A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far.

The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti’s president said the cost of the damage could run into billions.

Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americans. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds.

41. The great earthquake happened to the _______ of the capital city.

   A. south-west          B. north-west      C. south-east     D. north-east

42. What can we infer from the underlined sentence?

A. People in Port-au-Prince don’t like to light on.

B. The earthquake happened in the evening.

C. Electricity in the city was cut off that night.

D. There are no lights at all in Port-au-Prince.

43. Which statement about Haiti is NOT true?

A. Haiti became an independent state in the early 19th century.

B. Haiti belongs to Americas, just like Canada, America and so on.

C. At one time, tourism was important to the economy of Haiti.

D. Haiti is a country where such strong quakes often take place.

A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far.
The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti’s president said the cost of the damage could run into billions.
Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds.
【小题1】The great earthquake happened to the _______ of the capital city.

A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far.

The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti’s president said the cost of the damage could run into billions.

Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds.

1.The great earthquake happened to the _______ of the capital city.

2. What can we infer from the underlined sentence?

3. What’s the meaning of the word in bald “catastrophe”?

4.Which statement about Haiti is NOT true?

The people below are all looking for a place to spend their holiday. After the description of these people, there is information about six tour advertisements A—F. Decide which place would be most suitable for the person mentioned in questions 1-5 and then mark the correct letter (A-F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph about one place that you do not need to use.
_______76. Michael, a young computer programmer, has been working hard and needs holiday to relax in winter. He would like to go somewhere warm and sunny, where he can swim in the sea, and he enjoys sports and dancing.
_______77. Jack and his wife Mary, who have recently retired, want to see places of cultural and historic interest abroad, but Mary hates flying.
_______78. Harry and Kate, both teachers and their two teenage sons, have to take their holiday during the school summer vacation. There must be plenty for the boys to do, although Harry and Kate want beautiful scenery, good food—and wine—and peace.
______ 79. Peter and Maria, university students, want to travel as far as possible on very little money, and would like to know a country by working there for three months with other young people.
_______80. Simon, a schoolteacher, is planning to make a one-day trip to a place, where his students can enjoy the objects of artistic, cultural, historical or scientific importance and interest.
A. We now offer you a new service of guided tours for visitors. This prize-winning museum is where Australia’s history comes alive! Visit daily or stay for the night and experience life of the Gold Rush days. A wonderful nightly sound and light show, “Blood on the Southern Cross” tells you the story of the famous Eureka Uprising.
B. Two-week holidays in the luxurious Hotel Splendid, on a lovely beach with golden sands and deep-blue sea. Tennis, golf, sailing and all water sports. Trips and tours around the islands arranged. Near to town of Castries with lively evening entertainment dancing to local bands.
C. Holiday apartments in Mallorca sailing and fishing port—quiet even in summer season beautifully situated apartments with views of seas and mountains, yet near to shops and restaurants. Cars and bicycles for hire. Sailing and sports clubs nearby.
D. The Empire State Building is among the most striking buildings in the city, the nation, even the world. The observation deck on the 86th floor is open to general public, offering a wonderful view of the city. On the second floor you’ll find the New York Skyride, a simulated helicopter ride over Manhattan. Enjoy shopping along with real life character and entertainment.
E. Luxury coach tours of Italy, out of normal holiday season. 21 leisurely days to visit five Italian cities staring from London 1st May, 1st September. The tours are guided by professor Martin Davis formerly Head of Italian Studies, London University.

F. Working holidays on a kibbutz (co-operative farm) in Israel. All nationalities welcome for one to three months, if prepared to work morning with kibbutz members. Accommodation, food and trips to historic sights all provided free-you pay for the special low-cost return flight..

Cleveland has won the distinction of being the worst city in the United States, according to a new survey. The city has high unemployment, terrible weather, heavy taxes, and ordinary sports teams, all of which have pushed it to the No. 1 position in the Forbes.com list.
"Cleveland was the only city that fell in the bottom half of rankings in all nine categories. And it has been entitled with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the lake," Forbes said on its website,
The economic downturn hit cities across the United States last year particularly in the mid-west section of the country. Crime and unemployment secured the No. 2 spot for Stockton, which held the top position in last year's ranking. Memphis got third place thanks to its violent crime rate and the number of officials who are guilty, while the poor auto industry drove the Michigan cities of Detroit and Flint into the top five.
"A lot of the cities that showed up on our list are going through hard times fight now, dealing with high unemployment, with declining producing bases. Many have experienced strong movement out of the city over the last 20 and 30 years."
Despite (尽管) its fine weather, Miami scored in the bottom 10 percent in commuting (上下班往返) time, and violent crime which sent it into sixth place.
"One of the biggest surprises is Miami. The good weather and no state income taxes blur some of the severe problems that Miami has related to crime as well as long commutes," Badenhausen added.
Florida was followed in the poor ranking by St Louis, Buffalo, Canton, Ohio and Chicago, which has the country's highest sales tax at 10.25 percent. New York, the nation's biggest city, is rich in culture but its lengthy commuting time and high income taxes pushed it into 16th place.
【小题1】From the text we can learn that ______.