1 .         EVERY few hundred years, a sleeping giant in southern Italy awakens with a bang, spewing volcanic ash across the countryside. The volcano, called Mount Vesuvius, formed 25, 000 years ago. During its most explosive eruptions, the volcano could blanket nearby cities with hot ash, sometimes also burying them with deadly flows of mud and rocks. One famous eruption occurred nearly 2, 000 years ago, in the year AD 79. It lasted 18 hours and destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands of people as they tried to escape.

Scientists and city officials had supposed that Naples, one of Italy’s most populous cities, was far enough away that it would be safe from the volcano’s wrath. New evidence suggests that this might not be the case.

Researchers recently discovered 4000-year-old layers of ash and mud under present-day Naples. Just outside the city, they also uncovered abandoned villages, as well as human and animal skeletons. Most surprising of all, the researchers say, was the discovery of thousands of footprints from the same time period, pressed into layers of wet ash that had rained from the sky. The footprints show that thousands of people were fleeing to the northwest, away from the volcano, as it erupted.

Mount Vesuvius hasn’t had a major eruption since 1631, but it’s still very active. The discovery of the ancient ash layers, skeletons, and footprints is a warning that modern Naples, a city of 3 million people, isn’t safe from the volcano, scientists say. So, when the volcano begins to rumble again, Naples should have an emergency evacuation plan ready - just in case.

1. Which of the following is true with Mount Vesuvius?

A．It formed 2 ,500 years ago.

B．Its latest eruption occurred 2, 000 years ago.

C．It is an active, destructive volcano.

D．It is where the city Naples is located.

2. What does the word underlined possibly mean?

A．Path.

B．Heat.

C．Fear .

D．Eruption.

3. The researchers found the new evidence EXCEPT _________.

A．ancient layers of ash and mud

B．animal footprints

C．abandoned villages

D．human skeletons

4. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．City Pompeii has been rebuilt now.

B．City Naples isn’t suitable for living.

C．Mount Vesuvius will not erupt in a hundred years.

D．Mount Vesuvius is a potential danger to Naples.

5. The author of the passage intends to ________.

A．introduce Mount Vesuvius

B．describe the city Naples

C．present new discoveries by researchers

D．propose a plan for escape

2 . Most rain forests lie close to the equator(赤道),where the climate is often mild and there are long hours of sunshine.The warmth of the land heats the air above,causing it to rise and tiny drops of water to fall as rain.The rainfall can reach at least 98 inches a year.This wet,warm world with plenty of sunlight is perfect for plants to grow,so the trees grow fast with green leaves all the year round.The trees themselves also have an effect on the climate.They gather water from the soil and pass it out into the air through their leaves.The wet air then forms clouds,which hang over the treetops like smoke.These clouds protect the forest from the daytime heat and night-time cold of nearby deserts,keeping temperatures fit for plant growth.
Rain forests slightly farther away from the equator remain just as warm,but they have a dry season of three months or more when little rain falls.Tree leaves fall during this dry season and new leaves grow when the wet season or monsoon(雨季) begins.Thus these areas are known as the “monsoon forest”.
Another type of rain forest grows on tropical mountains.It is often called the “cloud forest” because clouds often hang over the trees like fog.
The rain forest is the ideal place for the growth of many different trees.Most of them depend on animals to eat their fruits and spread their seeds.When the fruits are eaten,the seeds inside them go undamaged through animals’ stomachs and are passed out in their droppings.The seeds lying on the forest floor then grow into new trees.
1. The climate of the rain forests near the equator is _______.

A．mild,wet and windy	B．hot,rainy and foggy
C．hot,wet and cloudy	D．warm,wet and sunny

2. We can learn from the passage that _______.

A．tree leaves are green all the time in the monsoon forest

B．there is a dry season in the cloud forest on tropical mountains

C．clouds help the plants in the rain forest near the deserts to grow

D．the formation of climate in the rain forest has little to do with the trees

3. According to the passage,_______ play the most important role in the spreading of seeds.

A．animals

B．droppings

C．fruits

D．winds

4. This passage is most likely to be found in _______.

A．a travel guide	B．a story book
C．a technical report	D．a geography book