1 . The two companies finally concluded an agreement, thus _________ (mark) the beginning of their close cooperation. (所给词的适当形式填空)

2 . The factory has fired many employees in an attempt _________ (cut) costs. (所给词的适当形式填空)

3 . It is ________ of him to be late, which makes us very angry.

A．thoughtful

B．average

C．common

D．typical

4 . In a natural disaster — a hurricane, flood, volcanic eruption, or other catastrophes (灾难) — minutes and even seconds of warning can make the difference between life and death. Because of this, scientists are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen. They are also studying how to analyse and communicate this information in the best way once it is obtained.

On September 29,1998. Hurricane Georges made landfall (登陆) Biloxi, Mississippi, after damaging several islands of the Caribbean badly with rains and winds up to 160 km per hour. Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

This was a very different outcome (结果) from 1900, when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane had made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston, Texas, killing at least 6,000 people.

Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances (状况) at either end of the 20th century — residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching, while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance, allowing for safety precautions (预防措施).

While people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning, some residents of New Orleans, Louisiana were less satisfied. A day before Hurricane Georges made landfall, forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans. Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level, the city is at risk from flooding. Emergency management officials must begin evacuations (疏散) well before a storm strikes.

But evacuation costs money: Businesses close, tourists leave, and citizens take precautionary measures. The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city’s preparation for Georges cost more than 50 million. After Georges missed New Orleans, some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs.

The different views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges show some of the complexities related to predicting disasters. Disaster prediction is a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions.

1. What is the purpose of disaster prediction according to the passage?

A．To identify the cause of disasters.

B．To save people’s lives and property.

C．To prevent natural disasters happening.

D．To apply technology to disaster prediction.

2. Which of the following statement is true?

A．Hurricane Georges hit Biloxi unexpectedly in 1998.

B．Severe damage was caused in Hurricane Georges in 1998.

C．Few people lost their lives in the Gulf Coast hurricane in 1900.

D．Advance warning made a difference to the people in Biloxi in 1998.

3. The residents of New Orleans were less satisfied because ________.

A．the hurricane did not hit the city

B．their preparations were made in vain

C．the hurricane warning arrived rather late

D．they suffered from a heavy hurricane attack

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The different ways of disaster prediction.

B．Technological advances in disaster prediction.

C．The benefits and preparations of disaster prediction.

D．The importance and uncertainty of disaster prediction.