When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．

　 “Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．

　  Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．

　  Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you

Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

　  However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”

1.For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to　　　 ．

2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised　　　　

3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph，the author means that　　　

4.What can we learn from the text?

Anna lived on the side of a valley．One summer, there was a very big 　     , and a lot of houses down below Anna＇s were washed away．Anna＇s house was 　   enough to escape the flood, so when the water had      and the other houses were 　    there with no roof and no walls and all covered with mud（泥）, her house was just all right．

 Her house was quite small, her husband was dead, and she had four children,   　 Anna took in one of the families that had lost 　   in the flood and she 　    her home with them until it was 　  　 for them to rebuild their house．

 Anna＇s friends were 　  when they saw Anna do this．They could not understand why Anna wanted to give   so much more work and trouble when she already had quite a few children to 　   ．

 “Well,” Anna  　    her friends, “at the end of the First World War, a woman in the town where I then lived found herself very  　   , because her husband had been killed in the 　   　  and she had a lot of children I have now．The day before Christmas, this woman said to her children, ‘We won’t be able to have much for Christmas this year, so I’m going to 　      only one present to all of us．Now I’ll go and get it．’ She came back with a  　    who was even poorer than they, and who had no parents．‘Here’s our 　   ,she said to her children．

 The children were 　   and happy to get such a present．They 　   the little girl, and she grew up as their sister．Such was that Christmas present．”

1.A．accident    B．flood         C．fire            D．earthquake

2.A．below       B．big           C．high           D．small

3.A．reduced     B．come         C．disappeared      D．appeared 

4.A．rising       B．standing       C．flowing         D．falling    

5.A．so         B．for            C．but             D．since

6.A．nothing    B．anything       C．something        D．everything

7.A．gave       B．shared        C．found           D．built

8.A．necessary  B．important      C．obvious          D．possible

9.A．worried    B．disappointed   C．satisfied          D．puzzled

10.A．them      B．him          C．herself           D．us

11.A．supply     B．grow         C．support          D．educate

12.A．asked for  B．talked with     C．turned up         D．explained to

13.A．sad       B．rich           C．poor            D．happy

14.A．storm     B．rain           C．war            D．flood

15.A．because   B．which         C．that            D．as

16.A．get       B．make         C．send             D．buy          

17.A．boy      B．student        C．teacher          D．girl

18.A．child     B．daughter       C．present          D．sister        

19.A．angry     B．lovely         C．excited          D．sorry

20.A．disliked   B．gained         C．led             D．welcomed

—I hear that as many as 150 people were killed in the storm.

—Yes, ________ news came as ________ shock to me.

[　　]

We often hear the phrase:“You’ve a greater chance of being struck by lightning.” It is used to describe something that hasn’t got much chance of happening. However, the common saying undermines(掩盖) the very real dangers of lightning. Last Friday, at least 5 people were killed by lightning in Nepal. Lightning strikes are the second most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US. The first is floods. Around 400 people nationwide are struck by lightning each year, and of those73 people die. That means more people are killed by lightning than by tornadoes and hurricanes. Because lightning kills only one or two people at a time, its danger does not receive as much attention as other disasters.

So to raise awareness, the US has made June 22 to 28 National Lightning Safety Week. It aims to warn the public of the dangers of lightning and provide safety tips during thunderstorms. “If you hear thunder , you are in danger from lightning,” said Rocky Lopes, a disaster educator at the American Red Cross.“Thunder means that lightning is close enough to hit you at any minute, so you should move indoors immediately and stay there until after the storm has ended. The single most important thing to remember is to seek hiding place,”Lopes said.

Summer is the high time for lightning storms, so when lightning strikes across the sky, remember these safety tips:

Stop working, fishing, swimming or playing in open fields.

If you can count less than ten seconds between a thunder and a lightning flash, take cover inside the nearest building.

Do not stand under a tree.

Get off bicycles or motorcycles.

Crouch down(蹲下)if there is no hiding place.

Avoid open spaces, wire fences, metal objects and electrical objects such as hair driers.

1.The popular opinion about being struck by lightening is that 　　　.

A. there is a greater chance for being killed by lightening than any other natural disaster

B. it is the most dangerous among all the natural disasters

C. the chance for a person to be struck by lightening is very small

D. it is impossible for people to be killed by lightening

2. The average death rate of being struck by lightening in US is about 　　.

A.18%　　　　　　　B.50%　　　　　C.30%　　　　D.73%

3. Among all the safety tips, the most important one is that when you hear thunder in the open air， 　　　.

A. just stand by your bicycles and motorcycles

B. quickly find a place to go inside

C. count ten seconds between a thunder and a lightening

D. don’t have a hair drier in your hand

4. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. There are more people killed by tornadoes and hurricanes than by lightening in US each year.

B. There are on average 5 persons killed by lightening in Nepal each day.

C. The death rate of being stuck by lightening is much higher than by other natural disasters.

D. The National Lightening Safety Week is made to warn the public against lightening.

Dahlia was running around the house screaming and crying. “I hate her! I hate her! I will __36__   play with her again!” Finally, her steps slowed,  __37__  she told her father what had happened. He listened attentively.   __38__   she stopped, he asked, “Is there __39__  else?” Dahlia added more details and began  __40__  bitterly again. Father was listening. When Dahlia   __41__  talking, he said, “It must __42__ you to be made fun of like this by your best friend Tina.” Dahlia  __43__  her father’s embrace（拥抱）and support as she cried  __44__  more in his arms. Then as  __45__   as the storm of tears began, she was finished. She got up and  __46__  announced, “Daddy, did you know that tomorrow Tina and I are going together to the beach? We are  __47__   a log house there with Adam and Tom, I will tell Tina before we go that I   __48__   ruin her work again, and I’m sure she will be  __49__ to me. ”
　　Why was this encounter (sudden meeting) so successful? How did Dahlia __50__  her sadness so completely and realize her responsibility in the matter __51__  her own?
　　There were three main parts in her father’s reaction that   __52__  : (A) Attention (B) Respect (C) Trust. He gave his daughter __53__ attention and took her seriously as she   __54__  her feelings. He respected her by not coming with words of wisdom, advice or help. He validated（证实）the feelings she __55__ . And he trusted her to do and say what she needed in order to lead herself toward resolution of her emotions.