Brighton is in the county of East Sussex, on the South coast of England. Situated between the English Channel and the South Downs, Brighton is 90 km from London. Brighton’s nearby neighbor, Hove, is seen by some as a more desirable location than Brighton and it is often referred to by locals as "Hove, actually".
Brighton is a small city but there’s probably as much going on here as anywhere in the country except London. Brighton has numerous entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a considerable business conference industry. There’s a huge range of entertainment venues, including comedy at the Brighton Komedia, world music, opera and ballet at the Brighton Dome, jazz at the Joogleberry, top stars at the Brighton Centre and pre-West End shows at the Theatre Royal. The live music scene is also alive and well with several bands originating from the Brighton area going on to have commercial success in recent years.
Every year in May, Brighton hosts the "Brighton Festival" ------ the largest arts festival in England. Brighton’s theatres, concert halls, streets and some of the city’s most extraordinary venues host an array of art, entertainment and extravaganza (盛大表演). The earliest feature of the festival, "Open Houses" ------ homes of artists and crafts people, opened up to the public as galleries and usually sell the works of the inhabitants and their friends.
Students at the two universities in the area give the city a youthful vitality (活力), and in the summer, thousands of young students from all over Europe gather in the city to attend language courses. In addition to the usual coastal attractions, vacationers are drawn to the city’s Georgian architecture, trendy shops, and fine restaurants. Points of interest also include the Edwardian Preston Manor, the ornate Royal Pavilion, the engaging Sea Life Center, and a  variety of museums and art galleries.
【小题1】What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

Tsunami warning system is tested

If he, the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, were alive, Thomas Jaggar would be proud of the U.S. tsunami warning system after Friday’s devastating earthquake in Japan sent a surge (大浪，汹涌) of ocean water dashing toward the West Coast.

● WASHINGTON — So many people surged to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center website that it slowed to a crawl early Friday, unable to provide critical information to the public about the coastal impact in the U.S. of a massive earthquake in Japan.

McClatchy Washington Bureau — Mar 11 06:09 p.m.

● CHICAGO — A tsunami warning has been issued for the central and northern California coast and Oregon, the National Weather Service announced early Friday.

Chicago Tribune— Mar 11 06:07 a.m.

● HONOLULU — A tsunami warning was issued late on Thursday for Hawaii after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, prompting state civil defense officials to order all coastal areas evacuated（把…撤出…）by 2 a.m. local time. Tsunami sirens (警报) began sounding at 9:59 p.m. on Thursday. They have sounded every hour since 11:15 p.m.

Alaska Tsunami Warning Center also issued a warning for much of the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

Reuters via Yahoo! News — Mar 11 01:22 a.m.

● LOMPOC — Tsunami warning ‘a wake-up call’              

A tsunami warning that led to evacuations for coastal communities and campgrounds in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Friday served as a successful trial for a more serious emergency, officials said after the danger passed.

The Lompoc Record — Mar 11 11:29 p.m.

● WELLINGTON — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, and it said the sea level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated and was in effect for some Pacific islands — Hawaii, China’s Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia etc.

New Straits Times — Mar 11 07:48 a.m.

                                  — Reproduced by Yahoo Greenwich Meantime

1..

. A tsunami warning was issued for all the following states in the U.S. except for _____.

    A. Ohio         B. California           C. Oregon          D. Alaska

2..

 The underlined word “prompting” (in the fourth paragraph) most probably means _____.

A. promoting      B. advocating     C. urging         D. appealing

3..

According to the passage, the Pacific Tsunami warning was first reported by _____.

A. New Straits Times                    B. Reuters via Yahoo! News

    C. McClatchy Washington Bureau          D. Chicago Tribune

4..

In which city did the news agency issue a tsunami affecting for some other places apart from Japan and Hawaii?

A. LOMPOC.        B. WASHINGTON.      C. HONOLULU.    D. WELLINGTON.

When someone says “SHARK” most people think of a big, toothy, underwater animal; basically we are imagining a Great White. In fact sharks come in all shapes, sizes and even colors! Follow me please; I’d like to show you a very special small shark commonly known as horn sharks, only found in the coastal waters of north-west North America.

Look at this shark, and you can easily see the horns on it and you will know the reason why it is called the horn shark is that it has the broad, flattened head and two large horn-like spines(脊椎) found behind its eyes and makes it one of the hardiest of all shark species. What makes it unique is that as its enemy attempts to swallow it, the spines on its back will stick into the enemy’s mouth and give a good chance for it to get away.

The horn shark is brown in color with black spots all over its body. The adults can reach up to a length of 4 feet and weigh up to 10 kg. An interesting fact about the horn shark is that it has five gills(鳃). The horn shark is a clumsy swimmer using its flexible pectoral fins(胸鳍)to push itself along the bottom of the ocean. The maximum distance that has ever been recorded for a horn shark to have traveled out from its habitat is 10 miles.

Today, as so little is known about its population off the Californian coast, they have been listed as being “Data Deficient” in the World Conservation Union. The horn shark is being threatened both by water pollution and commercial fishing in the area. Though they are not among those sea creatures hunted primarily for food, but they often get caught as a by-catch in fishing expeditions.

1.The horn shark gets its name for______.

A. its small size                            B. its large eyes

C. its two large spines                       D. its brown color with spots

2.How is paragraph 3 mainly developed?

A. By giving descriptions                     B. By following time order

C. By analyzing causes                       D. By making comparisons

3.Which factors contribute to the horn shark’s being on the “Data Deficient” list?

①That people like hunting them for pets        ②That people fish them for fun

③Water pollution off the coast                ④Knowing little about them

A. ①②                B.②③            C. ①④            D.③④

4. According to the passage, all of the following are unique to the horn shark EXCEPT that_____.

A. it doesn’t travel far

B. it is good at swimming

C. its spines can be used to attack the enemy and escape

D. it is only found in the coastal waters of north-west North America

Phillip Island Penguins(企鹅)

The Little Penguin has called Phillip Island home for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island in plenty of time to watch a summer sunset at Summerland Beach－the stage is attractively set to see the Little Penguin leave water and step onto land.

?Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to Phillip Island

?See the Gippsland area－Guinness Book of Records place for the world’s longest earthworm (蚯蚓)

?Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance

?Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island－natural home for Little Penguins and many animals

?Take your place in special viewing stands(看台) to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins

Ultimate Penguins (+U)

Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.

Adult (成人) $ 60.00      Child $ 30.00

Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)

More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.

Adult $ 25.00       Child $ 12.50

Penguin Skybox (+S)

Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of Summerland Beach.

Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00

73．What kind of people is the text mainly written for?

       A．Scientists.           B．Students.             C．tourists.              D．Artists.

74．We can learn from the text that Little Penguins __________.

       A．have been on Phillip Island for years

       B．keep a Guinness record for their size

       C．are trained to practice diving for visitors

       D．live in large groups to protect themselves

75．How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour?

       A．$ 37.50.              B．$ 62.50.              C．$ 180.00.            D．$ 150.00.

      In July 1994 Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was struck by 21 pieces of  comet(彗星).When the fragments(碎片)landed in the southern part of the giant planet, the explosions were watched by scientist here on earth. But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?

       The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the earth. The news has caused panic.

       On 17 July, a fragment four kilometers wide enters the earth’s atmosphere with a huge explosion. About half of the fragment is destroyed. But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads. The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. The waves moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.

       Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the earth, but the north won’t escape for long. Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions. As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later civilization has collapsed. No more than 10 million people have survived.

       Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the earth. The dinosaurs(恐龙)were on the earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believed that the earth was hit by a space fragment. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct. Will we meet the same end?

1. Which of the following in NOT true according to the author’s description of the disaster in 2094?

       A. The whole world becomes extremely cold.

       B. All the coastal cities in Africa are destroyed.

       C. The whole mankind becomes extinct.

       D. The visit of the comet results in war.

2. Why does the author mention dinosaur at the end of the passage?

       A. Because they could only live in the warm climate.

       B. Because they once dominated the earth.

       C. Because their extinction indicates future disasters.

       D. Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age

3. In writing the passage, the author intends to ____.

       A. give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future

       B. prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed

       C. tell the historical development of the earth

       D. warn of a possible disaster in the future

4. It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n) ____.

       A. horror story                                   B. news report

       C. research paper                               D. article of popular science