题目内容
The fires that have left more than 160 people dead in southern Australia burned with such speed that they seemed less a wildfire than a violent bombing．Many victims caught in the fires had no time to escape; their houses were destroyed around them，and they burned to death．As firefighters battle the flames and police begin to look into possible cases of arson（纵火）around some of the fires，there will surely be debates over the wisdom of Australia's standard policy of advising people to either flee a fire early or stay in their homes and wait it out．John Brumby，the premier of the fire-hit Australian state of Victoria，said “There is no question that there were people who did everything right and put in place their fire plan，however，their house was just burnt into pieces．”
Although the wildfires caught so many victims by surprise last weekend，there has been no shortage of distant early-warning signs．The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change，for example，warned that fires in Australia were certain to increase in intensity and frequency because of steadily warming temperatures over the next several decades．A research reported that by 2020，there could be up to 65% more “extreme” fire-danger days compared with 1990．
Destructive wildfires are already common in Australia，and it's not hard to see why climate change would increase their frequency．Australia has warmed 0.9℃ since 1950，and it is predicted the country could warm further by 2070，up to 5℃ over 1990 temperatures，if global greenhouse -gas emissions（排放）go unchecked．Besides a simple rise in average temperatures，climate change will also lead to an increase in Australia's extreme heat waves and droughts．
It's important to acknowledge that no single weather event can be only caused by climate change-and it's possible that the fire would have been as intense and deadly even without the warming of the past several decades．Police beginning to suspect that many of the fifes may have been set，and the increase in the number of homes built in fire-danger zones in southern Australia today puts more people in harm's way．Still，heat waves and drought set the table for wildfires．The wildfires in southern Australia are already the worst in the nation's history-but they surely won't be the last．
1．What are people's attitudes to the Australia's policy about fire accidents?
A．It turns out to mislead the public and create confusion．
B．Some are starting to doubt whether it is useful enough，
C．People believe it fails to prevent global climate change．
D．The fire was spreading quickly just because of the policy．
2．The underlined word in the second paragraph is most probably used to describe the fire's _________．
A．damage B．temperature C．cause D．chances
3．Which is NOT a possible effect of global greenhouse-gas emissions according to the passage?
A．High temperature． B．Severe droughts．
C．Violent crime． D．Frequent wildfires．
4．Why do the police suspect the fires may have been set on purpose?
A．Because more and more people are living in fire-danger zones．
B．Because there was no such a terrible fire in this area before．
C．Because firefighters failed to put out the fire before it spread．
D．Because the terrible climate is likely to make people act stupidly．
5．What's the main idea of the passage?
A．Humans have to adapt to the influence of warming．
B．The global climate change will continue for centuries．
C．We have a lot to do to reduce global carbon emissions，
D．Global warming may be fueling Australia's fires．
BACAD
Please bring enough water and food for all walks.
Wear good walking shoes--no high heels.
Wear a hat for day walks. 
Dress warmly for night walks.
Children must be with an adult.Cyril was a small town. The houses there were all made of wood; almost everything in the houses such as cupboards, tables and chairs were made of wood, too. And all the houses faced south. The town was never peaceful. Fire broke out once a week on summer afternoons. Residents were puzzled who the real firebug(纵火犯) was.
One day a big fire broke out. It was said that a Negro had jumped out of the house on fire, so the police arrested(逮捕) all the Negroes in the street. However, fire never stopped to breaking out when the Negroes were in prison.
Mauson, a physics teacher didn’t believe that the Negroes were the firebugs, for he really knew about those Negroes, He made up his mind to find out who the real firebug was.
One day he was invited to drink in a pub and happened to notice that many bottles and plastic plates were baked by the hot sunrays. Suddenly he realized what the actual fact was. He jumped with joy, saying, “I’ve got the answer!”
Mauson dashed out of the pub to his friend’s house nearby, which also faced south. He made an experiment there to confirm his idea.
The next Saturday afternoon, Mauson asked some policemen and newsmen to come to the house. They were told that the real firebug would be shown there. At that time the sun was shining full into the house and it became hotter and hotter inside the room.
Someone wanted to draw the curtains together, while another was going to use a bottle to drink water, but neither got permission from Mauson, who wanted to let the firebug in.
“Now,” said Mauson, “this house will soon catch fire.” People looked at each other in surprise. Mauson asked them to look at the bottles and focus on the table cloth. After a while the cloth gave off a burning smell and began to catch fire!
The mystery of fire was discovered, but the police wouldn’t believe him and insisted that Negroes had been the firebugs. Instead they arrested Mauson and put him into prison. But Mauson said he would never turn against science.
【小题1】
The town was never peaceful, for fire broke out .
| A．in the afternoon | B．in summer | C．at any time | D．A and B |
Why did the police arrest all the Negroes?
| A．One of them had jumped out of the home on fire. |
| B．They were suspected to be the firebugs. |
| C．The police hated the Negroes. |
| D．The Negroes knew something about the fires. |
Drinking in a pub, Mauson realized what the actual fact was .
| A．by experiment | B．by backing the bottles |
| C．through the hot sunrays | D．by accident |
By making an experiment, they knew the real firebug was .
| A．the Negroes | B．bottles | C．sunrays | D．plastic plates |
Mauson was put into prison, because .
| A．he had told a lie |
| B．he had fund out the real firebug |
| C．he had turned against science |
| D．he had made friends with the Negroes |
D
You may picture firefighters holding a hose (水管) outside of a burning building, but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don’t fight fires quite that way. When they go into action, you may not even see a fire truck.
The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wildness areas. But don’t think you’ll only find them in their home state California. Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency, the Golden Eagles Hotshots could be there.
But these firefighters don’t work the same way as firefighters in a big city. They work in areas where there are a large number of trees, bushes, and grass. They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and burnable debris（残骸）. They sometimes use water, but they often fight fire with fire!
They do that by lighting what are called “backfires,” which are small, controlled fires that burn up fuel in the path of large wildfires. That way, when the wildfire gets there, it has nothing to burn and nowhere to go, because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.
The Hotshots also clear away fuel using old-fashioned hard work. For example, they use a saw to cut away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.
Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the fires. But the water is limited, and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything. Physical fitness is very important. They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain(地形) while carrying a 60-pound pack.
The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay. But thanks to their efforts, many lives have been saved, many houses have not burned, and countless trees are still standing.
1.67. The firefighters mentioned in the passenger.
|
A．do much of their work in California |
|
B．avoid climbing steep hills in their work |
|
C．do their work equipped with advanced tools. |
|
D．carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains. |
2.68. According to the passage, why do the firefighters light “backfires”?
|
A．To signal for help. |
B．To remove obstacles. |
|
C．To protect trees and bushes. |
D．To prevent the fire from spreading. |
3.69. What can we learn about the Golden Eagles Hotshots?
|
A．They are firefighters working in big cities. |
|
B．Their work requires physical strength. |
|
C．They are voluntary firefighters working for free. |
|
D．They usually hold a hose to put out the fires. |
4.70. What is the author’s attitude towards the Golden Eagles Hotshots?
|
A．Appreciative |
B．Doubtful |
C．Worried |
D．Critical |
