Several southwestern provinces in China are now experiencing the worst drought(旱灾) since the 1950s. The drought has left 18 million people and 11 million farm animals in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing without enough water supplies. And it has affected 5 million hectares of crops in the provinces.
According to China’s Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the average daily temperature in Yunnan over the past six months has been two degrees higher than normal. And the province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. In Qinglong county, Guizhou, there had been no rain for 268 days until March 25, when it finally rained for three hours.
To ensure the safety of drinking water, local governments have taken emergency action. Workers in parts of Yunnan are drilling (钻空) daily in the hope of digging 1035 wells by mid-May. Among them, 52 have already started working and 288 are under way, providing 20 percent of the required drinking water. Meanwhile, Yunnan province intends to send more migrants (农民工) to work outside the province as the drought worsens. This will not only help to deal with the drinking water shortages, but also increase those farmers’ income. The government will offer free skill training and organize job fairs.
56 The word “This” in paragraph 3 refers to______.
A. the worsening drought
B. the shortage of drinking water
C. sending more migrants to work outside
D. providing 20 percent of the required drinking water
57 Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The drought in southwestern provinces has been the worst ever in China.
B. Guizhou province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year.
C. The average temperature in Yunnan is two degrees lower than normal.
D. 1035 wells are expected to be drilled by mid-May in parts of Yunnan.
58 What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Local governments have taken action to deal with drought.
B. Serious drought hits southwestern provinces in China.
C. More migrants work outside the southwestern provinces.
D.Yunnan government offers free skill training and organizes job fairs.

Several southwestern provinces in China are now experiencing the worst drought(旱灾) since the 1950s. The drought has left 18 million people and 11 million farm animals in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing without enough water supplies. And it has affected 5 million hectares of crops in the provinces.

According to China’s Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the average daily temperature in Yunnan over the past six months has been two degrees higher than normal. And the province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. In Qinglong county, Guizhou, there had been no rain for 268 days until March 25, when it finally rained for three hours.

To ensure the safety of drinking water, local governments have taken emergency action. Workers in parts of Yunnan are drilling (钻空) daily in the hope of digging 1035 wells by mid-May. Among them, 52 have already started working and 288 are under way, providing 20 percent of the required drinking water. Meanwhile, Yunnan province intends to send more migrants (农民工) to work outside the province as the drought worsens. This will not only help to deal with the drinking water shortages, but also increase those farmers’ income. The government will offer free skill training and organize job fairs.

56 The word “This” in paragraph 3 refers to______.

A. the worsening drought

B. the shortage of drinking water

C. sending more migrants to work outside

D. providing 20 percent of the required drinking water

57 Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The drought in southwestern provinces has been the worst ever in China.

B. Guizhou province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year.

C. The average temperature in Yunnan is two degrees lower than normal.

D. 1035 wells are expected to be drilled by mid-May in parts of Yunnan.

58 What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Local governments have taken action to deal with drought.

B. Serious drought hits southwestern provinces in China.

C. More migrants work outside the southwestern provinces.

D.Yunnan government offers free skill training and organizes job fairs.

Several southwestern provinces in China are now experiencing the worst drought(旱灾) since the 1950s. The drought has left 18 million people and 11 million farm animals in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing without enough water supplies. And it has affected 5 million hectares of crops in the provinces.

According to China’s Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the average daily temperature in Yunnan over the past six months has been two degrees higher than normal. And the province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. In Qinglong county, Guizhou, there had been no rain for 268 days until March 25, when it finally rained for three hours.

To ensure the safety of drinking water, local governments have taken emergency action. Workers in parts of Yunnan are drilling (钻空) daily in the hope of digging 1035 wells by mid-May. Among them, 52 have already started working and 288 are under way, providing 20 percent of the required drinking water. Meanwhile, Yunnan province intends to send more migrants (农民工) to work outside the province as the drought worsens. This will not only help to deal with the drinking water shortages, but also increase those farmers’ income. The government will offer free skill training and organize job fairs.

56 The word “This” in paragraph 3 refers to______.

A. the worsening drought

B. the shortage of drinking water

C. sending more migrants to work outside

D. providing 20 percent of the required drinking water

57 Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The drought in southwestern provinces has been the worst ever in China.

B. Guizhou province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year.

C. The average temperature in Yunnan is two degrees lower than normal.

D. 1035 wells are expected to be drilled by mid-May in parts of Yunnan.

58 What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Local governments have taken action to deal with drought.

B. Serious drought hits southwestern provinces in China.

C. More migrants work outside the southwestern provinces.

D.Yunnan government offers free skill training and organizes job fairs.

Professor Smith ___ China yesterday.

A. arrived at  B. arrived in   C. get go    D.reached for

Yao Ming edged Kobe Bryant as the top votegetter in fan balloting^① for the 55th NBA All-Star game Thursday, and Shaquille O’Neal became the fifth player in league history to earn 13 consecutive^② selections for the midseason showcase.

Yao and Tracy McGrady give the host Houston Rockets two starters in the Feb.19 game. They were joined on the Western Conference squad by Bryant, San Antonio’s Tim Duncan and reigning MVP Steve Nash of Phoenix — who will be a first-time All-Star starter.

 Yao edged Bryant by 71,107 votes for the top overall spot in the balloting, despite missing 21 games following surgery to clean out an infection^③ in his left big toe. It’s the fourth All-Star trip for the 7-foot-6 center from China and the eighth for Bryant, who leads the NBA in scoring and had an 81-point effort — the second-biggest night in NBA history — last month in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over Toronto.

Yao finished with 2,342,738 votes; Bryant had 2,271,631 in the closest finish among the top two players in All-Star balloting since Vince Carter, then of Toronto, edged Miami’s Alonzo Mourning by 33,385 votes in 2000.

Notes:

ballot  vi. 投票

consecutive  adj. 连续的

infection  n. 传染，感染

Yao Ming’s got _______ Kobe Bryant in fan balloting for the 55th NBA All-Star game Thursday.

A. the same votes as          B. more votes than 

C. less votes than              D. no more than 

Yao Ming and _______ belong to the Houston Rockets.

A. Kobe Bryant                  B. Tracy McGrady

C. Shaquille O’Neal            D. Steve Nash

Which of the following is not wrong according to this passage?

A. Yao Ming edged Kobe Bryant as the top votegetter in fan balloting for the 54th NBA All-Star game.

B. Yao edged Tracy McGrady by 71,107 votes for the top overall spot in the balloting.

C. It’s the fourth All-Star trip for Yao Ming from China.

D. Yao finished with 2,271,631 votes; Bryant had2,342,738  in the closest finish among the top two players in All-Star balloting.