Illegal removal of coral(珊瑚)along Sri Lanka’s coastline increased the amount of destruction on the island by last December’s tsunami, say researchers．
Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist(力学家)at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year．While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit coral－which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas．Fernando linked this to trucks he had seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea．
Using the eyewitness reports, estimates(估算)of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast．
The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps：in one instance, the water traveled 1.5 kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700．But only a few kilometers away, where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths．
There is a similar phenomenon．In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef made to let boats through．“Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland,”says Fernando．“But nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing．”
In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint．Coral harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite(炸药)in order to collect fish at the same time．Often, the reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists．Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce(实施)its laws against coral mining．
(1)
Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ________．
[ ]
A．
serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team
B．
helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining
C．
producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast
D．
linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami
(2)
The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that________．
[ ]
A．
undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage
B．
coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains
C．
in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area
D．
it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining
(3)
Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps?
[ ]
A．
Boat passages．
B．
Tourists’ sightseeing．
C．
Fish collecting．
D．
Tourists’ souvenirs．
(4)
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A few days ago I asked my son's governess(女家庭教师)Julia to come into my study．“Be seated, Julia,”I said, “Let's settle our accounts．I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you're too polite to mention it．Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month…”
“Forty．”
“No, thirty．I made a note of it．I always pay our governess thirty．Well, um, you've been here two months, so…”
“Two months and five days．”
“Exactly two months．I made a special note of it．That means you have sixty dollars coming to you．Take off nine Sundays…you know you didn't work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks．And three holidays…”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but－not a word．
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars．Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied(从事)only with Dick．Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch．Twelve and seven-nineteen．Take nineteen off…that leaves…hmm…forty one dollars．Correct?”
Julia's left eye reddened with tears welling up．Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but－still not a word．
“Around New Year's Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars．The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but － forget it．When didn't I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect(疏忽), Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten．Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick's shoes．You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it．So, that means five more dollars off．The tenth of January I gave ten dollars．”
“You didn't．” sobbed Julia．
“But I made a note of it．”
“Well…if you say so．”
“Take twenty seven from forty one－that leaves fourteen．”
Both her eyes were filled with tears．Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose．Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife．Three dollars, nothing more．”
“Really? You see now, and I didn't know that! Take three from fourteen－that leaves eleven．Here's your money, my dear．Three, three, three, one and one．Here it is!”
I handed her eleven dollars．She took them and pocketed them．
“Merci(法语：谢谢),”she whispered．
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room．I was overcome with anger．“For what, this ‘merci'?” I asked．
“For the money．”
“But you know I've cheated you－robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci'?”
“In my other places they didn't give me anything at all．”
“They didn't give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you．．．I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you．．．Is it really possible to be so spineless(懦弱)?Why didn't you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws(爪)－to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled．And I could read her expression, “It is possible．”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars．She murmured her little “merci” several times and went out．I looked after her and thought, “How easy it is to crush(压榨)the weak in this world !”
(1)
What shocked the writer was Julia's ________．
[ ]
A．
nervousness in front of her boss
B．
acceptance of injustice(不公平)
C．
shyness when talking about money
D．
unwilling to express herself
(2)
The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________．
[ ]
A．
to be more aggressive(侵略的)
B．
to be more careful in her work
C．
to protect her right
D．
to live independently
(3)
At the end of the story, the writer said, “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________．
[ ]
A．
his understanding of Julia's anxiety
B．
his worry about Julia's future
C．
his concern on the living condition of working - class people
D．
his sympathy(同情)for the mental state of the weak
(4)
From the story, we can tell that Julia's employer was ________．
[ ]
A．
greedy(贪婪)but honest
B．
ill - tempered but warm - hearted
C．
strict but forgiving
D．
none of the above
阅读理解
I made a pledge(发誓)to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage．For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father．Totally loving．No ifs, ands or buts．
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio．The speaker was quoting a Biblical(圣经)passage about husbands being thoughtful of their wives．Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will．A person can choose to love．” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband．Well, for two weeks that would change．
And it did．Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you．”
“
Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased．Maybe a little puzzled．
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read．Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach．I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me．” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites．
So it went．Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums．Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed．I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love．
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however．Evelyn and I still laugh about it today．On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with saddest expression．
“
What's the matter?” I asked her．
“
Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don't?”
“
What do you mean?”
“
Well… that checkup I had several weeks ago… our doctor… did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me… am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in．Then I burst out laughing．
“
No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms．“You're not dying; I'm just starting to live．”
(1)
In the first paragraph, “No ifs, ands or buts” probably mean ________．
[ ]
A．
unnecessarily
B．
unconditionally
C．
impossibly
D．
unintentionally
(2)
From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage ________．
[ ]
A．
alone
B．
with his family
C．
with Evelyn
D．
with his children
(3)
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ________．
[ ]
A．
she looked lovely in her new clothes
B．
she was seriously ill
C．
he was determined to be a good husband
D．
he had made a lot of money in Wall Street
(4)
By saying “I'm just starting to live,” Tom means that ________．
[ ]
A．
he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before
B．
he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change
C．
he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life
D．
he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband
