Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　In November 1965, New York was blacked out by an electricity failure. The governmenr officials promised that it would not happen again. Pessimists(悲观者) were certain that would occur again within five years at the latest. In July 1977, there was a repeat performance which produced different degrees of disorder throughout the city of 8,000,000 people. In 1965, the failure occurred in the cool autumn and at a time of peace and good situation. In 1977, the failure was much more serious because it came when the number of people out of work was large and the city was suffering from one of its worst heat waves.

　　In 1965 there was little stealing during the darkness, and fewer were caught by the police. In 1977, hundreds of stores were broken into and stolen. They broke shop windows and helped themselves to jewellery, clothes or television sets, nearly 400 people were sent to the police but far more disappeared into the darkness of the night. The number of policemen at hand was far from enough and they were wisely stopped from using their guns against the mobs(暴徒) that were far more than them and that included arms(有武器的).

　　Hospital had to treat hundreds of people cut by glass from shop windows. Banks and most business remained closed the next day. The blackout started at 9: 33p. m., when lightening hit and knocked out vital cables. Many stores were thus caught by surprise.

　　The vast majority of New Yorkers, however, tried to help strangers, handed out candles, and tried to get electricity power. For 24 hours, New York realized how helpless it was without electricity.

1．Look at the first paragraph. Who were right, the government officials or the pessimists?

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A．the government officials

B．The pessimists

C．Both

D．Neither

2．In what way was the blackout of 1977 different from that of 1965?

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A．There was much more disorder.

B．This time the electricity supply failed.

C．It was quite unexpected.

D．It came in the cool autumn.

3．What caused the blackout in July 1977

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A．The heat waves made people turn on too much electrical equipment.

B．Because many people lost their jobs, some machines, were not in proper working order.

C．During the storm, lightning damaged the supply cables.

D．The passage does not tell us.

4．Why did many persons manage to escape the police ________.

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A．The police could not see them in the darkness.

B．Many of them carried guns

C．There were not enough policemen to catch them all.

D．They were hidden inside big buildings.

5．The 1977 New York electricity failure lasted ________.

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