Question

If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don’t blame the service provider．The malfunction（故障） might well have been caused by something bigger -- a solar storm．Experts expect that Earth will see more solar activity in the near future．The malfunction of electronic devices will just one of the effects．
Sunspots（太阳黑子） serve as an indicator of the sun’s activity．For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing．Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．
When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This “solar minimum” doesn’t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo, the next solar maximum.
What’s special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now.
Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether

1. 1.
   The sun watcher feel surprised at______.
   1. A.
      the longest sunspots’ absence
   2. B.
      the largest sunspot number
   3. C.
      the malfunction of electronic devices
   4. D.
      the serious damage by sunspots
2. 2.
   What does the underlined word “crescendo” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?
   1. A.
      small number
   2. B.
      high level
   3. C.
      usual cycle
   4. D.
      fresh start
3. 3.
   We can infer that in the past two years______.
   1. A.
      solar activities have brought much trouble to our life
   2. B.
      the number of sunspots has increased to a large extent
   3. C.
      the solar minimum took the place of the solar maximum
   4. D.
      our cellphones have seldom been interrupted by the solar storm
4. 4.
   Which statement does the text lead you to believe?
   1. A.
      Solar activities do no harm to our daily life
   2. B.
      Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms
   3. C.
      It’s difficult to predict sunspots
   4. D.
      From now on there’ re no sunspots
5. 5.
   What is the passage mainly about?
   1. A.
      The earth is in close contact with the sun
   2. B.
      Sunspots can cause trouble to our life
   3. C.
      Introduction of sunspots
   4. D.
      Introduction of the solar storm．

Answer 1

ABDCD
1.根据第二段Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．描述,可知选A
2.根据下文the next solar maximum 下一个太阳活跃期,可知选B,高层,高度.
3.根据The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010.描述,可知过去太阳黑子处于平静期,故选D
4.根据最后一段What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict.及下文描述,可知选C
5.这篇短文主要描述了太阳风暴的形成周期及对人类生活的影响,故选D