I.-Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the story.
I often hear or read about ‘natural disasters’ – the eruption of Mount St. Helen, a volcano
in the state of Washington. Hurricane Andrew in Florida, the floods in the America Midwest,
terrible earthquakes all over the world, huge fires, and so on. But I’ll never forget my first
personal experience with the strangeness of nature – ‘the London Killer Fog’ of 1952. It began on
Thursday, December 4, when a high-pressure system of warm air covered southern England.
With the freezing-cold air below, heavy fog formed. Pollution from factories, cars and coal stoves
mixed with the fog. The humidity was terribly high, there was no breeze at all. Traffic such as
cars, trains, boats stopped. People couldn’t see, and some walked onto the railroad tracks or into
the river. It was hard to breathe, and many people got sick. Finally, on Tuesday, December 9, the
wind came and the fog went away. But after that, even more people got sick. Many of them died.
1. Which ‘natural disaster’ isn’t mentioned in the passage?
A. a volcano B. a tornado C. a flood D. a hurricane
2. What is the writer’s unforgettable personal experience?
A. the London killer B. the heavy fog in London in 1952
C. a high-pressure system D. the strangeness of nature
3. How long did the “London Killer Fog” last?
A. For four
days
B. For five days C. For six days D. For a week
4. What didn’t happen during the time of the ‘London Killer Fog’?
A. Pollution B. Heavy rain C. Humidity D. Heavy fog
5. Why did the traffic stop?
A. Because of the rain B. Because of the windy weather
C. Because of the humid weather D. Because of the heavy fog
II.-Read the following passage carefully, then write True (T) or False (F) for each statement.
The people of Kiribati are afraid that one day their country in the not-too-distant future
will disappear from the surface of the earth. Several times this year, the Pacific island nation has
been flooded by a sudden high tide. These tide, which swept across the island and destroyed
houses, came when there was neither wind nor rain. This never happened before.
What is causing these mysterious high tides? The answer may be global warming. When
fuels like oil and coal are being burned, pollutants are released, these pollutants hold heat in the
earth’s atmosphere. Warmer temperatures cause water to expand and also create more water by
melting glaciers and polar ice caps.
If the situation continues, scientists say that many countries will suffer, Bangladesh, for
example, might lose one-fifth of its land. The coral island nations of the Pacific like Kiribati and
the Marshall Islands, however, would face an even worse fate – they would be swallowed by the
sea. The loss of these coral islands would be everyone’s loss. Coral formations are home to more
species than any other place on the earth.
T F
1. In Kiribati there were sudden high tides coming when there was no wind or
rain.
2.High tides without wind or rain often happen in Kiribati.
3. Global warming is definitely the cause of those mysterious high tides.
4.The loss of coral islands doesn’t affect people on the earth
5. Coral reefs play an essential role in marine life.
III. Read Mary Ann’s story, and answer the questions.
In 1969, Hurricane Camille hit my three-storey blocks of flats near the Gulf of Mexico.
First, the sea hit the building and all the windows broke. Then the room flooded. Five minutes
later, my bed was floating near the ceiling. Then it floated out of the window. It was dark and the
wind was howling. I was terrified. The building was falling down all around me. The wind was
awful. It reached a speed of 234 miles per hour. I was cut and bleeding from head to toe. Finally,
someone found me 8 km from my house and they took me to hospital.
1. When did Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf of Mexico?
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2. What happened after the rooms flooded?
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3. What happened to the building?
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4. How fast was the wind?
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5. How far did the water carry Mary Ann?
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