For the past few years, I’ve taken my vacation in the spring. One April I planned to visit a friend in Nepal who had lived in the country for over 15 years.
I flew into Kathmandu and spent a week visiting sites, and on Friday, April 24, 2015, we went to Lukla, a mountain town to the northeast. My friend had worked there before. We visited a nearby village on Saturday. We were served a delicious pancake and endless cups of milk tea; villagers made small talk and caught up with each other. After a couple of hours, my friend and I made a polite exit (离去) for a coffee break across the dirt path to our lodging, a house he had lived in while working in Lukla years ago.
As we sat in the kitchen taking a rest, I wondered why it felt like an underground was running under the village. As the sound started to shake, I looked out the window at the passers-by and thought it felt like a truck was driving by — impossible in this village. I looked at my friend and he said offhandedly: “It’s an earthquake.” Before I could ask questions, he began shouting to get out of the house. By the time I was running down the dirt path, I couldn’t run straight.
Away from buildings, we lowered our bodies near a low wall, and unbelievably before our eyes, walls and buildings fell. In front of us the end wall of the house we slept in collapsed (倒塌), the stones dislodging (移开) and falling to the ground. In a matter of seconds, every house in the village was damaged (损坏), with walls either seriously cracked (破裂), or partially or completely damaged.
In the days and weeks that followed we checked in with friends and shared stories of where we were and what we were doing. The event was so wide-reaching that it was difficult to understand except through personal stories.
26. What did the author do in Nepal?
A.He visited his friend. | B.He tried to look for a job. |
C.He built a house for villagers. | D.He moved to a village to enjoy life. |
27. Which of the following can best describe the villagers?
A.Shy. | B.Bored. | C.Friendly. | D.Humorous. |
28. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “offhandedly” in paragraph 3?
A.excitedly | B.worriedly | C.suddenly | D.immediately |
29. What happened when the author stayed in the kitchen?
A.He was injured by a collapsed wall. | B.An earthquake struck the village. |
C.A truck drove by the village | D.He missed the train. |
30. What can we infer about the village in paragraph 4?
A.It was left empty. | B.It was quite peaceful. |
C.It was badly damaged. | D.It was attractive to visitors. |