1 . Ukraine has reported that forest fires have broken out near the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) is about 100 kilometers away from Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1986, the CNPP had the worst nuclear accident in history. A series (系列) of mistakes and accidents caused an explosion and a huge fire, which burned for nine days. As a result of the disaster, entire cities had to be cleared. Over 100, 000 people had to leave their homes forever. A 2, 600-square-kilometer area around the CNPP was set apart as the “Chernobyl Exclusion Zone” to keep people away from the radioactive pollution.
Much of the land in the Zone is forest and grassland. Radioactivity breaks down slowly over time, so the radiation has dropped some by now. The radioactive pollution has become part of the plants and the dirt in the area. But on April 4, fires broke out in the Zone, which can give off the radioactive pollution back into the air. Once the pollution is in the air, it can be spread by the wind. Over the last 10 days, hundreds of fire fighters have been struggling against the flames. One fire came close to the CNPP. Keeping fires away from the plant is important because dangerous and poisonous material is still stored there.
Fighting the fire was much more challenging than normal because of the radiation dangers. In some places, fire fighters dug ditches (壕沟) to stop the fire from spreading, however, most of their efforts went into pouring water from the air since they couldn’t do the same in most areas.
Ukraine’s government says that there are still some small grass fires, but there are no major open fires still burning. The government says radiation levels in the air in Kyiv and nearby areas are normal.
1. Why does the author mention the CNPP?A.It has contributed to the recent fires. |
B.The recent fires broke out next to it. |
C.The fires will destroy its nearby forest. |
D.It can be used to fight against the fires. |
A.are more dangerous | B.are more frequent |
C.spread more quickly | D.last longer |
A.Preventing poisonous materials escaping. |
B.Ditching to stop the fires spreading. |
C.Dropping water to put out the fires. |
D.Keeping people away from the CNPP. |
A.It’s unclear. | B.It’s unexpected. |
C.It’s discouraging. | D.It’s effective. |
2 . New York—A truck struck a 56-year-old woman riding a Citi Bike through Midtown Thursday morning, and officers Dimitri Coutsouvelis and Thomas Demery came to her rescue, officials said.
Two counter-terrorism policemen on Sixth Ave. near W. 47th St. spotted the white truck dragging the Citi Bike about 9:30 a. m. — moments after it struck the woman, who was found lying on the street with an injured right leg, frightened witnesses said.
“She was just lying there in a lot of pain,” said Stanford Dawson, 57, who sells goods on the comer of Sixth Ave. and 48th St. “You could see her leg was turned back and the knee bones were sticking out through the skin.’’
One of the policemen ran after the truck and forced it to stop while the other tended to the woman.
“The driver acted a little confused about what happened,” said Police Officer Thomas Demery, who ran to stop the truck after hearing the “sound of the bike being dragged.”
“The woman suffered a deep gash on her leg from her knee to her hip,” said the policeman. “I kept telling her not to look at it, that it’s going to be fine. I kept comforting her.”
The ambulance rushed her to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The driver of the truck remained at the scene, policemen said. No charges were immediately filed.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the work that the Critical Response Team does each and every day protecting New York City. Generally, people think they always face danger all day and sometimes they shall feel bored in the street,” said Counter-terrorism Chief James Waters. “They always perform admirably, including today.”
“It feels really good to be a part of helping fellow New Yorkers. That’s what we guys want to express most,” Demery said.
Cars have struck and killed many bicyclists so far this year, and the reported number of deaths is a 21 % increase compared to the 13 killed during the same time last year.
1. Which is right about the truck driver?A.His over-speeding made the accident happen. |
B.He kept driving, not knowing the accident. |
C.He was arrested shortly after the accident. |
D.He had his leg hurt in the accident. |
A.Thomas Demery. | B.James Waters. | C.Stanford Dawson. | D.Dimitri Coutsouvelis. |
A.Rewarding. | B.Boring. | C.Acceptable. | D.Dangerous. |
A.She was struck by a truck. | B.She was badly injured in the foot. |
C.She was lucky to get timely help. | D.She was unconscious in hospital. |