题目内容
The Channel is the name given to the stretch of water which separates England and France. Ferries operate all year round to carry people across the Channel, and they are busy most of the year. January is the only quiet month nowadays. As well as summer holiday-makers, there are day trippers and coach traffic, not to mention lorries and other commercial vehicles. Some ferries carry cars and their passengers, while others also connect train passengers with the Continental rail network.
The biggest hazard for the ferry is the wind. The crew listens to BBC weather reports four times a day. Or they sometimes get gale warnings from local radio station.
Crossing the Channel by ferry is a bit like trying to cross Oxford Street on a busy afternoon, according to one ferryboat captain. The ferries from Folkstone and Dover to Calais and Boulogne have to cross the main flow of traffic. This consists of ships traveling through the Channel to and from Northern Europe. There may be four hundred ships making the journey at any one time, and they all pass through a “choke point” which is only fifteen miles (twenty-five kilometers) wide. The cross-channel ferries have to sail right through the middle of all this traffic.
1.The passage is mainly concerned with _____.
A. the English Channel B. the weather on the Channel
C. cross-channel ferries D. what crossing the Channel by ferry is like
2.The word hazard is closest in meaning to ________.
A. trouble B. danger C. enemy D. problem
3.We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. if there is a gale warning from the BBC, the ferries will stop operating.
B. the traffic on the Channel is very busy only in winter
C. ferries are busiest in the afternoon
D. the crew of the ferry listens to the weather reports four times a day
4.Where does this passage most probably appear?
A. In a dictionary. B. In a novel.
C. In a transportation magazine. D. In a geography textbook.
1.C2.B3.A4.C
Early in the 16th century men were trying to reach Asia by travelling west from Europe. In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South Africa. The man who finally found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was Ferdinand Magellan.
Magellan sailed from Seville in August 1519 with five ships and about 280 men. Fourteen months later, after spending the severe (凌冽的) winter on the coast of Patagonia, he discovered the channel (海峡) which is now called Magellan Straits. In November 1520, after many months of dangers from rocks and storms, the three remaining ships entered the ocean on the other side of South America.
They then continued, hoping to reach Asia. But they didn’t see any land until they reached the islands off the coast of Asia. Before they arrived at these islands, later known as Philippines, men were dying of starvation. While they were in the Philippines., Magellan was killed in battle.
The remaining officers then had to get back to Spain. They decided to sail around Africa. After many difficulties, one ship with eighteen men sailed into Seville after leaving. They were all that remained of Magellan’s expedition (探险队).
【小题1】Magellan Straits were discovered by Magellan ______.
A.in August 1519 | B.in October 1520 |
C.in November 1520 | D.in December 1520 |
A.two | B.three | C.four | D.five |
A.Dangers from rocks and storms | B.Lack of fresh food and water |
C.Severe winter in Patagonia | D.The death of Magellan |