When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”
【小题1】For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .

Many people like the feeling of the gentle wind in spring. Many like to see the falling leaves dancing in the wind in autumn. But sometimes, when the wind becomes a storm, it can be very destructive (毁灭性的).
A series of such storms struck the US last month and caused very serious damage and human pain.
Every year, major storms cause many problems around the world. There is nothing people can do to stop these powerful forces of nature. But new techniques are helping scientists to predict how, when, and where big storms will happen. The more exact scientists’ warnings are, the better people can prepare for the storms.
Predictions are improving. “We’ve gotten better over the years, especially the last few years,” says Phil Klotzback, a scientist at an American university. How is a storm formed? Even if scientists know where a storm will happen, winds can suddenly change, carrying the storm to a new direction. “For a hurricane to happen, conditions have to be just right,” Klotzback says.
First, the ocean water needs to be warm enough so that it evaporates and rises into the air. As it rises, the air containing drops of water cools and turns back into liquid. This process gives off heat. This produces energy like an engine that causes winds to increase. It drives the formation of a hurricane.
If wind speeds reach 40 miles per hour, the system is called a “ tropical storm”, and it gets a name. At 75 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane. Hurricanes that hit the US start when a thunderstorm forms off the coast Africa. Storms also develop over tropical waters in other parts of the world.
On average, 60 or 70 storms form off Africa every year. About 10 of them get names. There are usually about six hurricanes. Two tend to be very big, with winds of 115 miles per hour or a bit higher.
The hurricane season lasts from June to November. Ninety percent of all hurricanes hit in August, September and October.
【小题1】According to the text, hurricanes usually ________.

完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Years ago a farmer owed a piece of land along the Atlantic coast. He   36   for hired hands. Most people didn’t want to work on farms along the Atlantic. They were   37   of the storms that blew across the Atlantic, destroying the buildings and crops. So the farmer couldn’t find any   38   worker. Finally, a short,   39   man, well past middle age, visited the   40  .

   “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.

   “Well. I can   41   when the wind blows, ”answered the man.

   A1though puzzled at his answer, the farmer,   42  for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the   43   and the farmer felt   44   with the man’s work.

   Then one night the big wind blew. Jumping out of bed, the farmer   45   into the man’s sleeping room. He   46   the 1ittle man and cried. “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down   47   they are blown away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said   48   , “No, sir. I told you, I can sleep when the storm strikes. ”

   Hearing his response, the farmer wanted to   49   the man on the spot. Then he hurried outside to make necessary preparations. To his   50   , he found that all of the haystacks (干草堆) had been   51   well. The cows were in the barn and the doors were locked.

     52   was well organized. The farmer then understood what the man   53   , and he returned to his bed while the wind blew.

   When you’re   54   , you have nothing to worry about. Can you sleep with the wind blowing through your life? The worker in the story was able to sleep   55   he had prepared the farm well against the storm. We should also prepare ourselves well against the storms in our lives.

A. applied           B. advertised        C. hunted               D. waited

A. afraid                 B. acute                C. available            D. alike

A. messy              B. young            C. good                 D. normal

A. heavy              B. strong           C. small                D. thin

A. farmer             B. boss                 C. master               D.worker

A. work                B. sleep            C. remain           D. survive

A. offering               B. asking           C. longing          D. hoping

A. factory                B. coast                C. house            D. farm

A. satisfied               B. mature           C. disappointed         D. angry

A. walked             B. stepped              C. rushed           D. forced

A. shook               B. dragged              C. pulled           D. pushed

A. after               B. before           C. when             D. while

A. seriously          B. jokingly             C. patiently            D. firmly

A. desert                 B. punish           C. fire                 D. strike

A. excitement         B. delight              C. amazement        D. shame

A. covered             B. hidden           C. wrapped          D. predicted

A. Anything           B. Everything       C. Something        D. Nothing

A. hesitated          B. promised             C. intended             D. meant

A. prepared           B. possessed        C. experienced      D. skilled

A. since              B. so               C. because          D. therefore

When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(冒…危险)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.

“Storm chasing(追逐)” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby(喜好), especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frepuent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and wits for it to develop.

Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.

Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”

1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to          .

A. head straight for the center of the storm

B. get into the car for safety

C. wait patiently for the storm to develop

D. collect information about a coming storm

2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised             .

A. not to drive in a heavy rain

B. to do it in an organized way

C. not to get too close to a storm

D. to spend more time on it in summer

3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that             .

A. storm chasing costs a lot of money

B. storm chasing is worth hours of waiting

C. efforts in storm chasing are well paid

D. a storm presents the greatest show on Earth

4.What can we learn from the text?

A. Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment

B. Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.

C. Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world

D. Storm chasing is only fit for young people.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes marched across the South on Friday, peeling away roofs, overturning cars and killing at least 11 people in Tennessee, officials said.

It was the second wave of violent weather to hit the state in less than a week. Last weekend, tornadoes killed 24 people in the western part of the state and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings.

The storms crossed an area from northern Mississippi to northern Virginia as they moved to the northeast late Friday after developing from a low-pressure system in the central Plains.

The Nashville suburbs were the hardest hit, with at least eight deaths happening northeast of the city. Three more people were killed in a rural area about 65 miles southeast of Nashville.

Tornadoes were also reported in some other places. The storms pulled up trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings. What’s worse, phone lines and most businesses were out of service. Hospitals admitted at least 60 people with storm-related injuries and transferred at least nine badly injured patients to Nashville hospitals.

In southern Indiana, the storms damaged some areas with golf ball-sized hail. High winds blew the roof off a country club and overthrew a semitrailer（拖车）. As the storms moved farther east, parts of West Virginia were lashed with heavy rain and winds, great damages caused.

The number of tornadoes in the US has jumped through the first part of 2006 compared with the past few years. Through the end of March, an estimated 286 tornadoes had hit the US, compared with an average of 70 for the same three-month period in each of the past three years.

The number of tornado-related deaths was 38 before Friday's storms. The average number of deaths from 2003 to 2005 was 45 a year, the prediction center said.

How many deaths have the thunderstorms and tornadoes on Friday caused?

A. Three.           B. Eight.           C. Eleven.           D. Twenty-two.  

 Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Tennessee was hit twice by tornadoes within a week.

B. The latest tornado might start in northern Mississippi.

C. At least four states were hit by the tornado.

D. In the tornadoes of the first 3 months 38 people were killed.

In the first 3 months of last 3 years, about ____ tornadoes happened each month in the US.

A. About 23.        B. About 70.        C. About 98.        D. About 210.  

We can infer from the report more deaths and injuries were caused because ____. 

A. the phone lines were destroyed        B. there were enough hospitals

C. the people hid in their houses          D. there was also a hail in Tennessee