Wind , water, fire and ice-these powerful natural forces have shaped the land of America in the past. They are still changing it today.

The Colorado River slowly cut down through stone to make the Grand Canyon(大峡谷).

Long ago, ice sheets cut Yosemite Valley and the Great Lakes, and glaciers(冰川) are still on the move in Alaska.

Wind and rain storm hit the land from time to time. Fires sometimes burn down forests and destroy the homes of wild animals. This happened in Yellowstone Park in 1988.

Dead volcanic mountains such as Haleakala on Maui and Carter Lakein Oregon are beautiful to look at. But there are several active volcanoes in the US, especially along the Pacific Coast. There are also many earthquakes in this area. Scientists can do nothing to control earthquakes or volcanoes. This was shown clearly on May 18, 1980. At 8:32 that morning, Mount St Helens in Washington state broke out. The top of the mountain was blown off.

Over 60 people –campers, scientists, journalists, forest workers—were killed. Hundreds of square miles of forests were knocked down. In towns over 100 miles away, day suddenly became night. An ash cloud hid the sun for many hours. Towns and fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were covered with dirty gray ash.

Scientists knew that Mt St Helens might erupt(爆发) soon. But no one could say when. And no one expected the terrible strength of the eruption. Many people were surprised and unready. Harry R. Truman, 84, owned a small hotel in Mt St Helens. Scientists had asked people to move away because the volcano was becoming dangerous.

But Harry Truman would not leave his home. Now it is covered with many feet of dirty ash. A small cross stands above the place where Harry probably died. Perhaps it is better that he did not see the destruction of Mt St Helens, the once beautiful lake, and the forests.

But slowly, life is returning to the dead area around the mountain. Grass and small plants are beginning to grow again. Deer and birds have been seen. The land will never be the same as it once was. Perhaps Mt St Helens will erupt again. But this is all part of nature’s pattern of change, and man has little power to control it.

1.Choose the best title for this passage.

2.After the eruption of volcano, what makes the sky turn dark?

3.The underlined word “it” means______.

4.We can infer from this article that ______.

B

It was evening when my parents and I ventured across Nemeiben Lake, in Northern Saskatchewan. This vast lake had a unique reputation as being the best fishing and tourist resort.

With the boat undocked and the gear and luggage stored beneath the security of the seats, we set off into the setting sun at 8:30.

Unlike my parents , I had never been on a fishing boat before and was captivated(迷住) by the speed and grace in which it traveled through the waves. The lake was deserted as the sky began to darken and looked more threatening by the minute.

Suddenly the boat hit something with such a force that we all fell over in our seats. The whole boat shook for a moment, before water started to trickle slowly over stern. My father went to the back and after many attempts to start the engine, he began to look very worried. The water was now rushing in at a much faster rate, tipping the boat at an awkward angle.

We tried our best to hold on to something. The worst was yet to come. With our life jackets secured and fastened, we waited as the boat sank deeper into the water. We were soon immersed in the chilly depths. The biting cold was more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

My parents, who were dressed in floater jackets, clung desperately to each other, trying to keep their heads above water. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so fortunate. A strong gust of wind blew briskly across the lake, bringing with it, torrential rain and threatening thunderstorms. The strong waves carried me on into the night. The waves continued to pound violently, forcing me underwater.

The following morning a fisherman found us. By that time, our body temperatures were twenty-four degrees, which meant we were nearly dead. Later investigation showed that we had been in the water for fifteen hours.

60. What is the main idea of the passage?

   A. An exciting experience my parents and I had

B. A disappointing experience my parents and I had

C. An adventurous experience my parents and I had

D. A strong experience my parents and I had

61. Unlike the other lakes in Northern Saskatchewan, the Nemeiben Lake____________.

   A. was the most dangerous and threatening lake

   B. was most famous for fishing and tourism

   C. was the largest and deepest in this area

   D. had a good reputation for its wildlife

62. What is the reason which caused the accident?

   A. Because of the thunderstorms

   B. Because the boat sank.

   C. Because the boat hit something with force.

   D. Because we had no life jackets

Wind , water, fire and ice-these powerful natural forces have shaped the land of America in the past. They are still changing it today.

  The Colorado River slowly cut down through stone to make the Grand Canyon(大峡谷).

  Long ago, ice sheets cut Yosemite Valley and the Great Lakes, and glaciers(冰川) are still on the move in Alaska.

  Wind and rain storm hit the land from time to time. Fires sometimes burn down forests and destroy the homes of wild animals. This happened in Yellowstone Park in 1988.

  Dead volcanic mountains such as Haleakala on Maui and Carter Lakein Oregon are beautiful to look at. But there are several active volcanoes in the US, especially along the Pacific Coast. There are also many earthquakes in this area. Scientists can do nothing to control earthquakes or volcanoes. This was shown clearly on May 18, 1980. At 8:32 that morning, Mount St Helens in Washington state broke out. The top of the mountain was blown off.

   Over 60 people –campers, scientists, journalists, forest workers—were killed. Hundreds of square miles of forests were knocked down. In towns over 100 miles away, day suddenly became night. An ash cloud hid the sun for many hours. Towns and fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were covered with dirty gray ash.

  Scientists knew that Mt St Helens might erupt(爆发) soon. But no one could say when. And no one expected the terrible strength of the eruption. Many people were surprised and unready. Harry R. Truman, 84, owned a small hotel in Mt St Helens. Scientists had asked people to move away because the volcano was becoming dangerous.

  But Harry Truman would not leave his home. Now it is covered with many feet of dirty ash. A small cross stands above the place where Harry probably died. Perhaps it is better that he did not see the destruction of Mt St Helens, the once beautiful lake, and the forests.

  But slowly, life is returning to the dead area around the mountain. Grass and small plants are beginning to grow again. Deer and birds have been seen. The land will never be the same as it once was. Perhaps Mt St Helens will erupt again. But this is all part of nature’s pattern of change, and man has little power to control it.

40. Choose the best title for this passage.

A.     Wind, water, fire and ice

B.     Volcano’s beauty and danger

C.     The power of nature

D.     Natural force shape beautiful land of America

41. After the eruption of volcano, what makes the sky turn dark?

A.     The smoke  B. The clouds.   C. The fog.  D. The ash.

42. The underlined word “it” means______.

A.     The body of old Harry

B.     The location of Harry’s home

C.     The opening on top of Mt St Helens

D.     The place where Harry probably died

43. We can infer from this article that ______.

A.     Washington and Oregon are neighboring states

B.     Colorado River runs through Yosemite Valley

C.     The eruption of Mt St Helens also caused trouble with the Yellowstone Park

D.     Scientists never knew Mt St Helens was active

When the weather is hot, you go to a lake or an ocean. When you are near a lake or an ocean, you feel cold. Why? The sun makes the earth hot but it can not make the water very hot. Although the air over the earth becomes hot, the air over the water stays cool. The hot air over the earth goes up. Then the cool air over the water moves in and takes the place of the hot air. When it moves in, you feel the wind. And the wind makes you cool.

Of course, scientists can not answer all of our questions. If we ask, “Why is the ocean full of salt?” Scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks. When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks (断裂). Rain falls into the cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the ocean. But then we ask, “What happens to the salt in the ocean?” The ocean does not get more salty every year. Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question.

We know a lot about our world. But there are still many answers that we don’t have and we are curious about.

1. The main idea of this passage is that ______.

A. people feel cool when they are near a lake or an ocean

B. scientists can explain many things, but not everything

C. scientists can explain everything about the ocean

D. the salt in the ocean comes from rocks

2. Now scientists know ______.

A. what makes people feel cool near a lake or an ocean in summer

B. everything about the ocean

C. what happens to the salt in the ocean

D. why the ocean does not get more and more salty

3. A rock cracks when ______.

A. rain falls            B. it snows 

C. it gets very cold            D. it gets warm

4. People are always curious because ______.

A. they know nothing about the world

B. they know only a little knowledge about the world

C. there are many answers they don’t agree

D. there are many things they don’t know

5. Which of the following reasons is NOT mentioned in this passage?

A. Why do people feel cool when they are near a lake or an ocean in hot weather?

B. Why doesn’t the ocean get more salty every year?

C. Why is the ocean water salty?                     

D. Why do rocks crack?