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　　Volcanoes trigger(引发) strange weather. Mount Tamora's 1815 eruption near Java made enormous effect on weather. Summer crops in France failed, causing food shortages. On the east coast of the U. S., it snowed in June, and in July many people in the normally hot American South awoke to find their fields white with frost. The cold touch of a volcano's hot breath made 1816 what came to be called “the year without a summer”.

　　According to current theory, heat welling up from within the earth forces geologic movements of continents and triggers volcanoes. However the upwelling of heat from deep beneath us keeps Earth alive. For one thing, wither would wear away the land. Second, rainfall is constantly washing key elements of life, such as carbon and sulfur, into the world's oceans.

　　Volcanic eruptions bring about other surprising consequences(结果). Despite the risk of future explosion, volcanic regions attract farmers because crops grow wonderfully in their mineral-enriched soils. The Antarctic volcano Mount Erebus dusts the white continent with microscopic particles(微小的颗粒) of pure gold when it erupts. And volcanic conduits called kimberlite[金伯利岩(常含钻石)] pipes in southern Africa and Siberia become depositories(储藏) for diamonds squeezed(从……中获取的) from carbon in the fieryroots of volcanoes.

　　American, British, French and German scientists are developing and testing something called Hot, Dry Rock(HDR) technology. “This technology could offer clean, reliable(可靠的), cheap energy to billions of people around the world,” says Los Alamos HDR Program Manager David Duchane, “and it's under our feet right now.”

1．The 1816 food shortages in France are believed to have resulted f from ________.

[　　]

A．the extreme cold weather all over Europe in 1815

B．the frost in southern American states in July, 1816

C．the snowing on the east coast of the U. S. in June, 1816

D．the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815

2．From the passage, we know that frequent volcanic eruptions are caused by ________.

[　　]

A．the raging heat from within the earth

B．unbalanced global weather changes

C．geologic movements of continents on Earth

D．the human-created atmospheric heat that envelops our planet

3．Farmers may go and work in the volcanic regions because ________.

[　　]

A．they find nowhere to settle down for farming

B．the soil there promises better yield

C．they are curious about volcanic eruptions

D．they are entirely ignorant of the risk of future eruption

4．The HDR technology ________.

[　　]

A．is not only inexpensive but also applicable(能应用的) everywhere

B．provides cheap energy but its use is limited to volcanic regions

C．taps geothermal-energy and makes water clean

D．promises an ideal substitute for any forms of energy now in use

The average temperature around the world is rising. People living in the US Midwest might find a fact hard to believe, though. The scientists suggest that the change in the Midwest climate may have happened because of farming.

The first study was led by David Changnon, a climatologist(气候学家) at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.Changnon and his team studied temperature records from the sites in the Midwest. They found that since 1970, the average temperature in the region during July and August has gone down—by up to one degree Fahrenheit(华氏度)—from what it was during the years between 1930 and 1969. Their investigation also showed that the average rainfall in those states during those two months has increased. Between 1970 and 2009, about 0.33 inch more rain fell than between 1930 and 1969.These_changes may be connected by humidity(湿度), Changnon says. Humidity is the measure of how much moisture is in the air. Humid air, which contains a lot of moisture，takes longer to heat up than dry air, Changnon notes. And humid air often releases its moisture through rainfall.

So where did the extra moisture in the air come from？Changnon points to farms in the region. As plants grow, they pull moisture from the ground and release it into the air. And among plants, soybeans (大豆) and corn plants release a lot of moisture. Midwestern farms now plant more soybeans and corn than in the past, with 97 percent of farmland today planted with these two crops. In the 1930s, corn and soybeans covered only about 57 percent, Changnon says. He also notes that the plants are planted closer together now than they used to be, so there are more plants per acre than in the past.

The second study, like Changnon's, also found an increase in rainfall in the same area. But it points to another possible source for the increased moisture. Alan Robock at Rutgers University was part of the team that produced the second study and presented the group's findings. The team found that irrigation practices in the Great Plains have changed over the years. The researchers studied a vast area in the region. They found that in 1930, farmers in that region irrigated only about 1.8 million acres of farmland. In 1980, however, farmers irrigated nearly 15 million acres. Plants use the water and then release it into the air.

These results by Changnon and Robock and their colleagues are the first step toward understanding a change in the weather.

20．What does the underlined term “These changes” refer to?

A．Lower temperatures and more rainfall.

B．Higher temperatures and higher humidity.

C．Making a record both in the past and now.

D．The two periods of the 40­year investigation.

21．Which of the following could be the possible sources for the increased moisture in the US Midwest?

A．Scientists' research and farmers' attention.

B．Less farmland and more plants.

C．More plants and irrigation practices.

D．Natural reservoirs and underground rivers.

22．The studies show that in America's Midwest，________．

A．the average temperature is getting higher and higher

B．more and more farmland has been deserted

C．the amount of rain is closely related to the temperature

D．summers are now cooler and wetter than they were in years past

23．According to the passage, irrigating more and more plants means ________．

A．making more space for farms and buildings

B．making more and more water into the air, and thus causing more rain

C．more farms depending on water­saving systems

D．using plants to change the climate  

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 _____.

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?

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.”

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

A. summer heat keeps Americans away 　　　　　 B. experiencing the heat in it is cool

C. it is a series of salt flats 　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　 D. it is a famous place in the world.

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

A. Most difficult. 　 B. Most energetic. 　 　　 C. Strongest.　 　　　　　 D. Best.

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

A. The hottest time in Death Valley is from June to August.

B. Not all the visitors to Death Valley are foreigners.

C. The lowest temperature in Death Valley is 29.4 ℃.

D. Death Valley is made up of salt flats.

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

A. Crazy Fans of Death Valley. B. Importance of Death Valley.

C. Beauty of California National Park. D.The Best Tourist Attraction in North America.