The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the Americans from being discovered by the people of Europe.

It is more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.   1.   .

Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has very few islands.   2.  .

One of the longest mountain ranges of the world rises from the floor of the Atlantic.   3.  . The tops of a few of the mountains reach up above the sea and make islands. The Azores are the tops of peaks in the mid-Atlantic mountain range.

Ocean currents are sometimes called “rivers in the sea”. One of these “rivers” in the Atlantic is called the Gulf Stream. It is a current（流） of warm water. Another is the Labrador Current --- cold water coming down from the Arctic.  4.  .

Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the far north across the paths of ships.

   5. . Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

A We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller

B This narrowest place is between the bulge（鼓起） of South America and the bulge of Africa

C Also, it is the world’s saltiest ocean

D This big Atlantic Ocean is not easy and sometimes dangerous to cross

E This mountain range runs north and south down the middle of the ocean

F Ocean currents affect the climates of the land near which they flow

G The Atlantic furnishes much food for the people on its shores

The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New．For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe．

The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large．It is more than 4,000 miles （6,000 km） wide where Columbus crossed it．Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles （3,200 km） wide．

There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is．But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers．It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up．On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles （3．2 km） deep, but in some places it is much deeper．The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico．This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles （9．6 km）．

　　Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea．Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind．Today the Atlantic is a great highway．It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one．Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves．Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships．We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller．Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it．A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days．Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

1．From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ ．

       A．the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time

       B．no river flows into the Atlantic ocean

       C．it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean

       D．the Ocean floor is rather flat

2．Suppose it's February 27th, 2000．You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?

       A．On March 2nd　                          B．On March 3rd

       C．On February 28th                              D．In eight hours' time

3．What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage?

       A．The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be．

       B．The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be．

       C．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller．

       D．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller．

       The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New．For centuries it kept the Americans from being discovered by the people of Europe．

       Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic made early sailors unwilling to sail far out into it．One idea was that it reached out to “the edge of the world．” Sailors were afraid that they might sail right off the earth．Another idea was that at the equator the ocean would be boiling hot．

       The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large．It is more than 4,000 miles （6,000km） wide where Columbus crossed it．Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles （3,200km） wide．

       Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual．For so large an ocean it has very few islands．Also, it is the world’s saltiest ocean．

       There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is．But suppose no more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers．It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up．On the average the water is a little more than two miles （3．2km） deep, but in places it is much deeper．The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico．This “deep” measures 30,246 feet-almost six miles （9．6km）．

       One of the longest mountain ranges of the world rises from the floor of the Atlantic．This mountain range runs north and south down the middle of the ocean．The tops of a few of the mountains reach up above the sea and make islands．

       Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea．Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind．In the days of sailing vessels（船） the crew were afraid they would be becalmed（停滞不前） here．Sometimes they were．

       Today the Atlantic is a great highway．It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one．Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves．Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships．

       We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller．Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it．A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days．Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

1．Which world is the Old World?

       A．Africa                 B．Europe                C．Asia                    D．All of above

2．What caused people to be unwilling to explore the Atlantic?

       A．There are no ships big enough to get across the Ocean．

       B．Sailors were afraid of being lost in the Ocean．

       C．The Atlantic Ocean was very unusual because it has few islands and the saltiest water．

       D．Many incorrect ideas such as “the edge of the world”, “the equator with boiling hot water”, made people think the Ocean was full of danger．

3．What is the topic of the fifth paragraph?

       A．How deep the water is

       B．How to measure the water in the Atlantic Ocean

       C．How much water the Ocean holds．

       D．How rain affects the Ocean water．

4．We can learn from the text that ______．

       A．the Atlantic is the largest ocean on earth

       B．one of the longest mountain ranges lies in the Atlantic

       C．the Atlantic has a lot of islands in it

       D．sailing on the Atlantic Ocean is always quiet, smooth and safe

　　The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the old world from new. For centuries it kept the Americans from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic Ocean were believed in by people that they didn't 1 to go far out into it. One idea was that it reached out to the 2 that they might go right 3 the earth. 4 idea was that at the equator the ocean would be boiling hot.

　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as 5 as the Pacific. It is the second 6 ocean in the world. It is more than 4,000 miles 7 . Even at the narrowest it is about 2,000 miles wide.

　　Something makes the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so 8 an ocean it has very few islands.

　　There is 9 much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to 10 how much there is. But suppose no more 11 fell into it and no more 12 was brought to it by 13 . It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. In most places the water is little more than two miles 14 , but in some places it is much 15 . The deepest 16 is Puerto Rico (波多黎哥). This “deep” measures 30,246 feet.

　　The Atlantic gives much 17 to the people on its shores. There are a lot of famous fishing places there.

　　Today the Atlantic is a great high way. It is not, 18 , always a smooth safe one. We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown 19 . It took Columbus two months to cross it. A fast modern ship can make the 20 in less than four days. Planes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from south America to Africa in four!

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阅读理解

　　The Atlantic Ocean (大西洋) is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the Americas from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4000 miles (6400km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at the narrowest it is about 2000 miles wide.

　　Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has very few islands. Also , it is the world's saltiest ocean.

　　There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4000 years to dry up. In most places the water is a little more than two miles deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot measures 30 246 feet----almost six miles.

　　Ocean currents (洋流) are sometimes called “rivers in the sea ”. One of these “rivers ” in the Atlantic is called the Gulf Stream (墨西哥湾流). It is a current of warm water. Another is the Labrador Current----cold water coming down from the Arctic (北冰洋). Ocean currents affects(影响)the weather of the land near which they flow.

　　The Atlantic supplies much food for the people on its shores. There are a lot of fishing areas there.

　　Today the Atlantic is a great highway (交通干线). It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Planes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

1．The Pacific is ________ as large as the Atlantic.

[　　]

2．The Atlantic is well-known for ________ .

[　　]

3．The weather of the lands near the ocean currents has ________ to do with the currents in temperature.

[　　]

4．Columbus crossed the Atlantic in more than two months, that's to say, he sailed ________ kilometres a day.

[　　]

5．If Jomolangma Peak (珠穆朗玛峰) were put in the deepest spot in the Atlantic , then we could ________ above the water.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　The Atlantic Ocean (大西洋) is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the Americas from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4000 miles (6400km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at the narrowest it is about 2000 miles wide.

　　Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has very few islands. Also , it is the world's saltiest ocean.

　　There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4000 years to dry up. In most places the water is a little more than two miles deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot measures 30 246 feet----almost six miles.

　　Ocean currents (洋流) are sometimes called “rivers in the sea ”. One of these “rivers ” in the Atlantic is called the Gulf Stream (墨西哥湾流). It is a current of warm water. Another is the Labrador Current----cold water coming down from the Arctic (北冰洋). Ocean currents affects(影响)the weather of the land near which they flow.

　　The Atlantic supplies much food for the people on its shores. There are a lot of fishing areas there.

　　Today the Atlantic is a great highway (交通干线). It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Planes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

(1) The Pacific is ________ as large as the Atlantic.

[　　]

(2) The Atlantic is well-known for ________ .

[　　]

(3) The weather of the lands near the ocean currents has ________ to do with the currents in temperature.

[　　]

(4) Columbus crossed the Atlantic in more than two months, that's to say, he sailed ________ kilometres a day.

[　　]

(5) If Jomolangma Peak (珠穆朗玛峰) were put in the deepest spot in the Atlantic , then we could ________ above the water.

[　　]

The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the old world from new. For

centuries it kept the Americans from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　 Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic Ocean were believed in by people that they didn't 1 to go far out into it. One idea was that it reached out to the 　2 　that they might go right 3 the earth. 　4 idea was that at the equator the ocean would be boiling hot.

　　 The Atlantic Ocean is only half as 5 as the Pacific. It is the second 6 　ocean in the world. It is more than 4,000 miles 　7 . Even at the narrowest it is about 2,000 miles wide.

　　 Something makes the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so 　8 an ocean it has very few islands.

　　 There is 9 much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to 10 　how much there is. But suppose no more 11 fell into it and no more 12 was brought to it by 13 . It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. In most places the water is little more than two miles 　14 , but in some places it is much _15 . The deepest 　16 is Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet.

　　 The Atlantic gives much 　17 to the people on its shores. There are a lot of famous fishing places there.

　　 Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, 　18 , always a smooth safe one. We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown 19 . It took Columbus from New York to London in only eight hours 20 and from South America to Africa in four!

1. A. need　　　　　 B. have　　　　　 C. dare　　　　　 D. use

2. A. farthest　　　 B. deepest　　　 C. highest　　　 D. nearest

3. A. into　　　　　 B. onto　　　　　 C. off　　　　　 D. around

4. A. The other　　 B. One　　　　　 C. Other　　　　 D. Another

5. A. deep　　　　　 B. big　　　　　 C. wide　　　　　 D. narrow

6. A. largest　　　 B. widest　　　　 C. deepest　　 D. highest

7. A. deep　　　　　 B. long　　　　　 C. wide　　　　　 D. high

8. A. large　　　　 B. small　　　　 C. deep　　　 D. unusual

9. A. such　　　　　 B. so　　　　　　 C. too　　　　　 D. very

10. A. imagine　　　 B. think　　　　 C. measure　　 D. calculate

11. A. ships　　　　 B. islands　　　 C. water　　　　 D. rain

12. A. snow　　　　　 B. rain　　　　　 C. water　　　　 D. fish

13. A. ships　　　　 B. rivers　　　　 C. rain　　　　　 D. snow

14. A. deep　　　　　 B. wide　　　　　 C. long　　　　　 D. high

15. A. deep　　　　　 B. wide　　　　　 C. deeper　　　　 D. wider

16. A. ocean　　　　 B. hole　　　 　 C. water　　　　 D. spot

17. A. money　　　 B. food　　　　 C. water　　　　 D. interests

18. A. either　　　　 B. however　　　 C. as well　　　 D. besides

19. A. smaller　　　 B. bigger　　　　 C. younger　　　 D. wider

20. A. way　　　　　 B. route　　　　 C. round　　　　 D. trip