An earthquake happens when two plates rub (碰撞) together. The earth plates travel in different directions and at different speeds. If one plate is slowly forced underneath the other,  pressure builds up until the plates break apart. This process causes the ground to move. It is an earthquake. In other words, earth-quakes are the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the earth’s rocky outer layer as a result of the energy stored within the earth. The strain within the rocks is suddenly released (释放).
The damage an earthquake causes depends on where it is and the time it is happening. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property. If it hits a large city, there may be many in-juries and much destruction. Many of the areas at risk are largely populated now. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage.
Actually, there are several million small earth-quakes every year.  Large earthquakes such as the 1964 Alaskan quake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, cause millions of dollars in damage. In the last 500 years, millions of people have been killed by earth-quakes around the world — including 240,000 in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China.
A 60-second or less earthquake can cause devastation that continues for years after the first tremor (小震). In 1972, a series of severe earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua. Fifteen years later, the city still looked the way it had a week after the earthquake hit, because the country did not have the necessary money to rebuild it.
The shaking of the earth is sometimes not the greatest disaster. It is in the ensuing fires and floods that often the greatest damage occurs. In the 1906 earthquake, it was the fires caused after it that did the majority of the damage. An earthquake can also destroy dams high above a city or valleys, causing floods to sweep down and sweep away everything in their path.
【小题1】Which of the following is the main idea of the first paragraph?

When you watch TV programs about wild animals, it is surprising to see how an antelope can escape a lion’s attack. In the wilderness, everyone has a stunt. Even plants have their own ways of fighting off enemies.
Over millions of years of evolution, plants have developed a unique defence system. Chemicals are wildly used for survival. By making their leaves, flowers, roots and fruits distasteful or poisonous(有毒的) to enemies, plants can fight back.
One such plant is the Golden Wattle tree. The British scientist David Cameron has found when an animal eats the tree’s leaves, the amount of poison increases in the other leaves. “It’s like the damaged leaves telephoning the others telling them to fight together against the enemy, ” he said.
The tree also sends defence messages to neighboring plants by giving out a special smell. Golden Wattle trees in the surrounding 45 meters will get the message and produce more poison within 10 minutes. Now, if an enemy eats too many of the trees’ leaves, it will die.
Every species of plant or tree is good at the production of a particular set of chemicals. A herbivore that can safely eat the leaves of one tree may be poisoned by its neighbor.
In this way, plants have developed not only individual defence system, but also shared it with others. This makes it impossible for a single animal to destroy even a small area of forest.
【小题1】 Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

Women who want to succeed at work should resist the temptation to act like men, scientists have said. Studies show that ambitious women are often less likely to get ahead than those who show more female characteristics. However, if they try to adapt, promotion comes their way. The findings, which will let assertive (过分自信的) women down, suggest that the best way for a woman to succeed in a man’s world is to act like a lady.
Past research has shown that women with self-confidence and other characteristics linked with successful management can be put aside at work in favor of gentle types. It is thought that while such characteristics are highly praised in men, ambitious women are penalized for not being feminine enough. Instead of being seen as strong managers, ambitious women are in an unfavorable situation.
In one US study, researchers explored personal details from university students applying for a summer job at a bank. A women applicant who attempted to apply for special wages to pay her transport or living costs was three and a half times less likely to get a job offer than a similar male. In fact, this kind of woman was the least likely to get taken on.
The latest study set out to explore what women who are naturally assertive could do to get ahead in the workplace. Eighty young men and women completed surveys about their personality while studying in college. Around eight years later, the researchers got back in touch with them to find out how their careers were going. Some had been promoted five times, others just once or twice. The results showed that ambitious women who stick to their decisions had been promoted less than more feminine groups. But the ambitious women who made a conscious effort to not appear to be threatening by “self-controlling” their behavior had done better than those who had carried on ignoring others’ views.
【小题1】 What does the underlined word “penalized” mean in the second paragraph?

C
Can you imagine a catfish bigger than a boy? There are more than 1，000 kinds of catfish；28 species are found in the United States' lakes and rivers． This huge family has some mighty strange members. Let's meet a few.
Walking catfish．Nature's feisty little catfish，found in southern Florida，has an extra lung for breathing on dry land. When its swimming hole dries up，the walking catfish waddles on stiff forward fins in search of another lake or stream．If an enemy attacks，the fish flares（展开）its top and front fins and leaps at the attacker to scare it off．
Armored catfish．This catfish has heavy，bony plates protecting its body. The shell makes the fish difficult to bone. To cook it，throw the fish whole into a fire. When it is done，break it open for eating．Some armored catfish are found in Florida，but the 100-pounders live in South America．
Rounding out the family of strange catfish are talking catfish，which make growing sound when you pull them from the water；climbing catfish，which move quickly up shore brush in search of food；electric catfish，which can deliver a mild shock；and blind catfish，which settle in the inky blackness of underwater caves．Blind catfish find food through taste buds in their eight whiskers（须）．
Most catfish have four whiskers on the upper jaw and four on the lower jaw. Sensory holes on these whiskers help the fish smell and taste food even in the muddiest of water．The United States does not have catfish anywhere near the size of those in South America．But in some large U.S，rivers，blue and flathead catties do top 100 pounds．
Most of the catfish you are likely to catch will be much smaller，about frying pan size．When you catch one，remember that the top fins and the forward fins have poison glands（腺）at their bases. They can give you painful wounds （…）
63．The purpose of the passage is to___________．
A．encourage readers to go fishing for catfish
B．inform readers of the world's largest catfish
C．describe the unusual characteristics of catfish
D．explain different ways to catch a variety of catfish
64．The author talks about the way of cooking an armored catfish to show that
A．it has heavy and bony plates        B．it's hard to cook and eat
C．it has too many bones      D．it's poisonous inside
65．Which is NOT mentioned about catfish in the passage?
A．Its eating habits．                                    B．Its living conditions． 
C．Its whiskers．                                 D．Its size
66．What may be continued in the last paragraph?
A．The author's love for catfish．     B．Where else to catch a catfish．
C．The origin of the name “catfish”    D．The safest way to handle catfish