阅读理解

　　A terrifying example of the sea's power saw about 200,000 people die in 12 different countries last week. The devastation (毁坏) was caused when a massive earthquake sent tsunamis (海啸) smashing into Indian Ocean coastlines.

　　Communities in Sri Lanka. Indonesia, Thailand, India, Malaysia and East Africa have been destroyed by the monster waves. Whole towns were imply swept aside by the power of the water. Cars, trains and buildings could not survive (幸免), let alone the people who stood in the way.

　　The earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale (里氏震级) and occurred off the coast of Indonesia. It was recorded as the fifth strongest since 1900.

　　Scientists said the quake was as powerful as a million of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War Ⅱ. “This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas," said Jan Egeland, a UN official.

　　Because such waves rarely happen in the Indian Ocean, there is no system in place to warn coastal communities they are about to be hit.

　　Tsunami is Japanese for “harbour wave.” They are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the Earth's crust (地壳) under the ocean. Tsunamis often happen in oceans and they are most common in the Pacific. Normally a tsunamis includes a series of waves.

　　Tsunamis can be very long-as much a, 100 kilometres-and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without losing much energy. One of the most striking facts about tsunamis is that an earthquake on one side of the Pacific Ocean can cause giant wave, and destruction on the other side.

　　When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds of up to 800 kilometres per hour. They can cross the entire ocean in a day or less.

　　The wave may only be a few metres, high in the ocean but when it is near the shore and reaches shallow (浅) water, the wave builds up very quickly in height. Witnesses (目击者) in some areas of Indonesia reported seeing up to 10-metre high waves crash into the shore.

1．We can infer from the passage that fewer people would have died in the South Asian tsunami ________.

[　　]

A．if there had been warning system along the coast

B．if the earthquake had happened off the coast of Thailand

C．if the tsunami had happened in the day time

D．if the tsunami had happened in the deep ocean

2．What surprises people most about the tsunamis is that ________.

[　　]

A．it lasts a long time

B．it travels a long way

C．a tsunamis on one side of the ocean can cause destruction on the other side of the ocean

D．it builds up a high wave

3．Which of the following is NOT true of the South Asian tsunamis?

[　　]

A．It was caused by a serious earthquake off the coast of Indonesia.

B．It was caused by the strongest earthquake in the world.

C．People didn't expect such a strong tsunamis would hit them.

D．It may be the worst natural disaster in recent history.

4．Which of the following is the best title for this article?

[　　]

A．What Is the Tsunami?

B．South Asia Was Hit by the Strongest Earthquake.

C．Mother Nature Displays Anger.

D．A Terrible Disaster.

One way of preventing (阻止) floods may be by making rain! This may sound rather 1 . As we know, heavy rain is the 2 of floods, and in Malaysia, most of the 3  are caused by the annual monsoon (一年一度的湿季风), which brings heavy rain to the east coast. If, 4 ,the rain could be made 5  in the South China Sea, there would be 6 floods since the rain could not reach the east coast.

Is it possible to make 7  give up their rain? Yes, it is.

As you probably know, clouds are caused  8  air containing water-vapor (水蒸气). The air rises and, since water-vapor 9  water when it cools, very tiny drops of water are formed. Since these drops are very10 , they float (漂浮) in the air and 11  a cloud. When the cloud rises, however, the drop becomes 12  . Because of this, they 13  together and become big drops. The big drops are no longer able to float because of their 14  , and they fall. As they 15 , they pick up more drops and become bigger. This is the cause of rain.

Rain making 16  making these bigger drops form and fall 17 they would normally do so. This can be done by “seeding” the clouds with chemicals,  18  planting seeds in the ground. Rain can be produced 19  by these chemicals. The seeding is done by 20  which fly through the clouds.

1. A. wonderful     B. strange 　　　　    C. interesting 　　    D. terrible

2. A. cause     　　B. reason 　　　　　　 C. way 　　　　　　    D. means

3. A. rains 　　 　　B. snows 　　　　　　 C. winds 　　　　　　  D. floods

4. A. however　　 B. so　　  　　　　    C. as well 　　　　    D. then

5. A. to rise    　　 B. to raise 　　　　    C. to fall 　　　　　　  D. to drop

6. A. no longer 　　 B. no more 　　　　   C. many 　　   　　　　　　  D. not

7. A. Malaysia    B. coast 　　　　　　    C. clouds 　　　　　　 D. floods

8. A. of 　　　　 　　B. by 　　　　　　　　   C. with 　　　　　　    D. for

9. A. changes　　 B. turns 　　　　　　   C. becomes 　　　　  D. drinks

10 A. big 　　　　　　  B. small 　　　　　　   C. wet 　　　　　　　　 D. dry

11 A. form     　　B. organize 　　　　   C. meet 　　　　　　   D. bring

12. A. hotter   　　B. warmer 　　　　   C. lighter 　　　　　　 D. colder

13. A. appear      B. join 　　　　　　　　 C. fall 　　　　　　　　  D. make

14. A. size 　　 　　B. length 　　　　　　  C. color   　　　　    D. body

15. A. float     　　B. form 　　　　　　   C. rise 　　　　　　　　 D. fall

16. A. means       B. suggests 　　　　  C. show 　　　　　　　　　　 D. needs

17. A. after         B. until 　　　　　　    C. before 　　　　　　 D. when

18. A. as 　　　　　　  B. such as 　　　　    C. like 　　　　　　　　 D. for

19. A. by the way B. as it 　　　　　　　　 C. like it 　　    D. in this way

20. A. sowing machines  　　　　　　　　   B. tractors

C. farmers 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. planes