The Night the Earth didn't Sleep

Strange things were happening in the countryside of northeastern Hebei. For several days, the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell. There were deep cracks (裂缝) that appeared in the well walls. Chickens and even pigs were too nervous to eat, and dogs refused to go inside buildings. Mice ran out of the fields looking for places to hide, and fish jumped out of the water. At about 3:00 a.m., on 28 July 1976, bright lights were seen in the sky outside the city of Tangshan and loud noises were heard. But the city's one million people were asleep as usual that night.

At 3:42 a.m., everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world were coming to an end! Eleven kilometers directly below the city, one of the most deadly earthquakes of the 20th century had begun, a quake that even caused damage (损坏) more than 150 kilometers away in Beijing. Nearly one third of the whole nation felt it! A huge crack, eight kilometers long and 30 meters wide, cut across houses, roads, and waterways. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In less than one minute, a large city lay in ruins. Two thirds of the people who lived there were dead or injured. Thousands of children were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or badly injured in the quake was more than 400,000.

Everywhere survivors (幸存者) looked, there was nothing but ruins. Nearly everything in the city was destroyed. People were in shock-and then, later that afternoon, another big quake shook Tangshan again. Even more buildings fell down. People began to wonder how long the disaster (灾难) would last.

But hope was not lost. Soon after the quakes, the army sent 150,000 soldiers to Tangshan to dig out those who were trapped and to bury the dead. More than 10,000 doctors and nurses came to provide medical care. Workers built shelters for survivors whose homes had been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people were helped. Water and food were brought into the city by train, truck, and plane. Slowly, the city began to breathe again.

Tangshan started to get back up on its feet. With strong support from the government and the tireless efforts of the city's people, a new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins. Tangshan city has proved to the world that in times of disaster, people must unify and show the wisdom to stay positive and rebuild for a brighter future.

1.What does the writer want to tell us in the first paragraph?

_________________________

2.On which day did the earthquake happen?

_________________________

3.How much was the city destroyed?

_________________________

4.Did people lose hope?

_________________________

5.What has Tangshan city proved to the world?

_________________________

Born to Draw

Jenna looked at the calendar and sighed (叹气). Even though she looked forward to the new term, she would miss spending her summer vacation ______. It was so satisfying to see how her drawings could bring life to her storytelling!

Unfortunately, Jenna's parents didn't understand how much she wanted to be a comic illustrator (插画家). When she talked about her dream job with her parents, she expected them to ______ her. Instead, they explained that drawing comics was a hobby, not a career (职业).

Jenna couldn't stop thinking about that unpleasant conversation, so she turned to her elder brother, James. She wanted her brother to help her make their parents ______ that drawing comics is an art form and that it can even be a great career.

But as she spoke, the look on her brother's face told her that he agreed with their parents. Jenna politely listened to her brother and then she walked back to her room ______.

At school a few weeks later, Miss Bridwell noticed that Jenna wasn't herself. Jenna told Miss Bridwell that she was ______ because her parents didn't back her choice of becoming a comic illustrator.

Pointing to the bookshelf in the front of the room, Miss Bridwell began, "When I was probably about your age, my dad once said writing was not a career. I was just straightforward with my dad. I simply told him the truth. I explained that I enjoyed writing, and that I wanted to get better and to write. I guess my ______ came through, and he believed me."

Miss Bridwell's story ______ Jenna a lot, so she decided to discuss her ideas with her parents again. It didn't happen immediately, but in the end, they came to understand that Jenna's ______ of drawing comics was more important than whether it was the career they wanted for Jenna.

1.A.drawing B.reading C.writing D.singing

2.A.comfort B.support C.teach D.follow

3.A.promise B.decide C.prove D.believe

4.A.secretly B.hopefully C.cheerfully D.quietly

5.A.regretful B.nervous C.upset D.frightened

6.A.honesty B.patience C.pride D.carefulness

7.A.reminded B.encouraged C.surprised D.interested

8.A.love B.experience C.purpose D.memory

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