Everyone has heard of the San Andreas fault （断层）, which constantly threatens California and the West Coast with earthquakes. But how many people know about the equally serious New Madrid fault in Missouri?
Between December of 1811 and February of 1812, three major earthquakes occurred, all centered around the town of New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. Property damage was severe. Buildings in the area were almost destroyed. Whole forests fell at once, and huge cracks opened in the ground, releasing some strong smell chemicals.
The Mississippi River itself completely changed character, developing sudden rapids and whirlpools (激流和漩涡). Several times it changed its course, and once, according to some observers, it actually appeared to run backwards. Few people were killed in the New Marid earthquakes, probably simply because few people lived in the area in 1811; but the severity of the earthquakes are shown by the fact that the shock waves rang bells in church towers in Charleston, South Carolina, on the coast. Buildings shook in New York City, and clocks were stopped in Washington, D.C.
Scientists now know that America's two major faults are essentially different. The San Andreas is a horizontal boundary between two major land masses that are slowly moving in opposite directions. California earthquakes result when the two masses make a sudden move.
The New Madrid fault, on the other hand, is a vertical fault; at some points, possibly hundreds of millions of years ago, rock was pushed up toward the surface, probably by volcanoes under the surface. Suddenly, the volcanoes cooled and the rock collapsed, leaving huge cracks. Even now, the rock continues to settle downwards, and sudden sinking motions cause earthquakes in the region. The fault itself, a large crack in this layer of rock, with dozens of other cracks that split off from it, extends from northeast Arkansas through Missouri and into southern Illinois.
Scientists who have studied the New Madrid fault say there have been numerous smaller quakes in the area since 1811; these smaller quakes indicate that larger ones are probably coming, but the scientists say they have no method of predicting when a large earthquake will occur.This passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．current scientific knowledge about faults |
| B．the San Andreas and the New Madrid faults |
| C．the causes of faults |
| D．the New Madrid fault in Missouri |
The New Madrid fault is __________.
| A．a vertical fault |
| B．a horizontal fault |
| C．a more serious fault than the San Andreas fault |
| D．responsible for forming the Mississippi River |
This passage implies that _________. .
| A．horizontal faults are more dangerous than vertical faults |
| B．Vertical faults are more dangerous than horizontal faults |
| C．The volcanoes that caused the New Madrid fault are still alive |
| D．A lot of people would die if the 1811 New Madrid earthquakes happened today |
In summer, some people avoid outdoor activities because they don't want to get hot and sticky or sun burnt．Luckily, there are some outdoor activities which don't involve breaking sweat．
River rafting
Hot summer weather and cool water-what a perfect match! River rafting can be both scenic and exciting．When the raft follows a gentle stream, the views of the countryside or valley is like a traditional Chinese painting．And when you enter white water where the riverbed creates a natural roller coaster, you feel a rush of adrenaline （肾上腺素）．Paddle your raft to the riverbank to have a picnic or barbecue which will taste best when you are starving．
Where to find: River rafting trips are usually on offer in mountainous or valley regions such as the Three Gorges．
Tips: Wear a helmet and life jacket at all times; bring enough sunscreen; and bring lots of water．
Caving
People say that the only naturally air-conditioned place in summer is a big cave．It is true．Cave tours featuring light shows are old hat．Now it's time to wear a lamp on your helmet like a mineworker to explore caves in darkness．Exploring unknown caverns and navigating underground rivers is what makes caving so thrilling．Plus, caving can be a very healthy sport, for the oxygen level is usually higher so basically you are having an oxygen spa as the bonus．
Where to find: caving can be very risky, so consult local travel agents and go in groups with professional cavers．
Tips: Follow your guides; drink enough water to avoid dehydration（脱水） ; and wear strong and not easily damaged hiking boots．
Coastal walking/cycling and beach activities
For those who live far away from mountains, coastal regions and beaches are good places to spend time in the summer．With sea breezes in your hair, it is nice to take a hike or cycle ride while enjoying the coastline．If you want to be sportier, try beach games, such as soccer and volleyball．It's a totally different experience from playing on hard courts or grass．
Where to find: Just go to the beach or find an urban artificial beach such as the one in Chatoyant Park in Beijing or the man-made lake beach in Wuhan．
Tips: Loads of sunscreen needed; water and snacks are necessary; be aware of jellyfish and garbage floating in the water．What does the underlined words "old hat" in paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Out of fashion． | B．Out of the way． |
| C．A particular fashion． | D．A unique style． |
If you love river rafting trips, you can _____．
| A．go to the beach | B．explore caves |
| C．do some outdoor activities | D．drift the boat downstream |
What is specially needed to explore caves?
| A．An oxygen spa． | B．A professional caver． |
| C．A lamp． | D．A helmet． |
Helen lives in a big city, where is the best place for her to spend weekends?
| A．A riverbank． | B．Underground rivers． |
| C．An urban artificial beach． | D．Mountainous areas． |
Beer and fried chicken — Thanks to a South Korean drama currently on air, Man From the Stars, this new mix-and-match junk food trend has become popular among young audiences, despite its unhealthy nature. Indeed, South Korean TV dramas, or K-drama for short, have been a major force in the South Korean pop-culture wave that has captured the hearts of young Chinese audiences. According to iQiyi, a video website that features Man From the Stars, by Feb 15, the number of views for the TV drama hit 370 million in China.
“It is interesting to explore what elements of those dramas appeal to audiences. It’s obviously more than just pretty faces,” says Yan Feng, a professor of Chinese literature at Fudan University. Reflected by audiences, culture critics and insiders of the industry, youth fantasy, creative storylines, cultural proximity in East Asia, and well-organized production all add up to K-drama’s success, along with, of course, those handsome and cute faces dressed in the latest fashion trends.
“Everyone fancies a perfect partner, handsome or beautiful,” says Zhou Ying, a professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University. “The South Korean TV industry is feeding this need.” After Lee Min-ho appeared on CCTV’s annual Spring Festival gala, he became the most famous South Korean in China. Only weeks later, Kim Soo-hyun, lead actor in Man From the Stars, swept the country. Apart from pretty faces, fashion is another highlight of the series. Each time actors from the series wear a new set of outfits, similar clothes experience a sales boom online, according to Xiao Yi, a Taobao store owner.
As is known, with love triangles, incurable diseases, and Cinderella tales, storylines in South Korean dramas may seem a bit commonplace. While The Man From the Stars challenges this by putting aliens and time travel into these existing stories, Peng Sanyuan, a screenwriter, says a focus on detail is a key factor in the success of these dramas. “In order to accurately target audiences and find emotional reflections with them, more and more female writers are working in the industry,” says Peng about her experience of exchanging ideas with South Korean colleagues. According to the experts, South Korean writers somehow make sense of these plots, no matter how unlikely it seems. Why has beer and fried chicken become so popular among Chinese young people at present?
| A．Because the food tastes very great. |
| B．Because they want to change the trend. |
| C．Because the food is good for their health. |
| D．Because they are deeply affected by the Korean TV drama. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “proximity” in paragraph 2?
| A．similarity | B．difference |
| C．conflict | D．curiosity |
According to the whole passage, how many elements can lead to the appeal of Korean dramas?
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Six | D．Seven |
What makes Man From the Stars different from other K-dramas according to the last paragraph?
| A．Female writers | B．Creative stories |
| C．Pretty faces | D．Fashionable clothes |
On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City．
If you have ever been to a Perlman concert，you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him．He was stricken with polio (小儿麻痹症) as a child，and so he has braces (支架) on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches (双拐)．
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair．Then he sits down，slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs，tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward．Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin，nods to the conductor and proceeds to play．
But this time，something went wrong．Just as he finished the first few bars (小节)，one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap (嘣断) --- it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that meant. There was no mistaking what he had to do．
We figured that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage——to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before．
When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered．He smiled，wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quit us，and then he said in a quiet tone．“You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.’’By saying “getting on stage is no small achievement for him”, the author really means .
| A．it’s very difficult for Itzhak Perlman to play the violin with three strings |
| B．it’s not easy for Itzhak Perlman to get on the stage because he is disabled |
| C．it’s not easy for ltzhak Perlman to face such a large audience |
| D．it’s really great achievements for ltzhak Perlman to play the violin with three strings |
Itzhak Perlman when one of the strings of the violin broke．
| A．gave up playing |
| B．didn’t know what to do |
| C．went on playing the same piece of music |
| D．went on playing a different piece of music |
Itzhak Perlman can be best described as a man who is ．
| A．clever | B．strong willed |
| C．humorous | D．quite skilled |
One day my uncle had been riding a horse in rain when he reached a small restaurant. Wet and coldly, and he wanted to warm himself very much. However, the restaurant was too crowded with people that he could not get near the fire. “Taking some fish to my horse!” he called out to the waiter. “Sorry, sir. But a horse didn’t eat fish!” the waiter answered. “Never mind, just do as I tell you,” my uncle said. The crowd of people felt surprising at the strange order. To see a horse eat fish, all of whom ran out. Having the whole room to himself, my uncle sat down besides the fire and began warm himself.
“People are ruder today because they are rushed and more ‘time poor’ than ever before,” says Patsy Rowe, “ Manners have fallen off the radar(雷达).” Due to our strong attraction to electronic equipment it is a wonder more people don’t wake up each morning and greet the singing birds with a complaint（抱怨）about the noise. Here are some examples of rudeness.
Some people prefer to do almost everything over the Internet. To them, dealing with an actual human is like an evolutionary step backward. It feels very slow because humans don’t work at 4G speeds. When you have dinner with friends, you will often notice someone paying more attention to his mobile phone. We have programmed ourselves to think that every new message brings life-changing news, so taking calls and checking our texts are more important than talking to the people we are with. What is worse, some people even tend to send anonymous（匿名的） rude messages by email.
However, rudeness is never acceptable. Don’t assume it is OK to be rude if the person you’re in touch with won’t recognize you. If you have something awful to say, have the courage to face the person and say it, write a letter or email and sign it, or forget it. Upsetting people with unsigned messages is cruel and disgusting.
We shouldn′t blame technology for our shortcomings. Technology is here to help us, but we should not allow it to take over our lives. An important step is acknowledging our shortcomings. People spend a lot of time pointing out bad manners but it would be even more helpful if we′d publicly acknowledge good manners when we see them. What can be infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?
| A．People can tell good from bad behavior. |
| B．Radar is able to observe human behavior. |
| C．Radar can be used to predict human behavior. |
| D．People care little about their behavior. |
Some people are less willing to deal with humans because _______.
| A．they are growing too independent |
| B．they are becoming less patient |
| C．they have to handle many important messages |
| D．they have to follow an evolutionary step backward. |
The author thinks sending unsigned awful messages is _______.
| A．ridiculous | B．acceptable |
| C．disgusting | D．reasonable |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Technology will take over lives one day. |
| B．Technology can never be blamed |
| C．We should keep pointing out mistakes. |
| D．We should applaud good behavior. |
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