【推荐2】The United States is suffering its worst drought (干旱) in almost sixty years. The National Climatic Data Center also says high temperatures in June added to the warmest twelve-month period on record. Record-keeping began in 1895. The drought map showed that conditions improved in the Southeast in June compared to May. But the drought is expected to continue in large parts of the country. Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with President Obama. Mr Vilsack says the drought has seriously influenced some crops, such as corn and soybeans (大豆). And the United States is the world's leading producer.

The drought has made prices of com and soybeans increase. Both of them are used in food production and for animal feed. Last week the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that corn and wheat prices increased by 20% over the past three weeks.

In the United States, farmers may quickly reduce the size of their animals rather than pay higher feed prices to keep them. That increased supply of meat would reduce meat prices in the short term. But those prices could increase in several months.

Mr Vilsack says the effect of the drought is hard to predict(预测). Some areas are getting rain, and drought-resistant (抗旱的) seeds have helped crops grow well in some areas.

1. We can know the drought record of the USA has been kept for ________years of the USA up to now.

A．97	B．207
C．221	D．117

2. Which of the following American presidents met with Tom Vilsack?

A．George Washington.	B．Abraham lincon.
C．George Bush.	D．Barack Obama.

3. If the price of a kilo of corn was 3 dollars last December, how much is a kilo of corn now?

A．2.4 dollars.	B．3 dollars.
C．3.6 dollars.	D．3.9 dollars.

4. Why is the meat price lower than before?

A．Because there are more and more animals.

B．Because farmers kill them to save their food.

C．Because people don't like eating meat now.

D．Because the government (政府) asks the meat price lower.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．US faces the worst drought in almost sixty years.

B．Take action to help the USA.

C．What does the country do in the drought areas?

D．President Obama meets with Agriculture Secretary.

【推荐3】Have you ever heard of an avalanche (雪崩)? Avalanches are sudden natural disasters (灾难) where a lot of snow and ice slide down the mountains.     1     In fact, snow from an avalanche can move as fast as two hundred miles per hour. That is three times faster than a car on a highway.

    2     In the mountains like the Alps and the Himalayas, there are snow and ice all year round. After big storms, new snow puts more pressure on the snow that is already in the mountains. The pressure can make the old snow slide.

    3     Heavy snow moving down the mountains may pull other things along, such as trees and rocks. A powerful avalanche can damage (毁坏) everything in its path. Luckily, no one lives in the mountains where avalanches are easy to happen.     4    

Most people who may lose their lives in avalanches are ski lovers. They want to have fun in the mountains. They also want to stay safe.     5     Even though the experts can warm people of the risk, there are still some accidents each year. If you are a ski lover, remember to pay attention to experts’ warnings.

A．So not many people die from avalanches each year.

B．Most avalanches happen after big storms.

C．An avalanche can last for about ten hours a time.

D．Avalanches are very dangerous.

E．We should take action to stop avalanches from happening.

F．Experts can usually tell when an avalanche might happen.

G．As they slide, the snow and ice move faster and faster.