1 . Last week, 55-year-old Donald Lynn Cash of Utah collapsed and died just after reaching the Everest peak. Including Cash, at least 11 people have died on Mount Everest this year.
The deaths come among reports of overcrowding on the popular mountain. The Nepali government granted a total of 381 permits to climb Everest this year, a number that doesn’t include guides who are on the mountain as well. For some climbers, that traffic has meant longer wait times — some told the Himalayan Times the wait has exceeded two hours between the last camp and the peak. Mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien, who has also climbed the seven summits, said when there’s a crowd, being a more experienced climber won’t help you. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the best racecar driver in the world. If you’re stuck in traffic, you’re stuck in traffic,” she said in an interview.
When a climber is stuck in that traffic, “their body is starting to deteriorate.” O’Brien, who set a record as the fastest woman to reach the highest peak on every continent, also said the descent is often harder than the climb.
Climbing expert Alan Arnette said there’s no simple explanation for the string of deaths. He said weather that has led to a shorter climbing season is one factor causing overcrowding. He also said the cost to climb Mount Everest has decreased, which means more people are making the journey. He urged the governments in charge of granting permits to limit how many people can be on the mountain at once.
Still, Christopher was no beginner. His family said he’d been mountain climbing for five decades. His brother mentioned that being a lawyer as a “day job” for Christopher, while Climbing was his passion. “He was an zealous climber of peaks in Colorado, the West and the world over,” Mark Kulish said. “He passed away doing what he loved.”
1. What made longer wait times on Mount Everest?| A．Lacking guides. |
| B．Overcrowding. |
| C．Bad weather. |
| D．Getting government’s permission. |
a. The less cost attracting more climbers.
b. The more climbers worsening the environment.
c. More permits granted by the government.
d. The governments limiting the climber’s number.
e. The weather leading to a shorter climbing season.
| A．a, b, d | B．a, c, e | C．b, c, d | D．b, d, e |
| A．Being a racecar driver can get you out of the traffic jam. |
| B．Being an experienced climber is always helpful. |
| C．Climbers do not need the permits from government. |
| D．When stuck in traffic, the climber’s body will fail to function as usual. |
| A．Experienced. | B．Famous. | C．Excellent. | D．Keen. |
2 . One Sunday night, a high school student, Rory Campbell, heard noises next door to his home in Bonita Mews, off St Asaph Road, Brockley. When he went outside, he saw his neighbor climbing out of a front window of his second floor flat, which was on fire. He then saw the man covered in black soot(黑灰), shouting for help.
The 15-year-old boy called the fire service and tried to calm the neighbor, who is in his thirties, until firefighters arrived. Rory said, “He was shouting ‘Help me, help me! Get a ladder, get a ladder!’ He was a bit hysterical(歇斯底里的). I didn’t have time to think. I just tried to calm him by telling him the firefighters were on the way.”
Rory was told by the man that the fire had been caused by a candle falling over. Firefighters from New Cross, Peckham, Lewisham and Forest Hill rescued the man by ladder and got the fire under control within minutes of arriving. The man was taken to a south London hospital where he is still recovering from smoke inhalation(吸入).
25% of the flat was damaged by the fire.
Rory, studying music, added, “As the man walked past me, he said ‘Thanks’ and that meant a lot to me. I do feel good because I helped save his life.”
Another neighbor said, “I heard a lot of noise but thought it was coming from the railway opposite. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the man hanging there. The boy next door really did save his life by calling the firefighters.”
1. According to the passage, what caused the fire?| A．Rory’s smoking. |
| B．Careless cooking. |
| C．The gas fire. |
| D．A lighted candle. |
| A．He lighted the candle. |
| B．He calmed his neighbor. |
| C．He closed doors to stop the fire. |
| D．He held a ladder. |
| A．He was rescued by ladder. |
| B．The boy carried him out. |
| C．He was carried by a firefighter who got into the room. |
| D．He got out himself. |
| A．much of the flat was destroyed |
| B．Rory was sent to hospital for injuries |
| C．Rory studied music |
| D．Rory led an important part in saving the man’s life |
