阅读理解

EARTH WEEK－A DIARY OF THE PLANET

　　Enduring Storms

　　Several more rounds of severe storms, tornadoes and flash flooding struck many parts of the American Midwest and Northeast as bad weather continued across the US for a second month.

　　Monsoon Storms

　　A south-west monsoon has caused havoc in parts of SriLanka. Government meteorologists said that unexpected monsoonal winds blew directly across the country from the Southern Hemisphere at about 100 km/h, producing several rounds of stormy weather. Nearly 250 houses in the capital Colombo were damaged.

For the week ending 3 July 1998

　　Mt. Etna Erupts

　　Sicily’s Mount Etna volcano erupted shortly after midnight on July 1, shooting“bombs”of lava nearly 1.5 metres in diameter on the eastern side of the mountain. The 30-minute eruption could be seen for several miles, but did not threaten any nearby villages.

　　Hurricane

　　Hurricane Blas lost strength as it moved over cooler waters in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Mexico. Blasformed off southwest Mexico during the previous week, but squalls on the outer fringes of the storm lashed western Michoacan State, killing four people when their wood and cardboard home collapsed.

　　Monkey Repellent

　　After years of unsuccessful attempts to keep crop-eating monkeys out of Japanese fields, a Tokyo research team believes that it may have finally found a way to prevent the damage caused by the monkeys. Animal raids on crops were successfully prevented by shooting chilli powder into the air, irritating the eyes and noses of monkeys that passed in front of carefully-placed warning sensors.“We’ve tried…all kinds of preventive measures, but the monkeys are smart enough to outwit the tricks,”said Toshiaki Wada, Director of the Tokyo Forestry Experiment Station in western Tokyo.

1．The monsoon is Sri Lanka ________.

[　　]

A．was of average strength

B．destroyed more property than previous monsoons

C．was not typical for that time of the year

D．affected only the outer areas of the nation

2．What aspect of Hurricane Blas does the map show?

[　　]

3．According to the information, which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The eruption of Mt. Etna lasted thirty days.

B．Hurricane Blas was formed off the coast of Italy.

C．The American Midwest had fine weather throughout July 1998.

D．The eruption of Mt. Etna did not destroy local villages.

4．According to the information, the monkeys in the Japanese fields ________.

[　　]

A．destroy crops

B．kill unsuspecting humans

C．spread eye diseases to humans

D．stop farmers from working

5．Toshiaki Wada, Director of the Tokyo Forestry Experiment Station, would describe the monkeys as ________.

[　　]

Condoleezza Rice is used to standing out. It is not only because she holds the position as U.S. Secretary of State. Her youth, gender and skin color have 　36　 a lot of attention throughout her political career.

Condoleezza Rice,　37　 as Condi to her close friends, was born in 1954 in Birmingham. During 1950s,blacks were not treated as 　38　 citizens in the south. Although slavery was　39　 in 1865,the southern states passed their own laws to continue the 　40　of blacks and whites. Despite the discrimination 　41　 black people, her parents told her she could become? 42　 she wanted. They taught her to believe that great things were 　43　 for her.

Rice was a gifted student with a 　44　 for the piano and she entered college at the age of 15 with the 　45　 of becoming a concert pianist. Along the way she was　46　 by political? scientist Josef Korbel, the father of former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Rice 　47　 her plans and studied international politics, and in the 1980s she was teaching at Stanford University,　48　 her career developed quickly. She　49　 on George H. Bush's national security council(顾问) in 1989.Later she 　50　 to Stanford, and became its youngest, first female and first 　51　 provost after two years.

In 2001,Rice re-entered the political world,　52　 George W. Bush's national security advisor. She has drawn international 　53　 in this position, and has been the most powerful national security advisors in American 　54　.

She held this position until 2005,when 　55　 Secretary of State.

36.A. directed B. turned C. paid    D. attracted?

37.A. known   B. Considered C. Seen   D. accepted?

38.A. respectful     B. equal  C. different     D. noble?

39.A. finished B. Stopped     C. Prevented   D. ended?

40.A. difference     B. disagreement     C. separation   D. division?

41.A. against  B. to              C. with    D. towards?

42.A. whoever       B. whomever  C. whatever    D. whichever?

43.A. desiring B. waiting      C. preparing   D. longing?

44.A. talent    B. interest       C. hobby D. favourite?

45.A. purpose B. goal    C. intention    D. attention?

46.A. effected B. affected      C. impressed   D. influenced?

47.A. changed B. postponed   C. cancelled    D. exchanged?

48.A. which    B. where C. when  D. that?

49.A. acted     B. waited C. served D. called?

50.A. paid a visit    B. showed concern C. attended     D. returned?

51.A. black     B. white  C. capable      D. efficient?

52.A. turning  B. holding      C. becoming   D. taking?

53.A. praise    B. approval     C. criticism     D. attention?

54.A. politics  B. history       C. culture              D. government?

55.A. elected  B. invited       C. appointed   D. succeeded??

Condoleezza Rice is used to standing out. It is not only because she holds the position as U.S. Secretary of State. Her youth, gender and skin color have 　36　 a lot of attention throughout her political career.

Condoleezza Rice,　37　 as Condi to her close friends, was born in 1954 in Birmingham. During 1950s,blacks were not treated as 　38　 citizens in the south. Although slavery was　39　 in 1865,the southern states passed their own laws to continue the 　40　of blacks and whites. Despite the discrimination 　41　 black people, her parents told her she could become? 42　 she wanted. They taught her to believe that great things were 　43　 for her.

Rice was a gifted student with a 　44　 for the piano and she entered college at the age of 15 with the 　45　 of becoming a concert pianist. Along the way she was　46　 by political? scientist Josef Korbel, the father of former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Rice 　47　 her plans and studied international politics, and in the 1980s she was teaching at Stanford University,　48　 her career developed quickly. She　49　 on George H. Bush's national security council(顾问) in 1989.Later she 　50　 to Stanford, and became its youngest, first female and first 　51　 provost after two years.

In 2001,Rice re-entered the political world,　52　 George W. Bush's national security advisor. She has drawn international 　53　 in this position, and has been the most powerful national security advisors in American 　54　.

She held this position until 2005,when 　55　 Secretary of State.

36.A. directed B. turned C. paid    D. attracted?

37.A. known   B. Considered C. Seen   D. accepted?

38.A. respectful     B. equal  C. different     D. noble?

39.A. finished B. Stopped     C. Prevented   D. ended?

40.A. difference     B. disagreement     C. separation   D. division?

41.A. against  B. to              C. with    D. towards?

42.A. whoever       B. whomever  C. whatever    D. whichever?

43.A. desiring B. waiting      C. preparing   D. longing?

44.A. talent    B. interest       C. hobby D. favourite?

45.A. purpose B. goal    C. intention    D. attention?

46.A. effected B. affected      C. impressed   D. influenced?

47.A. changed B. postponed   C. cancelled    D. exchanged?

48.A. which    B. where C. when  D. that?

49.A. acted     B. waited C. served D. called?

50.A. paid a visit    B. showed concern C. attended     D. returned?

51.A. black     B. white  C. capable      D. efficient?

52.A. turning  B. holding      C. becoming   D. taking?

53.A. praise    B. approval     C. criticism     D. attention?

54.A. politics  B. history       C. culture              D. government?

55.A. elected  B. invited       C. appointed   D. succeeded??

Maxim Gorky was born of a worker’s family. At the age of five,

he lost his father. He s　　 his childhood mainly in his grandfather’s　　　 　 1. ________

home. When he was ten, his mother died _____ illness. His grandfather　　 2. ________

made him look for a job by h________. For ten years, young Gorky 　　　　 3. ________

wandered about（流浪）. He did whatever kind of jobs he could f　 . He lived 4. ____

such a wandering 　　 not because he liked it, but because he wanted　　 5. ________

to see the great land w　 he lived and people around him. The life　　　　 6. ________

in those years made him _____（深深地）understand the pains on the　　 7. ________

working people and hate the old Russian ______（社会）. During　　　　 8. ________

the period he read all k　　 of books with great interest, which　　　　　　 9. _______

provided him with　 （丰富的）materials to write his books later on. 　　 10. ________