英语流利说 Level 6 Unit 2-2 The Lost
Machu Picchu is one of the world's most impressive historical sites. It was built around 1450 by the Incas, who ruled most of South America at that time. They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped as the source of light and life.
Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, at 8,000 feet above sea level, the "City of the Incas" was mysteriously abandoned just 100 years after its construction. This was when the Spanish were beginning their conquest of the Inca Empire, in the 1530's. There is no evidence that the Spanish invaders ever attacked or even reached the mountaintop city, so many believe that the city's inhabitants deserted the site because of a smallpox epidemic.
The city was almost forgotten until 1911 when it was discovered by an American historian, Hiram Bingham, after he heard rumors of its existence. Bingham was led to the site by local farmers and was amazed by what he saw, which seemed like an unbelievable dream. He wondered if anyone would believe what he had found. Though the surrounding jungle had overgrown the site, what remained was impressive. The city had been built on a remote and nearly inaccessible mountaintop, often shrouded in clouds. Forty rows of farming terraces hugged the steep mountainside, each over 10 feet high and linked together by over 3000 stone steps. Among the city were what appeared to be neighborhoods of homes and exquisite stone buildings that are thought to be temples. Even today, the mystery remains as to the purpose of these temples, how the city was used and what its citizens did.
Despite its remote location, Machu Picchu has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year, thousands of people travel to Peru to admire its magnificent stonework and breathtaking design. What they see is a wonderful harmony between the city and the landscape around it that is captivating.
（Many believe that the city's inhabitants abandoned the city because of an epidemic.）
（This article succeeds in expressing the author's fascination with the site.）
