 Greater Los Angeles, on the southern west coast of the United States, takes in a range of geographical1 extremes, including a subtropical （亚热带的）desert, 76mi (122km) of sea coast, a pair of offshore2 islands and peaks that exceed 10,000ft (3000m) in elevation3 （海拔）. But the most notable thing about Los Angeles' geography is that it straddles one of the world's major fault zones（断层带）. The San Andreas Fault - which comes within 33mi (56km) of downtown LA - has been responsible for five serious quakes this century and dozens of imperceptible（感觉不到的）quakes every week.
Covering 465 sq mi (1200 sq km), Los Angeles takes in 88 incorporated cities. The Santa Monica Mountains separate Hollywood and Beverly Hills from the San Fernando Valley to the north; adjacent Orange County, home of Disneyland, extends along the coast to the southeast. Santa Monica and Venice are on the coast, just west of Beverly Hills, while the international airport is south of Venice. Downtown (where you'll find Union Station, the Amtrak depot) is east of Hollywood, with Watts4 and Compton to its south. You'll find the main Greyhound terminal east of downtown and south of Little Tokyo. Head west from Santa Monica to get to Malibu.
Basically, LA is a monster of a city to get around. It's a tangle5 of freeways and sprawling6 suburbs, where anyone without a car is considered intellectually impaired7（弱智）.
Hollywood
 Los Angeles has built its reputation on the glamour8 of the movies. Hollywood itself (in northwestern LA) is no longer the movie mecca（圣地）it once was, but it certainly holds plenty of historic interest. Take a walk down Hollywood Blvd and you'll pass by famous sights such as Mann's (née Grauman's) Chinese Theatre, where more than 150 of the glitterati（社会名流）have left their prints on the sidewalk out the front. Head east along the Boulevard, stepping on those famous bronze stars, and you'll find yourself at the Roosevelt Hotel.
If you don't manage to spot a real star while you're in Hollywood, drop by the Hollywood Wax Museum.
 Disneyland
Disneyland is divided into four different lands: Adventureland has a jungle theme and features Indiana Jones and the Forbidden Eye; Frontierland celebrates the myth of the Wild West; Fantasyland devotes itself to Disney's favorite characters; and Tomorrowland is (you guessed it) all about the future.
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| Palm trees flank a glamorous9 Beverly Hills street. |
Beverly Hills
The tour would not be complete without a visit to Beverly Hills, home to the rich and famous. Just west of Hollywood, this city-within-a-city flaunts（炫耀）its wealth with opulent manors10 （豪宅）on manicured（修剪整齐的）grounds and shopping streets overflowing11 with designer labels（设计师品牌商标）.
North Beverly Hills is the epicenter of luxury living, home to the likes of Jack12 Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Harrison Ford13.
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