Question

With the average temperature for January standing at -50℃, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2℃.

This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water' due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.

Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horse meat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.

Doctors say the reason the locals don't suffer from malnutrition is that their animals' milk contains a lot of micronutrients.

Unsurprisingly, locals are hardened to the weather and unlike in other countries— where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon's solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52℃.

There are few modern conveniences in the village— with many buildings still having outdoor toilets - and most people still burn coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town shuts down in about five hours, and the pipes freeze and crack.

Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.

Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception the phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.

Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days. The earth must first have melted sufficiently in order to dig it, so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours. Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug. The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.

Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions.

59. Which of the following statements about this village is true?

A. Local children don’t go to school because of the extreme cold.

B. People there live a hard and simple life with few modern conveniences.

C. People there have a healthy and balanced diets by eating vegetables and meat.

D. The name of this village— Oymyakon suggests that it’s extremely cold here.

60. The sentence “If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.” can be put 　　　　.

A. before the first paragraph　　　　　　　　　　　 B. after the first paragraph

C. after the sixth paragraph　　　　　　　　　　　 D. before the last paragraph

61. What does the underlined phrase “grinding to a halt” probably mean in this passage?

A. stopping　　　　　　 B. growing　　　　　　　　　 C. continuing　　　　　　　 D. failing

62. What is the purpose of writing this passage?

A. To attract more people to visit this village.

B. To inform readers of this special village.

C. To help solve problems facing the village.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. To draw readers’ attention to poor people.

Answer 1

 BAAB