This is the country of three seasons. From June to November it lies hot, still, and unbearable, sick with violent unrelieving storms; then on until April, chill, quiescent, drinking its scant rain and scanter snows; from April to the hot season again, blossoming, radiant, and seductive. These months are only approximate; later or earlier the rain-laden wind may drift up the water gate of the Colorado from the Gulf, and the land set its seasons by the rain.
The desert floras shame us with their cheerful adaptations to the seasonal limitations. Their whole duty is to flower and fruit, and they do it hardly, or with tropical luxuriance, as the rain admits. It is recorded in the report of the Death Valley expedition that after a year of abundant rains, on the Colorado desert was found a specimen of Amaranthus ten feet high. A year later the same species in the same place matured in the drought at four inches. One hopes the land may breed like qualities in her human offspring, no tritely to .°try.±, but to do. Seldom does the desert herb attain the full stature of the type. Extreme aridity and extreme altitude have the same dwarfing effect, so that we find in the high Sierras and in Death Valley related species in miniature that reach a comely growth in mean temperatures. Very fertile are the desert plants in expedients to prevent evaporation, turning their foliage edge-wise toward the sun, growing silky hairs and helps them. It roll up dunes about the stocky stems, encompassing and protective, and above the dunes, which may be, as with the mesquite, three times as high as a man, the blossoming twigs flourish and bear fruit.

(from The Land of Little Rain by Mary Hunter Austin)
quiescent  静止的，沉寂的
seductive  有吸引力的，诱人的
flora  植物群
expedition  考察，探险
specimen  标本，样品
tritely  陈腐地，陈旧地
stature  身材，身高
dwarf  使变矮
miniature  小型，微型物
comely  合适的，适宜的
evaporation  蒸发，水分散失
foliage  叶子
exude  流出，渗出
viscid gum  黏胶
harry  折磨，骚扰
dune  沙丘
encompassing  包容的，环绕
mesquite  牧豆树属植物

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scant 缺乏的，不足的；限制，节省，减少blossom 花，花开的状态；开花，兴旺，发展lade 装载，装；舀出radiant 发光的，辐射的tropical 热带的，热情的luxuriance 茂盛breed 繁殖，教养，抚育offspring 儿女，了孙，后代，产物herb 药草，香草aridity 干旱arid 干旱的expedient 有利的；权宜之计twig 嫩枝，小枝，末梢；注意，了解 高考试卷

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