstheysatinabuffetrestaurantlookingoverthebroadStLawrenceRiver,ayoungmansatdownwiththem.“Hello,mynameisHenri.I’mastudentattheuniversitynearby,”hesaid,“andIwaswonderingwhereyouarefrom.”ThegirlstoldhimtheywereonatraintripacrossCanadaandthattheyhadonlyonedayinMontreal.“That’stoobad,”hesaid.“Montrealisacitywithwonderfulrestaurantsandclubs.MostofusspeakbothEnglishandFrench,butthecityhasFrenchcultureandtraditions.Welovegoodcoffee,goodbreadandgoodmusic.”ThatnightasthetrainwasspeedingalongtheStLawrenceRivertowardtheGulfofStLawrenceanddowntothedistanteastcoast,thecousinsdreamedofFrenchrestaurantsandredmapleleaves.