One warm September night, Mira had come down to the beach to enjoy the night air. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves. Suddenly, she could hear another sound, so she opened her eyes and looked down at the sand. It was moving! All of a sudden she could see a tiny head coming out. Then a turtle(龟) appeared! One by one they struggled out of their underground nests. Mira looked in surprise at the baby turtles.
Mira knew the turtles should head towards the waves and swim away, so she was puzzled when they began to pull themselves towards the dunes(沙丘). Suddenly, she remembered something her grandmother had told her.
“Sea turtles bury their eggs on the beach every year in April and in September. Those baby turtles hatch(孵出) and head back down to the sea. But some of them never make it. Sometimes they die going across the dunes, trying to find those bright lights on the houses. Every day there are more houses being built on the dunes. That means more and more lights to confuse the sea turtles.”
Mira looked out across the dunes at her house. Mira saw her mother and father, sitting on the porch(门廊). She could see them because her house had two bright lights that lit up the porch.
Mira began to run to her house and shouted, “The turtles are hatching! We have to help the turtles!” With these words, Mira ran into the house and turned off the bright porch lights.
In a rush she was off running down the dunes with her whole family following her. They reached the beach just in time to see the tiny turtles slipping silently into the waves. Mira watched as the last turtle entered the water. As the turtle swam away, it looked back at Mira. In the moonlight, Mira thought she saw it smile.
【小题1】Where did the story happen?

One warm September night, Mira had come down to the beach to enjoy the night air. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves. Suddenly, she could hear another sound, so she opened her eyes and looked down at the sand. It was moving! All of a sudden she could see a tiny head coming out. Then a turtle(龟) appeared! One by one they struggled out of their underground nests. Mira looked in surprise at the baby turtles.

Mira knew the turtles should head towards the waves and swim away, so she was puzzled when they began to pull themselves towards the dunes(沙丘). Suddenly, she remembered something her grandmother had told her.

Mira looked out across the dunes at her house. Mira saw her mother and father, sitting on the porch(门廊). She could see them because her house had two bright lights that lit up the porch.

Mira began to run to her house and shouted, “The turtles are hatching! We have to help the turtles!” With these words, Mira ran into the house and turned off the bright porch lights.

In a rush she was off running down the dunes with her whole family following her. They reached the beach just in time to see the tiny turtles slipping silently into the waves. Mira watched as the last turtle entered the water. As the turtle swam away, it looked back at Mira. In the moonlight, Mira thought she saw it smile.

56. Where did the story happen?

A. On a beach at night　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. In a house near the dunes.

C. On a front porch in the evening.　　　　　　　 D. In the shallow water of the ocean.

57. How did Mira feel when she saw the baby turtles appear?

A. Proud.　　　 B. Sad.　　　 C. Confused.　　　 D. Surprised.

58. How did Mira know the lights confused the turtles?

A. She read it in a book.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Her grandmother told her.

C. She learned about the turtles at school.　 D. Her parents taught her about the turtles.

59. Why did Mira run to her house?

A. To get a flashlight　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. To turn off the porch light.

C. To communicate with her parents.　　　　　 D. To ask her grandmother about the lights.

60. This story is mainly about a girl ________.

A. enjoying the ocean　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. turning lights off at night

C. saving the baby turtles　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. learning from her grandparents

Among the dead in South Asia’s tsunami^① were many tourists at Sri Lanka’s national wildlife park at Yala. But very few of the park’s animals — elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and wild cats — appear to have died. There are theories that animals can sense natural disasters and flee to safety.

First, it’s possible that the animals may have heard the quake before the tsunami hit. The underwater rupture likely produced sound waves known as infrasound^② or infrasonic sound. Humans can’t hear infrasound, but many animals including dogs, elephants, tigers and pigeons can.

A second early warning sign the animals might have sensed is ground vibration^③. The massive quake would have produced vibrational waves known as Rayleigh waves. These vibrations move through the ground like waves move on the surface of the ocean but faster. They travel at ten times the speed of sound. The Rayleigh waves would have reached SriLanka hours before the water hit. Mammals, birds, insects and spiders can sense Rayleigh waves. So the animals at Yale might have felt the Rayleigh waves and then run to higher ground.

But what about humans? While we can’t hear infrasound, we can feel it, although we don’t necessarily know we’re feeling it. We also experience Rayleigh waves by special sensors in our joints, which exist just for that purpose. Sadly, it seems we don’t pay attention to the information when we get it. Maybe we screen it out because there’s so much going on before our eyes and in our ears. Humans have a lot of things on our minds and usually that works out OK.

Notes:

tsunami  n. 海啸

infrasound  n. 次声

vibration  n. 振动，颤动

Choose the best answers according to the above:

Why did few animals at Yala die when the tsunamis that caused a huge number of human deaths hit?

A. Because the animals were staying at a higher place in the park.

B. Because the animals were able to run much faster than human beings.

C. Because human beings cannot hear the infrasonic sound.

D. Because the animals might have picked up the danger signals and ran away.

Which of the statements about “Ravleigh waves” is true?

A. Rayleigh waves are massive vibrational waves that usually cause quakes or tsunamis.

B. Rayleigh waves move on the ocean surface at a speed ten times that of sound waves.

C. Rayleigh waves can be felt both by animals and human beings.

D. Rayleigh waves, just like infrasonic sound, can only be felt by animals.

When a tsunami hits, it is possible that ＿＿＿＿.

A. we can’t feel the infrasound so we can’t be informed of the danger

B. we can feel Rayleigh waves as well as infrasound so we are able to escape the danger like animals

C. we were so busy with things on our minds that we feel neither infrasound nor Rayleigh waves

      D. we think nothing of the information of its coming even though we can also get it

What does the underlined word “that” in the last sentence refer to?

A. Screening out the information.

B. There being so much going on before our eyes and in our ears.

C. Having a lot of things on our minds.

D. Paying attention to the information.

Among the dead in South Asia’s tsunami^① were many tourists at Sri Lanka’s national wildlife park at Yala. But very few of the park’s animals — elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and wild cats — appear to have died. There are theories that animals can sense natural disasters and flee to safety.
First, it’s possible that the animals may have heard the quake before the tsunami hit. The underwater rupture likely produced sound waves known as infrasound^② or infrasonic sound. Humans can’t hear infrasound, but many animals including dogs, elephants, tigers and pigeons can.
A second early warning sign the animals might have sensed is ground vibration^③. The massive quake would have produced vibrational waves known as Rayleigh waves. These vibrations move through the ground like waves move on the surface of the ocean but faster. They travel at ten times the speed of sound. The Rayleigh waves would have reached SriLanka hours before the water hit. Mammals, birds, insects and spiders can sense Rayleigh waves. So the animals at Yale might have felt the Rayleigh waves and then run to higher ground.
But what about humans? While we can’t hear infrasound, we can feel it, although we don’t necessarily know we’re feeling it. We also experience Rayleigh waves by special sensors in our joints, which exist just for that purpose. Sadly, it seems we don’t pay attention to the information when we get it. Maybe we screen it out because there’s so much going on before our eyes and in our ears. Humans have a lot of things on our minds and usually that works out OK.
Notes:
①    tsunami  n. 海啸
②    infrasound  n. 次声
③    vibration  n. 振动，颤动
Choose the best answers according to the above:

1. 1.

   Why did few animals at Yala die when the tsunamis that caused a huge number of human deaths hit?

   1. A.
      Because the animals were staying at a higher place in the park.
   2. B.
      Because the animals were able to run much faster than human beings.
   3. C.
      Because human beings cannot hear the infrasonic sound.
   4. D.
      Because the animals might have picked up the danger signals and ran away.
2. 2.

   Which of the statements about “Ravleigh waves” is true?

   1. A.
      Rayleigh waves are massive vibrational waves that usually cause quakes or tsunamis.
   2. B.
      Rayleigh waves move on the ocean surface at a speed ten times that of sound waves.
   3. C.
      Rayleigh waves can be felt both by animals and human beings.
   4. D.
      Rayleigh waves, just like infrasonic sound, can only be felt by animals.
3. 3.

   When a tsunami hits, it is possible that＿＿＿＿.

   1. A.
      we can’t feel the infrasound so we can’t be informed of the danger
   2. B.
      we can feel Rayleigh waves as well as infrasound so we are able to escape the danger like animals
   3. C.
      we were so busy with things on our minds that we feel neither infrasound nor Rayleigh waves
   4. D.
      we think nothing of the information of its coming even though we can also get it
4. 4.

   What does the underlined word “that” in the last sentence refer to?

   1. A.
      Screening out the information.
   2. B.
      There being so much going on before our eyes and in our ears.
   3. C.
      Having a lot of things on our minds.
   4. D.
      Paying attention to the information.