Storms brought a tornado and 2-mch-thin hail (冰雹 ) to Wyoming on Thursday, a day after thunderstorms hit parts of Wyoming and Colorado with golf ball-sized hail and heavy rain.Three homes were heavily damaged by the tornado on Thursday, and 10 to 12 other buildings also had damage.One person was treated at a hospital for a cut on the head.Some power lines were also down to the ground.The tornado touched down briefly near Wheatland, north of Cheyenne, in a populated area, officials said.
Hail, the size of golf balls, was reported in the Wheatland area, and 2-inch-thin hail was reported in Laramie.Forecasters said thunderstorms that can spawn tornadoes could develop and flooding was possible.Citizens should be careful.
A fire, which is believed to have been started by lightning on Sunday night, has burned about 3,500 acres about 20 miles northwest of Wheatland.About 120 firefighters, aided by helicopters and air tankers, were on the scene.The rain provided some help for firefighters who fully controlled a 227-acre wildfire in northern Colorado, but the weather in the beginning hurt efforts to control a 6,000-acre blaze (火焰) in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest.Storms passed close to the Wyoming fire but mostly brought winds that fanned the flames.Rain and hail fell later but didn't make a big difference, said fire spokeswoman Beth Hermanson.
Kyle Fredin, working for the National Weather Service in Denver, said the beginning of June is the peak time for such severe weather in Colorado.Most of the state has been experiencing moderate-to-extreme drought conditions.
60.What does the underlined word "spawn" in Paragraph 2 mean.
A.Cause B.Involve
C.Tolerate D.Reject
61.From the text we can learn the wildfire about 20 miles northwest of Wheatland____.
A.has been burning for a whole week
B.was started by someone on purpose
C.died out immediately the rain came
D.was very hard for firefighters to control
62.The weather hurt efforts to control a 6,000-acre blaze because ____.
A.storms didn't pass close to the Wyoming fire
B.heavy winds stopped firefighters from working
C.rain and hail stopped firefighters from working
D.the flames became worse after the storms brought winds
63.According to what Kyle Fredin said, we can infer that _____.
A.Colorado has never experienced such severe weather before
B.it's not strange that a storm hit Colorado at the beginning of June
C.moderate-to-extreme drought conditions often lead to thunderstorms
D.Colorado will be frequently hit by severe weather in the following months
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Some scientists warn that ice near the Earth’s Poles may indeed be melting. This “polar meltdown” may be the first sign that the Earth is heating up. We could be in very serious trouble if this trend continues. It is estimated that a meltdown of as little as 10 percent of Antarctica’s ice would raise sea levels around the globe by 4 to 9 meters. Floods would cover low-lying regions and turn coastal cities like New York and New Orleans into real life underwater world.
Scientists first predicted in the 1970s that heat trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere could cause a polar meltdown. Many now believe that human activities are turning up the heat. When we burn fossil fuels like coal and oil, we add carbon dioxide(CO2) gas to the Earth’s atmosphere. Cutting down trees also makes CO2 levels raise because trees normally soak up CO2 to make food. Scientists say higher CO2 levels strengthen the “greenhouse effect” and could increase the Earth’s temperature. In fact, CO2 levels have risen by 30 percent since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Over the past three years, satellite measurements have shown a sea level rise of about a quarter inch worldwide. “If nothing is done to reduce fossil-fuel pollution and global warming, sea levels will rise even more.” says geologist Richard Alley.
But even Alley admits that a polar meltdown would take time. The ice in Antarctica and Arctic locks up nearly nine times the volume of water contained in all the world’s rivers and lakes. These are such big “ice cubes” and it would probably take thousands of years to melt them.
Another scientist Charles Bentley doesn’t think a meltdown will happen at all. “Even if warmer temperatures begin to melt polar-ice,” he says, “the excess moisture would most likely be redeposit as snow.” In other words, the melted ice would evaporate into the atmosphere, refreeze, and fall as rain and snow over the Poles.
What consequence of global warming is mentioned in the passage?
A. More tropical storms. B. More tropical diseases.
C. Changes in farm productivity. D. Coastal flooding.
Which of the following statements does the second paragraph support?
A. CO2 in the atmosphere cannot keep the heat from escaping into space.
B. The increase of CO2 gas may warm the planet and help to melt polar ice.
C. Cutting down trees helps to greatly reduce CO2 levels.
D. The end of the short-lived age of fossil fuels is already in sight.
Geologist Richard Alley most likely agrees that _______.
A. the sea-level rise can be prevented by cutting back on energy-consuming activities
B. the recent breaking off of ice blocks from Antarctica is just a natural part of a long-term cycle
C. Antarctica temperatures have significantly changed since the Industrial Revolution
D. the polar meltdown may be an accidental change of climate rather than a sign of global warming
Charles Bentley believes that a polar meltdown will not occur because _______.
A. governments around the world are beginning to reduce CO2 levels in the air
B. a melting of the polar ice cannot be achieved with the present technologies
C. the melted ice in the polar areas would change into snow and rain over the Poles
D. the sun’s heat would have no chance of being absorbed by the polar ice
In which paragraph does the author mention the immense quantities of polar ice?
A. In the second paragraph. B. In the third paragraph.
C. In the fourth paragraph. D. In the fifth paragraph.
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Can storms in Africa cause asthma(哮喘) in the Caribbean(加勒比)? Islanders point to the desert insects that land on beaches after a 5,000-kilometer flight across the Atlantic. If they can use winds to get from one continent to another, so can clouds of dust that carry disease.
Scientists think that as Africa becomes drier, dust from expanding deserts is being blown away into Caribbean islands. A study in Barbados shows that asthma has increased 17 times since Africa’s drought(干旱) began in 1973.
Other forms of life are suffering, too. Among them are the Caribbean’s famous coral reefs( 珊瑚礁), which began dying in large numbers in the 1900s. Eugene Shinn of the U.S. Geiological Sudrvey(USGS) in Florida went to the virgin Islands to study the reefs. The tests he and his colleagues carried out showed that the coral was dying of disease caused by Africa microbes(微生物) from across the ocean.
William Sprigg of the University of Arizona is studying the problem as part of a major UN project. He says that dust is causing problems in the U.S., too.
“We are just beginning to collect the evidence of airborne(空气传播的) dust influences on human health,” he told The Washington Post.
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A. Dangerous Dust B. Dangerous Disease
C. Changing Weather D. Developing Technology
Where does the dust talked about in this passage come from?
A. America. B. Africa. C. The Atlantic. D. The Pacific.
The increase of asthma in the Caribean is probably related to _____ according to scientists.
A. desert insects B. strong winds C. airborne dust D. dry weather
Which of the following is NOT true about the Caribbean coral reefs?
A. They are in Florida.
B. They used to be very beautiful.
C. They began dying in the past decades.
D. The African microbes have bad effect on them.
Which of the following is TRUE about William Sprigg?
A. He is a member of UN.
B. He thinks African dust also affects the US.
C. He has collected enough evidence about dust influences.
D. He is a reporter from The Washington Post.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2010-2011学年湖南省长沙市高三上学期第六次月考英语卷 题型:阅读理解
The temperature is rising again in the Arctic. The sea ice area has dropped to one of the lowest levels on record, climate scientists reported last week.
“The new Arctic Report Card tells a story of widespread and continued effects of a warming Arctic,” said Jackie Richter-Menge of the US’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
“This isn’t just a climatological (气候学的) effect. It impacts the people that live there,” she added.
Scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first, and that has been the case in recent years.
There was a slowdown in Arctic warming in 2009, but in the first half of 2010 warming was near a record pace. The monthly readings were over 4 degrees Celsius above normal in northern Canada, according to the report card. The report card was prepared by 69 researchers in eight countries.
Researchers said last winter’s big snow storms that struck some Northern countries were tied to higher Arctic temperatures.
“Normally the cold air is bottled up in the Arctic,” said Jim Overland of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “But last December and February, winds that normally blow west to east across the Arctic were instead bringing the colder air south,” he said.
“As we lose more sea ice... warming in the atmosphere can create more of these winter storms,” Overland said.
There is a powerful connection between ice cover and air temperatures, Richter-Menge explained. When temperatures warm, ice melts. When ice melts it shows darker surfaces underneath , which absorb more heat. “That, in turn, causes more melting and on the cycle goes,” she said.
In September the Arctic sea ice extent was the third smallest in the last 30 years, added Don Perovich of the US Army Laboratory. He said the three smallest ice covers have occurred in the last four years.
1.Scientists care so much about the warming in the Arctic region because .
A .the climate in the Arctic doesn’t change much
B. global warming effects are most serious in the Arctic region
C .there has been a major decrease of Arctic warming in recent years
D. by studying the region they can make predictions about the future impact of global warming
2.. Which of the following shows that the Arctic is getting warmer?
A. The surface of the sea ice in Arctic is getting darker and darker.
B. The Arctic sea ice extent has disappeared over the last 30 years.
C. The sea ice extent has increased to one of the highest levels on record.
3. What does the underlined word “cycle” refer to?
A .Ice giving off heat when it melts.
B. Higher temperatures bringing more storms.
C .The cause and the result of the melting.
D. The life of the people living in the Arctic getting worse.
4. According to researchers what led to big snow storms attacking some Northern countries last winter?
A. Higher Arctic temperatures.
B. The melting ice.
C. The cold wind blowing west to east.
D. Cold air bottled up in the Arctic.
5. What is the main point of the article?
A. Last winter’s big snow-storms.
B. Winds in the Arctic region.
C. Arctic warming and its possible effects.
D. Changes to the life of people living in the Arctic.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2010年山东聊城三中高一下学期期末考试英语卷 题型:阅读理解
Can storms in Africa cause asthma(哮喘) in the Caribbean(加勒比)? Islanders point to the desert insects that land on beaches after a 5,000-kilometer flight across the Atlantic. If they can use winds to get from one continent to another, so can clouds of dust that carry disease.
Scientists think that as Africa becomes drier, dust from expanding deserts is being blown away into Caribbean islands. A study in Barbados shows that asthma has increased 17 times since Africa’s drought(干旱) began in 1973.
Other forms of life are suffering, too. Among them are the Caribbean’s famous coral reefs( 珊瑚礁), which began dying in large numbers in the 1900s. Eugene Shinn of the U.S. Geiological Sudrvey(USGS) in Florida went to the virgin Islands to study the reefs. The tests he and his colleagues carried out showed that the coral was dying of disease caused by Africa microbes(微生物) from across the ocean.
William Sprigg of the University of Arizona is studying the problem as part of a major UN project. He says that dust is causing problems in the U.S., too.
“We are just beginning to collect the evidence of airborne(空气传播的) dust influences on human health,” he told The Washington Post.
1.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A.Dangerous Dust |
B.Dangerous Disease |
C.Changing Weather |
D.Developing Technology |
2. Where does the dust talked about in this passage come from?
A.America. |
B.Africa. |
C.The Atlantic. |
D.The Pacific. |
3. The increase of asthma in the Caribean is probably related to _____ according to scientists.
A.desert insects |
B.strong winds |
C.airborne dust |
D.dry weather |
4.Which of the following is NOT true about the Caribbean coral reefs?
A.They are in Florida. |
B.They used to be very beautiful. |
C.They began dying in the past decades. |
D.The African microbes have bad effect on them. |
5. Which of the following is TRUE about William Sprigg?
A.He is a member of UN. |
B.He thinks African dust also affects the US. |
C.He has collected enough evidence about dust influences. |
D.He is a reporter from The Washington Post. |
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科目:高中英语 来源:2013届度重庆市高一下学期期中考试英语题 题型:阅读理解
We often hear the phrase:“You’ve a greater chance of being struck by lightning.” It is used to describe something that hasn’t got much chance of happening. However, the common saying undermines(掩盖) the very real dangers of lightning. Last Friday, at least 5 people were killed by lightning in Nepal. Lightning strikes are the second most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US. The first is floods. Around 400 people nationwide are struck by lightning each year, and of those73 people die. That means more people are killed by lightning than by tornadoes and hurricanes. Because lightning kills only one or two people at a time, its danger does not receive as much attention as other disasters.
So to raise awareness, the US has made June 22 to 28 National Lightning Safety Week. It aims to warn the public of the dangers of lightning and provide safety tips during thunderstorms. “If you hear thunder , you are in danger from lightning,” said Rocky Lopes, a disaster educator at the American Red Cross.“Thunder means that lightning is close enough to hit you at any minute, so you should move indoors immediately and stay there until after the storm has ended. The single most important thing to remember is to seek hiding place,”Lopes said.
Summer is the high time for lightning storms, so when lightning strikes across the sky, remember these safety tips:
Stop working, fishing, swimming or playing in open fields.
If you can count less than ten seconds between a thunder and a lightning flash, take cover inside the nearest building.
Do not stand under a tree.
Get off bicycles or motorcycles.
Crouch down(蹲下)if there is no hiding place.
Avoid open spaces, wire fences, metal objects and electrical objects such as hair driers.
1.The popular opinion about being struck by lightening is that .
A. there is a greater chance for being killed by lightening than any other natural disaster
B. it is the most dangerous among all the natural disasters
C. the chance for a person to be struck by lightening is very small
D. it is impossible for people to be killed by lightening
2. The average death rate of being struck by lightening in US is about .
A.18% B.50% C.30% D.73%
3. Among all the safety tips, the most important one is that when you hear thunder in the open air, .
A. just stand by your bicycles and motorcycles
B. quickly find a place to go inside
C. count ten seconds between a thunder and a lightening
D. don’t have a hair drier in your hand
4. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. There are more people killed by tornadoes and hurricanes than by lightening in US each year.
B. There are on average 5 persons killed by lightening in Nepal each day.
C. The death rate of being stuck by lightening is much higher than by other natural disasters.
D. The National Lightening Safety Week is made to warn the public against lightening.
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