第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
The Times(January 8，2008)一A climber was left hanging over a 500 ft cliff for more than seven hours in temperatures below zero as his companions looked on helplessly．
After setting out at dawn to make what they thought was straight forward ascent(垂直攀爬) in the Caimgorrns．one of the three friends suddenly slipped and then was 150 ft backwards into a gully(沟壑)．The only thing that stopped the climberfalling to his death wast he safety line fixed to his friends．
They stayed on an icy rock face at 2，500 ft．All they could see wash is head torch shining in the darkness and they had to shout down in turns to make sure that he was still alive．By the time .they were airlifted off the mountain just after midnight,the temperature had fallen to—20 ℃ and heavy snowstorms were setting in．Surprisingly,none ofthe three was seriously hurt．
The group had left their car at 8：30 am for the expedition which was expected to end with an 800 ft climb called Kiwi Gully in an area known as Hell’s Lure to the west of Lock Avon．Generally,there will be few problems for experienced climbers but it had become very harder after heavy snowfalls．Just before 4 pm the climbers reached a narrow part beneath a steep section of rock．Two of the party made it to the ice．Having got through the steepest section,he slipped when the ice suddenly gave way．He was left hanging and couldn’t climb back up because he had damaged his ankle and was in shock．
At 8 pm a team of ten rescue workers was dropped on a snowy place 300 ft above the climbers．One of the team was lowered to where the climbers were trapped．During a four-hour operation，they were saved．Thirty minutes later snowstorms enveloped the mountain．
56．The climber didn’t climb back up because ．
A．the safety line was easy to break B．he was too frightened to climb
C．he was shocked by some animals D．his damaged ankle prevented him climbing
57．Which of the following about the rescue work is TRUE?
A．Ten people were sent to rescue the climbers at dawn．
B．The work lasted about four hours ．
C．It was the workers that lifted the climber up．
D．The three climbers were seriously hurt during the work
58.According to the passage, it was implied that the person hanging over a cliff was ．
A．a climbing learner B．a clever climber
C. an experienced climber D．a climbing guide
59．What will be the best title for the passage?
A．Climber Saved After Hanging for 7 Hours
B．An Unforgettable Climbing Experience
C．Time is Life for Climbers
D．Climber Left Hanging over a Cliff
You hear this，“No wonder you are fat．All you ever d0 is eat．”You feel sad．“I skip my breakfast and supper．I run every morning and evening．What else can I do?”
Basically you can do nothing．Your genes，not your life habits，determine your weight and your body constantly tries to maintain it．
Albert Stunkard of the University of Pennsylvania found from experiments that“80 percent of the children of two fat parents become fat，as compared with no more than 14．percent of the children of two parents of normal weight．”
How can obese people become thinner through dieting? Well，dieting can be effective．but the health costs are great．
Jules Hirsch，a research physician at Rockefeller University，did a study of eight fat people．They were．given a liquid formula（配方）providing 600 calories a day．After more than 10 weeks，the subjects lost on average 45 kg．But after leaving the hospital，they all regained the weight．
The results were surprising：by metabolic（新陈代谢的）measurement，fat people who lost large amounts of weight seemed like they were starving．They had psychiatric problems．They dreamed of food or of breaking their diet They were anxious and depressed．Some wanted to kill themselves．They hid food in their rooms．
Researchers warn that it is possible that weight reduction doesn’t result in normal weight，but in an abnormal state lust like that of starved non．obese people．
Thin people, however，suffer from the opposite．They have to make a great effort to gain weight Ethan Sims of the University of Vermont got prisoners to volunteer to gain weight．In four to six months—they ate as much as they could．They succeeded in increasing their weight by 20 to 25 percent. But months after the study ended，they were back to normal weight and stayed there．
This did not mean that people are completely without hope in controlling their weight．It means that those who tend to be fat will have to constantly battle their genetic inheritance（遗传）if they want to significantly 1ower their weight．
The findings also provide evidence for something scientists thought was true—each person has a comfortable weight range．The range might be as much as 9kg．Someone might weigh 60--69kg without too much effort．But，going above or below the natural weight range is difficult.The body resists by feeling hungry or full and changing．the metabolism to push the weight back to the range it seeks．The story is mainly written to。
| A．point out the relations between our body and mind |
| B．warn us it’s extremely harmful to reduce or gain our weight |
| C．tell us that it’s difficult to make a significant change in our weight |
| D．stress that dieting 1s a recommended way to help you reach your desired weight |
Jules Hirsch’s study’found that．
| A．big weight loss could lead to mental problems |
| B．a person’s weight can be decided by their parents’ weight |
| C．only dieting cannot produce a desired result in weight reduction |
| D．big efforts to lose weight may result in a weight much heavier than one’s normal weight |
From the text，we know that the body can still feel comfortable
| A．when the weight goes up or down by 6 kg |
| B．when the weight goes up or down by l0 kg |
| C．when the weight is increased by 20 to 25 percent |
| D．when the weight is decreased by 20 to 25 percent |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．When it comes to weight，naturalness is the healthiest |
| B．Weight reduction could be both risky and painful． |
| C．Seek professional advice when reducing your weight． |
| D．There’s no hope and no point in controlling your weight． |
In a natural disaster—a hurricane,flood,tornado,volcanic eruption,or other calamity—minutes and even seconds of warning can be the difference between life and death.Because of this,scientists and government officials are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen.They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained.The goal is to put technology to effective use in saving lives and property when nature unleashes its power with devastating results.
On September 29,1998,Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi,Mississippi,after devastating Haiti,the Dominican Republic,Puerto Rico,and several islands of the Caribbean with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km/h （100 mph）.Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States,although hundreds died in the Caribbean.
This was a very different outcome from 1900,when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston,Texas,killing at least 6 000 people.Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century—residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching,while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance of Georges’s approach,allowing for extensive safety precautions.
At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning,some residents of New Orleans,Louisiana,120 km to the west,were less satisfied.A day before Georges made landfall,forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans.Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level,the city is at risk for flooding.In addition,because New Orleans has a large population in vulnerable locations,emergency management officials must begin evacuations well before a storm strikes.But evacuation costs money:Businesses close,tourists leave,and citizens take precautionary measures.The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city’s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million.After the full fury of Georges missed New Orleans,some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs.
The differing views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges illustrate some of the complexities involved in predicting disasters.Disaster prediction is more than just forecasting the future with advanced technology—it is also a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions.
In general,the process has three phases.First,there is the challenge of forecasting the event itself.In the case of Georges,scientists worked to predict the future direction and strength of the hurricane days in advance.
A second important challenge is communicating the forecast to decision－makers.Because forecasts are always uncertain,a central factor in disaster predictions is communicating this uncertainty.Uncertainty is usually described in terms of odds or probabilities,much like daily weather forecasts.The media plays an important role in communicating predictions and their uncertainty to the public.
The third part of the process is the use of predictive information by decision makers.Even the most accurate information is of little value if the decision maker does not use it appropriately,for example in deciding whether to order an evacuation.If there is a breakdown in any of these three phases of prediction,the result is increased danger and a higher risk of loss of life.The underlined word“calamity”refers to ______.
| A．nature | B．thunderstorms | C．disaster | D．dangers |
According the passage,the purpose of disaster prediction is to______.
| A．demonstrate the power of advanced technology |
| B．bring out the truth between life and death |
| C．prevent such natural disasters from happening |
| D．reduce human casualties and loss of property |
Which of the following areas suffered the most severe damage?
| A．Biloxi,Mississippi. | B．Gulf Coast of U. S. |
| C．Galveston,Texas. | D．New Orleans. |
“Earthquake!”The word flashed in my brain.A roaring sound filled my ears.I tried to slide beneath my desk.The desk did a wild tap dance,slipping and sliding towards the centre of the room.I twisted my body and grabbed at the windowsill behind me,somehow kicking free of my dancing chair.I tried to stand.My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator.
My fingers shook,grasped and held the windowsill tightly.Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animal.I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare.Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room,surrounded by chairs and desks.One girl was screaming.A boy was trying to claw his way across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl.
My grip froze me to the windowsill.
I cried aloud,“I’m going to die.I’m going to die.Save me,I’m not ready to die,I’m not ready!”
I hunched forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched fingers.I looked at the backs of my fingers and stupidly noticed the fragile pale hairs growing out of the pores.The fingers would soon cease to exist.Somehow the impending horror of my death was too terrible to even cry about.
Suddenly,I became aware that the rocking had ceased.Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.The roaring sound was made by______.
| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
When the narrator clenches his fingers he is ______.
| A．afraid | B．angry | C．injured | D．impatient |
Paragraph two describes the______.
| A．injuries suffered by the narrator | B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom | D．narrator’s fear of death |
At the end of the passage there is a feeling of______.
| A．panic | B．hope | C．sorrow | D．excitement |
When newspapers and radio describe the damage caused by a hurricane named Hazel,girls named Hazel are probably teased by their friends.To keep out of trouble,the Weather Bureau says,“Any resemblance between hurricane names and the names of particular girls is purely accidental.”
Some women became angry because hurricanes are given their names,but many other women are proud to see their names make headlines.They don’t even care that they are the names of destructive storms.Because more women seem to like it than dislike it,the Weather Bureau has decided to continue using girl’s names for hurricanes.
In some ways a hurricane is like a person.After it is born,it grows and develops,then becomes old and dies.Each hurricane has a character of its own.Each follows its own path through the world,and people remember it long after it gone.So it is natural to give hurricanes’ names,and to talk about them almost if they were alive.What happens to girls named Hazel according to the passage?
| A．They suffer from hurricanes. |
| B．The Weather Bureau look for them. |
| C．Others often make fun of them. |
| D．They can’t find boyfriend. |
The underlined word“resemblance”probably means ______.
| A．trouble | B．difference | C．sameness | D．success |
According to the passage,which is more reasonable?
| A．Some women feel unhappy because hurricanes are given their names. |
| B．A lot of women complain of the Weather Bureau. |
| C．Many women want to be known. |
| D．All the hurricanes are caused by women. |
Public opinions make the Weather Bureau ______.
| A．consider the disagreement of some women |
| B．go on naming hurricanes after women |
| C．name hurricanes after men |
| D．look for a new method to name hurricanes |
Geologists have been studying volcanoes for a long time.Though they have learned a great deal,they still have not discovered the cause of volcanic action.They know that the inside of the earth is very hot,but they are not sure exactly what causes the great heat.Some geologists have thought that the heat is caused by the great pressure of the earth’s outer layers.Or the heat may be left from the time when the earth was formed.During the last sixty years scientists have learned about radium,uranium,thorium,and other radioactive elements.Many scientists now believe that much of the heat inside the earth is produced by radioactive elements.
Whatever the cause of the heat may be,we do know that the earth gets hotter the farther down we dig.In deep mines and oil wells the temperatures rise about 1°F for every 50 feet.At this rate of the temperature 40 miles below the earth’s surface should be over 4 000°.This is much hotter than necessary to melt rock.However,the pressure of the rock above keeps most materials from melting at their usual melting points.Geologists believe that the rock deep in the earth may be plastic,or puttylike（油灰状的）.In other words,the rock yields slowly to pressure but is not liquid.But if some change in the earth’s crust releases the pressure,the rock melts.Then the hot,liquid rock can move up toward the surface.The cause for the great heat inside of the earth is______.
| A．great pressure of the earth’s outer layers |
| B．the heat left from the time when the earth was formed |
| C．radioactive elements giving out heat |
| D．not sure |
According to the passage,______ prevents most rock from melting at its usual melting points.
| A．the pressure of the rock itself |
| B．the pressure of the rock above |
| C．the pressure of the earth’s outer layers |
| D．the heat given out by some radioactive elements |
According to the passage,which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The farther down,the hotter the earth gets. |
| B．The rock deep in the earth is liquid. |
| C．When the pressure releases from the earth’s crust,the rock melts. |
| D．Rock would be melted at 4 000°. |