Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted -- although scientists are working on it!

Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs.

The intensity of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Northridge Earthquake, which hit Southern California in 1994, was magnitude 6.7.

Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking.

Which statement about earthquakes is not correct?

A. Earthquakes are the result of the sudden shock of the earth’s surface.

B. Earthquakes usually can be felt because they can last for a long time.

C. There are usually some signs for people to notice an earthquake.

D. People can feel an earthquake over 6.0 because it is very strong.

According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco_______.

A. was riding a bicycle                 B. was just climbing the stairs

C. heard a low rumbling noise                  D. felt like riding a bicycle

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Most of the time, people can not feel or predict the earthquakes.  

B. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes shakers or seismic activity.

C. The Northridge Earthquake in Southern California in 1994 caused severe damage.

D. When an earthquake happens, it is important to drop on the floor immediately.

Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along “fault lines” in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted —— although scientists are working on it!

Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs.

The intensity（强度）of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008, was magnitude 7.8.

Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking.

1.Which statement about earthquakes is Not correct?

A. Earthquakes are the result of the sudden shock of the earth’s surface.

B. Earthquakes usually can be felt because they can last for a long time.

C. There are usually some signs for people to notice an earthquake.

D. People can feel an earthquake over 6.0 because it is very strong.

2.According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco_______.

A. was riding a bicycle                     B. was just climbing the stairs

C. heard a low rumbling noise               D. felt like riding a bicycle

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Most of the time, people can not feel or predict the earthquakes.   

B. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes shakers or seismic activity.

C. The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008 caused serious damage.

D. When an earthquake happens, it is important to drop on the floor immediately.

Foods from Around the World
Foods that are well known to you may not be familiar to people from other countries. Here are four people’s experiences with foreign food.
Shao Wong is a student in France. He comes from China. “I’d never tasted cheese or even milk before I came here. Cattle are rare in my part of China, so there are no dairy products. I tried milk when I first arrived in France. I hated it! I sampled cheese too, but couldn’t manage more than one bite. I love ice cream, though, and that’s made from milk.”
Birgit is from Sweden. She traveled to Australia on vacation. “I was in a restaurant that specialized in fish, and I heard some other customers order flake. So I ordered some too and it was delicious. Later, I found out that flake is an Australian term for shark. After that pleasant experience, whenever I see a new food I try it out on purpose. You know why? I remember how much I enjoyed flake.”
Chandra is a dentist in Texas. She originates from India. “I’m frightened of eating new foods because they might be made from beef. I’m a Hindu, and my religion forbids me to eat meat from the cow. It’s a sacred animal to Hindus, so that’s the reason I can’t eat hamburgers or spaghetti with meatballs.”
Nathan is American. He taught for a year in China. “My friends gave me some 100-year-old eggs to eat. I didn’t like the look of them at all. The insides were green, but my friends said the color was normal. The Chinese put chemicals on fresh eggs. Then they bury them in the earth for three months. So the eggs weren’t really very old. Even so, I absolutely refused to touch them.”
Life in a new country can be scary, but it also can be fun. Would you sample a 100-year-old egg? Would you order shark in a restaurant?
56. Which of the following sentences is true about Shao Wong?
A. He is a French – Chinese.
B. Cattle are seldom raised in his hometown.
C. He doesn’t like any diary products.
D. He didn’t taste cheese because he hated it.
57. What kind of girl is Birgit?
A. Religious.     B. Brave. C. Confident.   D. Open- minded.
58. Chandra is frightened of eating food made from beef, because _________.
A. It’s against Hindus’ religion.
B. She is a doctor and she thinks beef is not easy to chew and digest.
C. She is an Indian.
D. Hindus think beef is not tasty.
59. The underlined word “Sacred” in paragraph 4 means _________.
A. frightening  B. large    C. man – eating        D.greatly respected
60. What can you infer from this passage?
A. Foods that are well known to you may not be familiar to people from other countries.
B. Despite (虽然) cultural differences in food, have a try and maybe you’ll get used to it.
C. A vacation is a good way to learn about new foods. Be sure to go on vacation more   often.
D. People dislike eating new foods only because their religion forbids it.

_____ deep down in the earth, the dead forests rotted away and became coal.