2 . Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts (蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.

And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts,” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal’s worst affected area.

This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten (威胁) Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.

Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.

Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares (公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.

Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agricul-ture Organization warned.

1. By using “dark cloud” to describe locusts in the first paragraph, the author of the article ________.

A．showed the size and speed of the mass of locusts

B．suggested the great damage that locusts can cause

C．warned that locusts would sweep the continent like rain clouds

D．both A and B

2. The story is mainly about ________.

A．West Africa’s united effort in fighting a disaster

B．the difficulty in controlling locusts

C．how locusts caused great damage to West Africa

D．a struggle to fight against a disaster brought by locusts in West Africa

3. Which of the following is WRONG?

A．Sud-Fm offered a reward for fighting locusts so that more people would join in the effort.

B．Senegal is to the southwest of Sudan.

C．The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa.

D．12 countries affected by locusts have united but still lack pesticide.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（每空的字数不限，要和课文一致）。

In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay     1    . The suffering of the people was     2    . Two-thirds of them died or were     3     during the earthquake. Thousands of families were killed and many children were left without parents.

4 . The United States has more tornadoes (龙卷风) than any other country in the world. In a normal year there are 800 to 1,000 tornadoes. Most happen in the middle part of the country. Tornadoes form when warm and cool air meet. In the Midwest, the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico often meets the cold air from Canada.

The usual tornado season is March through May. Tornadoes form most often in the afternoon and early evening. There is often no warning of a tornado. People who live in the Midwest know the signs (征兆) of tornado activity. The sky becomes dark, often a greenish color. Dark clouds appear in the sky and there is often large hail (冰雹). Suddenly, there is a loud sound, like a train or a jet plane. Sometimes, two, three, five, ten or more tornadoes can form over a large area.

This type of tornado activity hit Oklahoma and Kansas in May 1999. The day was stormy, with heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon. As the storms continued, tornadoes began to form. Dozens of tornadoes hit towns and neighborhoods in Oklahoma, then in Kansas. Some stayed on the ground for several hours, destroying everything they touched. The tornadoes killed 43 people and injured 600 others. They destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. In some areas, not one home stood. In other areas, the tornadoes destroyed every home on the left side of the street, but didn't touch any homes on the right side. The tornadoes lifted people and cars into the air and then threw them back down to earth. So it is important to know where to hide and how to protect yourself in the face of a tornado.

1. What can we learn about tornadoes in America?

A．There are more tornadoes in the Eastern States.

B．They usually happen in the summer.

C．They may appear in groups.

D．There are more than 1,000 tornadoes every year.

2. The tornadoes that hit Oklahoma and Kansas in May 1999 _____.

A．took place at the same time

B．brought death and serious damage

C．came and went quickly

D．were the biggest in history

3. What will the author most probably talk about next?

A．Tornado dangers and warning signs.

B．How a tornado forms.

C．Different kinds of tornadoes.

D．How to stay safe during a tornado.

5 . 根据所学课文，填出下面片段中所缺单词。

The sound of planes could be heard     1     the city of Tangshan even when no planes were in the sky. In the city, the water pipes in some buildings     2     and burst. But the one million people of the city, who thought     3     of these events, were asleep as usual.

6 . 根据所学课文，填出下面片段中所缺单词。

Later that afternoon, another big quake which was almost as strong as the first one shook Tangshan. Some of the     1     workers and doctors were     2     under the ruins. More buildings fell down. Water, food, and     3     were hard to get. People began to wonder how long the     4     would last.

7 . A JETLINER slammed into a crowded neighborhood in Medan, Indonesia’s third largest city on Monday. It burst into flames and killed at least 149 people, many of whom were on the ground. Up to 15 passengers survived the crash. Two Chinese business people from Fujian Province were among the dead. The black box has been found and will be the basis for further investigations .The plane belonged to low-cost carrier Mandela Airlines. Indonesia has at least 22 low-cost carriers. Many of them have been forced to cut spending to keep low fares amid intense competition.

EXPERTS from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan gathered on Monday to discuss the feasibility of building an underwater tunnel across the Taiwan Straits. This is the fifth time talks have been held since 1998 about constructing the world’s longest underwater tunnel. In January 2005, the Ministry of Communications announced China’s highway network construction plans for the next 20 years. They include a highway from Beijing to Taipei. The construction of the cross-Straits tunnel has been formally listed in the country’s communications development plan.

PRODUCTION of small cars will be encouraged to cut oil consumption, clean smoggy city skies and reduce traffic jams , an official from the National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday . Many big cities in China had previously banned small cars from expressway. However, with international oil prices consistently rising and pressure from China’s oil consumption growing, the bans do not match the national situation.

1. Which of the following can be the key words of the three paragraphs?

A．Air crash, Tunnel, Small cars

B．Air competition, Network construction, Traffic jams

C．Indonesian plane, Taiwan Straits, Oil consumption

D．Crash investigations, Communications, Car development

2. The writer agrees         .

A．to stop using small cars in cities	B．not to ban small cars in cities
C．not to reduce consumption of oil	D．to have none of international situation

3. The conclusion of the crash cause will be drawn mainly from          .

A．the pilots	B．the two Chinese
C．15 survivors	D．the black box

4. Which is the right space order of the things mentioned in the three paragraphs ?

A．On land , under the sea, in the air .	B．In the air, on land, under the sea.
C．Under the sea , in the air, on land .	D．In the air, under the sea, on land.

8 . “Birds” and “airports” are two words that, paired together，don’t normally paint the most harmonious picture. So it really raises some eyebrows when China announces plans to build an airport that is for birds.

Described as the world’s first-ever bird airport, the proposed Lingang Bird Sanctuary(保护区）in the northern coastal city of Tianjin is, of course,not an actual airport. Rather，it's a wetland preserve specifically designed to accommodate hundreds-even thousands-of daily takeoffs and landings by birds traveling along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Over 50 species of migratory (迁徙的）water birds，some endangered, will stop and feed at the protected sanctuary before continuing their long journey along the flyway.

Located on a former landfill site，the 150-acre airport is also open to human travelers.(Half a million visitors are expected annually.) However，instead of duty-free shopping，the main attraction for non-egg-laying creatures at Tianjin’s newest airport will be a green-roofed education and research center, a series of raised “observation platforms” and a network of scenic walking and cycling paths totaling over 4 miles.

“The proposed Bird Airport will be a globally significant sanctuary for endangered migratory bird species, while providing new green lungs for the city of Tianjin.” Adrian McGregor of an Australian landscape architecture firm explained of the design. Frequently blanketed in smog so thick that it has shut down real airports, Tianjin is a city---China’s fourth most populous----that would certainly benefit from a new pair of healthy green lungs•

1. The underlined phrase “non-egg-laying creatures” in Paragraph 3 refers to?

A．Visitors.	B．Designers.
C．Endangered water birds.	D．Planes.

2. What do we know about the airport according to the passage?

A．People cannot watch birds up close here.

B．It is located on a 150-acre landfill site.

C．It functions as an actual airport and a wetland preserve.

D．It provides migratory birds with food and shelter.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The airport will become a permanent home for birds.

B．Tianjin will win worldwide fame in the future.

C．Tianjin’s air quality will improve thanks to the airport.

D．Tianjin will be able to accommodate more people.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Airports shut down and open up.

B．China is to open the first Bird Airport.

C．Airports turn into green lungs.

D．Birds are no longer enemies to airports.

9 . Check out our tsunami (海啸) facts and lean some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction. Find out what causes tsunamis and read about some notable recent examples of tsunamis that have occurred around the globe.

Tsunamis are huge waves of water that are usually caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

As a tsunami approaches the shore, water may move back from the coast. If it is shallow enough, the water may be pulled back hundreds of meters. If you are in the area, observing this is a good indication that a tsunami is on the way.

Regions in tsunami danger zones often have warning systems in place to give people as much time to evacuate (撤离) as possible.

When tsunamis hit shallow water (often near the coast), they slow down but increase in height.

An earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia in December 2004 caused a tsunami that killed over 200, 000 people in 14 countries.

In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan caused a tsunami that was a major factor in the death of over 15, 000 people.

The tsunami waves created by the Tohoku earthquake reached heights of over 40 metres (131feet) in mine areas, wiping out coastal towns and causing a number of nuclear accidents.

The Japanese word “tsunami” literally means “harbour wave”.

Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as tidal waves but this term has fallen out of favour because tsunamis are not related to tides.

1. Which of the following shows a tsunami is coming soon?

A．An earthquake takes place.

B．The water marches towards the coast.

C．The water near the shore is pulled back.

D．The water near the shore is very shallow.

2. In the Tohoku earthquake, over 15,000 people died mainly because of ________.

A．the earthquake itself

B．the lack of warming systems

C．the tsunami caused by the earthquake

D．the nuclear accidents caused by the tsunami

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The word “tsunami” is from British English.

B．The term “tidal wave” is used more often than “tsunami.”

C．Some nuclear accidents happened after Indonesia tsunami.

D．More people died in Indonesia tsunami than in Tohaku tsunami.

4. The passage is developed mainly by _________.

A．listing some facts	B．making some comparison
C．providing some numbers	D．making some conclusions

10 . During an earthquake, you should know what to do. If the earthquake strikes while you’re inside a house, you should lie on the floor under a strong table or other furniture. If there is no furniture, you can cover your head with your arms and keep still in the corner of the room. You should keep away from windows, glass walls, or anything that can fall.

If you are in bed, hold firmly onto your bed and make use of a pillow to safeguard your head. You may use a doorway but only when it is close to you. It should also be considered whether it is strong enough to deal with the load.

If you are running out, do not use lifts, even if they work. Electricity may go out at any time. Many injuries happen when people try to rush out. This means you ought to stay in your house or perhaps wherever you are.

When you stay outdoors, you should stay far from buildings, power wires or lights. You should be in the open until the quake stops. Remember that many earthquake deaths outside the house come from falling-apart walls, flying glass and other falling things.

If an earthquake strikes and you are driving, you should pull up to the side of the highway and stop as quickly as possible. You ought not to stop under trees, buildings or energy wires. Don’t stop in the middle of the street as it could trouble others.

When trapped, you shouldn’t move. Your mouth should be covered with a piece of clothing or a handkerchief. This is because it is possible for you to breathe in some dust. Do not shout whenever possible. You should only shout in the end to get help from rescuers.

1. What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To tell us the dangers of an earthquake.

B．To tell us what to do before an earthquake.

C．To tell us what to do when an earthquake strikes.

D．To tell us why running during an earthquake is dangerous.

2. If there is no furniture in the room during an earthquake, you should________.

A．lie still on the floor

B．stay near the window

C．stay in the center of the room

D．keep still in the corner of the room

3. According to the passage, during an earthquake, you’d better not________.

a. use a lift to escape       b. stay outdoors

c. cut off electricity       d. keep driving to escape

A．ab	B．bc
C．ad	D．cd

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．When to call out for help in an earthquake.

B．What to do when trapped in an earthquake.

C．How to make use of a handkerchief in an earthquake.

D．How to avoid breathing in some dust in an earthquake.