Force other than damaging winds are also at work inside tornadoes. Sometimes, as the turning, jumping funnel(漏斗) passes over a house, the walls and ceiling burst apart as if a bomb had gone off inside. This explosion(爆炸) is caused by the low air pressure at the center of a tornado.
The pressure at the center of a tornado is usually 13 pounds per square inch. However, inside the house the air pressure is normal, about 15 pounds per square inch. The difference of 2 pounds per square inch between the inside and outside pressure may not seem like much. But suppose a tornado funnel passes over a small building that measures 20 by 10 by 10 feet. On each square inch of the building, there is 2 pounds of pressure from the inside that is not balanced by air pressure outside the building. On the ceiling, that adds up to an unbalanced pressure of 57,600 pounds. The pressure on the four walls adds up to 172,800 pounds.
If windows are open in the building, some of the inside air will rush out through them. This will balance the pressure inside and outside the building. But if the windows are shut tightly, the great inside pressure may cause the building to burst.
Unfortunately, heavy rain happens in thunderstorms that later produce tornadoes. So, people often shut all windows to protect their property. This may cause far worse damage later.
63. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
A. Where tornadoes are formed. B. When tornadoes usually occur.
C. How tornadoes can be prevented. D. Why tornadoes cause so much damage.
64. According to the passage, tornadoes can destroy building because the _____.
A. force of a tornado increases the air pressure in a building
B. air pressure at the center of a tornado is over 172,000 pounds
C. weight of a tornado can crush a building’s roof when it passes overhead
D. air pressure inside a tornado is less than the air pressure inside a building
65. According to the passage, the pressure on a building during a tornado can be reduced by _____.
A. closing the windows B. opening the windows
C. using an electric fan D. making the roof and walls stronger
Computer programmer David Jones earns $35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot found a bank ready to let him have a credit card. Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18. The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David's firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押货款),or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,” he said, “But I had been studying is in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway.” David added: “I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.” In which way is David different from people of his age?
A.He often goes out with friends. |
B.He lives with his mother. |
C.He has a handsome income. |
D.He graduated with six O-levels. |
What is one of the problems that David is facing now?
A.He is too young to get a credit card. |
B.He has no time to learn driving. |
C.He has very little spare time. |
D.He will soon lose his job. |
Why was David able to get the job in the company?
A.He had done well in all his exams. |
B.He had written some computer programs. |
C.He was good at playing computer games. |
D.He had learnt to use computers at school. |
Why did David decide to leave school and start working?
A.He received lots of job offers. |
B.He was eager to help his mother. |
C.He lost interest in school studies. |
D.He wanted to earn his own living. |
I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down, I immediately recognized that something was wrong, and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water, and it was a life-and-death struggle. Her calf was floating and screaming with fear. Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body against the rushing water, and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body. Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk against the rocky bank. Then with a huge effort, she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.
Just at this moment, she fell back into the river. If she were carried down, it would be certain death. I knew, as well as she did, that there was one spot where she could get up the bank, but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf.
While I was wondering what I could do next, I heard the sound of a mother’s love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could, roaring(吼叫) all the time, but to her calf it was music.The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw ___.
A.the calf was about to fall into the river |
B.Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock |
C.the calf was washed away by the rising water |
D.Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water |
How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?
A.By putting it on a safe spot. |
B.By pressing it against her body. |
C.By taking it away with her |
D.By carrying it on her back. |
How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring?
A.It was a great comfort. |
B.It was a sign of danger. |
C.It was a call for help. |
D.It was a musical note. |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.A Mother's love |
B.A Brave Act |
C.A Deadly River |
D.A matter of Life and Death |
More and more often we heard of people talking about Karaoke(卡拉OK)。 But what on earth it is about, still remains a question for many people. Karaoke is a sort of acoustic equipment which was invented in Japan around the middle of the 1970's. It means "a band without people" in Japanese. In fact, it is just a music tape without words. This equipment first appeared in some public houses and snack bars, and mainly for the customers to enjoy themselves. Most of the music in Karaoke was popular music. Therefore, at times, when anyone felt like it, he might sing songs to the accompaniment of the music that came from the equipment. Shortly after its invention, Karaoke was spread to the whole world. It was introduced to China and was welcomed by many people. Although you are not a good singer, or even sometimes you may sing out of tune, you can always enjoy yourself by singing Karaoke.In this passage "band" means "group of persons ________."
A.who play games on the sports ground |
B.who play music together |
C.living in the same neighborhood |
D.doing things together under a leader and with a common purpose |
Karaoke is just a ______.
A.cassette tape with only music |
B.cassette tape recorder |
C.band from Japan |
D.voice recording equipment |
People went to public houses and snack bars ______when Karaoke appeared.
A.to have a good time |
B.to have something to drink |
C.to get something to eat |
D.to buy the equipment |
Karaoke was spread to the whole world ________.
A.as soon as it was invented |
B.long before |
C.not long after it was invented |
D.before long |
The main idea of this passage is ______.
A.all persons like to play Karaoke |
B.to introduce Karaoke to the people |
C.Karaoke is a wonderful equipment |
D.Karaoke is used everywhere including snack bars |
Mr. King lived with six hundred wild animals on the Greek Island of Kyklos. Ever since he left school, he had traveled all over the word collecting animals for his own zoo. He hoped to collect two examples of every kind of animal on his island. But he was afraid that people would find him someday.
He wrote books about his travels and about his animals that he collected. The money from the books helped to pay for all the food that these animals ate.
One day, when Mr. King was out looking for drinking water, he found oil. He needed money for his travels and for his zoo, and a little oil would buy enough water for what he needed all his life, but he knew that if he told anyone else about it, it would be the end of his zoo and his life’s work. So he decided not to tell anyone else about what he had found, because oil and water couldn’t mix. Mr. King traveled all over the world for collecting ______.
A.oil | B.water | C.animals | D.money |
What Mr. King needed for his travels and his zoo was_______.
A.water | B.money | C.support | D.friends |
Mr. King was afraid that people would find him someday because ________.
A.he hadn’t got enough money for them |
B.that would be the end of his zoo |
C.he hadn’t got enough water and oil |
D.they would buy his animals |
Mr. King wrote books to _______.
A.tell people about his story |
B.tell people how to find oil |
C.get enough money for his animals |
D.make money for his travels |
In the passage, “oil and water couldn’t mix” means that “_________”.
A.Mr. King needed not only water but also oil |
B.oil and water were rather difficult to be mixed together |
C.Mr. King’s animals only needed water, not oil |
D.if he told the others he found oil, his life’s work would be stopped |
One day in the early March of 1993, Pauline and Tom Nichter and their 11-year-old son, Jason, were shopping for a toy in Buena Park, CA. Suddenly, Pauline saw a wallet lying on the floor. When she looked inside, she found $200. The family, homeless and without work, knew that could change their lives. But they took the wallet to the nearby police station and turned it in. The wallet was found to have some other pockets, and more money in them—over $2,000! The police called the man who lost the wallet to pick it up. The man thanked the Nichters and shook their hands, but did not reward them. Luckily for the family, a TV news reporter filmed the story. People from all over the world heard the story and sent them letters, money, and even offered them jobs. A businessman even let them live in his house for free for six months. So far, the family has received over $100,000. Now the Nichters’ future is bright.The best title for the passage would be “________”.
A.Money Is Everything | B.A Lost Wallet and a Family |
C.A Kind Businessman | D.A Lost Wallet and the Police |
Who found more money in the wallet?
A.The police | B.Jason |
C.Someone else in the shop | D.The man who lost the wallet |
The underlined words “reward them” mean “________”.
A.speak to the Nichters | B.give something to the Nichters in return |
C.pay the police | D.meet the news reporters |
People from all over the world help the Nichters do lots of things except _______
A.offere them jobs | B.sent them letters |
C.sent them money | D.offere them clothes |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Nichters?
A.They got lots of money from a reporter |
B.They made friends with the wallet loser |
C.They posted letters to people all over the world |
D.They became known to many people |