1 . Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon, a state in the western United States. At 3, 400 meters it is attractive to many people, some of whom, of course, run into trouble. Each year 25 to 50 people have accidents or get lost on Mount Hood and need rescue（营救）. Although most of these are understandable accidents, a few result from careless risk-taking.

In one recent case, three experienced climbers went hiking in the middle of a snowstorm in December. Most hikers climb Mount Hood in May or June when the weather conditions are good. But in December, the mountain is covered in snow and ice. Winds up to 135 kilometers per hour blow the snow around, making it difficult to see. Temperatures can drop below freezing. As one rescue worker put it, "What were they thinking? They were just asking for it. "

During a rescue a few years ago, a helicopter full of rescue workers crashed and the rescue workers were almost killed. Linda Carle, who lives in the Mount Hood area, asks, If someone made a muddled decision, why should rescue teams have to risk their lives to save them? Why do people take unnecessary risks and do things that aren't right if they know that they can get into trouble? "

Most of the Mount Hood rescue workers are either volunteers or part of the local police department There is no charge for these rescues. It is the taxpayers who pay the bill. Linda Carle suggests that people who take careless risks and need rescue should ay for the rescue. She fees it is only fir that costs for things like damaged helicopters and medical care for rescuers should be paid for by the people who take the risks. What would you do if you were the local police officer at Mount Hood?

1. What can we learn about Mount Hood?

A．It lies in the west of the United States.

B．It is the highest mountain in the United States.

C．The best time to climb the mountain is from May to July.

D．Hundreds of people get lot in the mountain every year.

2. What does the underlined word "muddled" in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．poor

B．important

C．wise

D．clear

3. According to Linda Carle, who should pay for he costs of rescues?

A．Taxpayers

B．Risk takers

C．Government

D．Police

4. What will probably be written in the following part?

A．Advice on stopping people from climbing Mount Hood.

B．Other serious accidents in Mount Hood.

C．The requirements of becoming a volunteer.

D．Some possible ways to solve the problem of rescue costs.

2 . At least 20 people died and hundreds were injured in a bridge collapse in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata Thursday. Witnesses said many people and vehicles, including two buses carrying more than 100 passengers, were under the bridge when it fell. They also said construction workers had set up camps near the bridge site where they would sleep and cook.

Before rescue teams arrived, local residents and firefighters used their bare hands to try to rescue people trapped under the debris. The collapsed bridge is in a busy commercial area of Kolkata. Its location has made it difficult for rescue operations. Access to the area is blocked on both sides by buildings, and the streets are blocked with heavy traffic.

Reuters (路透社) reports that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, rushed to the scene of the collapse. She said that rescuing those trapped is her “top priority”. Banerjee said those responsible for the disaster will be punished. Yet she faces questions about the safety of the construction project. The Telegraph newspaper reported last November that Banerjee wanted the bridge — already five years overdue — to be completed by February. Project engineers said they were concerned over whether this would be possible, the newspaper said at the time. Construction workers had been on a strict schedule to complete the bridge. The disaster could affect the West Bengal election next month. An Indian company, IVRCL, was building the 2­kilometer bridge, its website said. IVRCL’s director of operations said the company was not sure of the cause of the disaster.

1. Why were so many people killed or injured in the accident?

A．Many people were under or near the bridge.

B．The rescue work responded too slowly.

C．The bridge was under construction.

D．Construction workers had set up camps there.

2. What does the underlined word “debris” probably mean?

A．Buildings.	B．Ruins.
C．Vehicles.	D．Disasters.

3. What can we learn about the bridge?

A．It was designed by a company called IVRCL.

B．Project engineers were unwilling to cooperate.

C．It should have been completed five years ago.

D．The cause of the disaster has been discovered.