Some people say，“Extreme（极限的）sports are so dangerous．Why would anyone want to do them?” But the danger is what makes them so exciting．Keep reading to find out about the most popular ones．

Bungee jumping：People in some South Pacific islands have been bungee jumping for hundreds of years．In 1979，some people bungee jumped off a bridge in England and made the sport popular around the world．Bungee jumping came to China in 1996．

Skateboarding：At first，this sport was called “sidewalk surfing”．Skateboarders often jump high into the air，go down steps or slide（滑行）down rails on their boards．They wear baggy trousers so they can move more freely．

Skydiving：This is probably the scariest（最惊险的）extreme sport．Skydivers jump out of airplanes about four kilometers up in the sky．They usually free fall for a while and then open a parachute（降落伞）to slow down for a safe landing．

Snowboarding：This became a winter Olympic sport in 1998．People tied their feet to the board with special shoes．They don't use any ski sticks．Then，they ride down hills，jump high and do tricks．

1．What made bungee jumping popular all over the world?

A．A history of hundreds of years．

B．People jumping over a fiver in England．

C．Its coming to China in 1996．

D．People jumping off a bridge in Britain．

2．In which sports do people jump from a plane or from a high place?

A．Bungee jumping and skydiving．                  B．Skydiving and skateboarding．

C．Bungee jumping and skateboarding．            D．Snowboarding and skateboarding．

3．Why do some people like to do the extreme sports?

A．Because it's exciting and safe．                    B．Because it's dangerous but exciting．

C．Because it's scary but safe．                       D．Because it's easy to learn．

Many children love to play with snow in winter. But Long Chuan has come to hate it.
This year his hometown suffered from snowstorms (遭受暴风雪) for nearly a month. The heavy snow stopped cars and trains, broke the electricity (电) tower and turned tap water to ice.
Every day Long Chuan had to walk several kilometers to carry drinking water. “I couldn’t ride a bike and it took me 3 hours to walk to school. I can’t remember how many times I slipped (滑倒) on the hard ice, ” said Long Chuan.
Long is not alone. This year millions of people in central and southern China had a freezing winter without enough water and electricity. The biggest snowstorms in 50 years killed more than 100 people. They also cost the country 111.1 billion yuan.
Experts (专家) say a special type of climate condition (气候条件), La Nina, caused the storms. During a La Nina, the water in the Pacific Ocean (太平洋) near the equator (赤道) becomes colder than usual. It changes the weather around the world.
Besides China, Canada, the US and Middle Eastern countries also met with heavy snowstorms this winter. The special climate caused the recent flooding (洪水) in Australia, too.
However, experts say that people have destroyed the environment (环境). Global warming (全球变暖) may be causing these terrible weather events to happen more and more often.
【小题1】What took place in Long Chuan’s hometown last winter?

Many children love to play with snow in winter. But Long Chuan has come to hate it.
This year his hometown suffered from snowstorms (遭受暴风雪) for nearly a month. The heavy snow stopped cars and trains, broke the electricity (电) tower and turned tap water to ice.
Every day Long Chuan had to walk several kilometers to carry drinking water. “I couldn’t ride a bike and it took me 3 hours to walk to school. I can’t remember how many times I slipped (滑倒) on the hard ice, ” said Long Chuan.
Long is not alone. This year millions of people in central and southern China had a freezing winter without enough water and electricity. The biggest snowstorms in 50 years killed more than 100 people. They also cost the country 111.1 billion yuan.
Experts (专家) say a special type of climate condition (气候条件), La Nina, caused the storms. During a La Nina, the water in the Pacific Ocean (太平洋) near the equator (赤道) becomes colder than usual. It changes the weather around the world.
Besides China, Canada, the US and Middle Eastern countries also met with heavy snowstorms this winter. The special climate caused the recent flooding (洪水) in Australia, too.
However, experts say that people have destroyed the environment (环境). Global warming (全球变暖) may be causing these terrible weather events to happen more and more often.

1. 1.

   What took place in Long Chuan’s hometown last winter?

   1. A.
      Earthquake.
   2. B.
      Flooding.
   3. C.
      Traffic Accident.
   4. D.
      Heavy snowstorms.
2. 2.

   During the snowstorms this year, Long Chuan  __________.

   1. A.
      had to walk to carry drinking water
   2. B.
      had to ride a bike to school
   3. C.
      couldn’t go to school on foot
   4. D.
      couldn’t play with snow
3. 3.

   The heavy snow ____________ this year.

   1. A.
      killed millions of Chinese
   2. B.
      cost China 111.1 billion yuan
   3. C.
      used too much electricity
   4. D.
      lasted more than three hours
4. 4.

   We can tell from the story that __________ .

   1. A.
      China is the only country which suffered from the heavy snow
   2. B.
      La Nina is said to have caused the snowstorms
   3. C.
      La Nina also caused hot summer in Australia
   4. D.
      the snowstorms have nothing to do with global warming
5. 5.

   The passage tells people around the world ___________.

   1. A.
      to wear more clothes in winter
   2. B.
      to stop riding bikes on the hard ice
   3. C.
      to protect (保护) the environment
   4. D.
      to save water and electricity