Tropical cyclones(热带旋风) are called typhoons（台风） in Asia, and hurricanes（飓风）in North and South America. These storms go around like a wheel（轮子） turning to the left. They have wind spends of 60 kph or more. They can be very destructive（毁灭性的）.In the United States, the Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, Florida, looks out for hurricanes. When scientists discover a true hurricane, they give it a name. They can use either a man’s or woman’s name. Why should hurricanes have names? The names make it easier forpeople to keep up with information about a hurricane and its dangers.

　 The World Meteorological Organization(WMO) , an international weather group, decides what names will be used. The WMO makes six lists of names, using the English alphabet. Each list is used for one year. When a hurricane happens, it gets the next name on the listfor that year. For example ,the first hurricane of the year might have the name Abel, whilethe second one could Betty. The name lists do not include names beginning with the letters O, U, X, Y, and Z, since there are few names that begin with these letters. Asian countries use a different list. This list has a few personal names, but most of the names are of flowers, animals and trees.

（ ）1．Why should hurricanes have names?

A. It sounds interesting.

B. The names help people get information about a hurricane.

C. The names are only for the WMO.

D. It is traditional.

( ) 2.　　 decides what names will be used for hurricanes.

A.The Tropical Prediction Centre　　 B. A scientist　　 C.The WMO　　 D. Abel

( ) 3. Which name would a hurricane never have?

A.Rita 　　　　 B. Veronica. 　 C. William　 D. Yanni

( ) 4.The Fifth hurricane of 2010 might have the name　　　 .

A.Diana　　　　 B. Darren　　　 C. Erie　　　 D. Connie

( ) 5. Asian countries name typhoons after 　　　 .

A. books and buildings　　　　　　　 B. flowers and animals

C. mountains and rivers　　　　　　 C. oceans and rivers

Three kids have been learning chemistry for only a few months. But they have already begun to challenge (挑战) a world famous scientist!

   Li Weichi, Huang Runling, and Xiao Yan are from Zhongshan Huaqiao Middle School in Guangdong. They have just found a red cabbage that could be a new kind of acid-base indicator (酸碱指示剂). They want it to take the place of litmus (石蕊) paper.

"We've learnt to think of and ask questions about life by ourselves," said Li, "We work well with each other."

   British scientist Robert Boyle discovered the use of litmus paper over 300 years ago. Now it is used widely in experiments all over the world.

   But when the kids did some experiments in class last winter, they saw that the litmus paper didn’t turn very blue with base matter. It's hard to get a clear result.

  Will there be a better indicator than litmus paper? The three kids decided to try and find out!

    How? They went to collect over 40 plants in parks, gardens and markets. Then they ground (研磨) leaves, flowers and stems (茎) to get the pigments (色素) from them.

   The kids mixed pigments with acid and base. They spent months watching carefully to see which paper showed the best colour change. They decided it was the litmus paper!

"It's our first scientific journey, Huang said, "But it makes me want to try harder."

1. Whom did the three kids want to challenge?

A. Their chemistry teacher.     B. Their headmaster.

C. Robert Boyle              D. Thomas Edison

2. From the text, a red cabbage is a kind of ____.

A. plant　　B. animal　　C. paper　　D. liquid

3.What is widely used as the acid-base indicator now?

A. red cabbage              B. litmus paper

C. any plant                D. any flower 

4.The story mainly tells us ____.

A. how to make litmus paper    B. about the three kids' spirit

C. scientists were wrong        D. the kids are heroes