The heat in the desert is__________; therefore there are few plants growing there.

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.
About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.
So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”
In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.
One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”
【小题1】The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.

Dublin has the benefit of being a home to unequaled beaches．They can be especially attractive during the summer season．Experience this scenery for yourself and see what these beaches have to offer you．

Finding yourself at Dollymont makes you a fortunate tourist especially if you find beaches irresistible． Here you can swim away your worries through the Dollymont Blue Flag Beach．The beach provides a wonderful view which is perfect for some relaxing moments．Its shoreline is well recommended for a few quiet and unworried walks along the beach．

For some beach adventure, you can drive your way down the M50 and M 1 motorways to Donabate． This village in North County Dublin offers an attractive Blue Flag beach which is perfect for your swimming addictions．Lifeguards are on call during bathing period．The water is as overpowering as the surrounding．

For a double purpose beach, check out Killiney．This beach is a top off destination for a swimming adventure and it is equally grand for relaxing walks. The shoreline is covered with pebbles and rocks．This may seem averred with ordinary stony beach for some but for those who have strong interest in geological processes, Killiney is a best spot to discover part of．Dublin's history and Killiney's formation．

Another accessible Blue Flag Beach lies on Malahide in Fingal．You can enjoy the distinctive attraction of the water while still getting yourself amazed with the wonderful sights around Malahide．Beach is sandy and holds a harbor designed for pleasure boats at the Northern end．

For a bit of challenge and thrill, consider a swim at Seapoint Beach in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown．You can have the pleasure of an exciting surf adventure here apart from the usual swimming activity．This is often visited by tourists due to its various appeals: swimming on the north part of the beach while surfing, boating and jet skiing at the south．

Need to beat the heat off your summer vacation? There is nothing as satisfying as a visit to some of these outstanding beaches.

1.How many beaches are mentioned in this article?

    A．Five             B．Four             C．Three            D．Two

2.If you are visiting Killiney, which of the following activities can't you do?

    A．Having a swimming adventure．        B．Having some relaxing walks．

    C．Discovering some Dublin's history．  D．Practising operating boats for pleasure．

3.Some tourists choose a swim at Seapoint Beach probably because they can _____．

    A．get themselves interested in the sights around

    B．have a wonderful surf on the north of the beach

    C．enjoy several unusual and exciting activities

    D．call the lifeguards during bathing period

4.If you want to be quiet and have same relaxing walks, you may pay a visit to _____．

    A．Dollymont and Donabate               B．Donabate and Malahide

    C．Dollymont and Killiney               D．Killinev and Malahide

5.The best title of this article should be _____．

    A．Where to go swimming in summer                           B．Beating off the heat in Dublin

    C．Benifits of staying at beaches                           D．Geological researches in vacation

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.

About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.

So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”

In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.

One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”

1.The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.

2.What does the underlined word “ hardiest” in Paragraph 4 mean?

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

 To extinguish （熄灭）different kinds of fires, several types of fire extinguishers have been invented. They must be ready for immediate use when fire breaks out. Most portable （手提式的）kinds operate for less than a minute, so they are useful only on small fires. The law requires ships, trains, buses and planes to carry extinguishers.

 Since fuel（燃料）, oxygen and heat must be present in order for fire to exist, one or more of these things must be removed or reduced to extinguish a fire. If the heat is reduced by cooling the material below a certain temperature, the fire goes out. The cooling method is the most common way to put out a fire. Water is the best cooling material because it is low in cost and easy to get.

 Another method of extinguishing fire is by cutting off the oxygen. This is usually done by covering the fire with sand, steam or some other things. A blanket may be used do cover a small fire.

 A third method is called separation, which includes removing the fuel, or material easy to burn, from a fire, so that it can find no fuel.

 The method that is used to put out a fire depends on the type of fire. Fires have been grouped in three classes（级别）. Fires in wood, paper, cloth and the like are called Class A fires. These materials usually help keep the fire on. Such fires can be stopped most readily by cooling with water.

If a fire breaks out on a bus, which of the following should be ready there for you to use?

 A. Sand                 B. An extinguisher      C. A blanket.           D. Water

To cover a small piece of burning wood with a basin in order to stop the fire is an example of _______.

 A. separating the fire                             B. cutting off the oxygen

 C. removing the fuel                               D. reducing the heat

In choosing how to put out a fire, we should first be clear about_______.

 A. when it breaks out                 B. how it comes about

 C. what kind it is                      D. where it takes place

What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

 A. Another class of fires                       B. Another type of extinguishers

 C. How fires break out.                        D. How fires can be prevented.