8.Firefighters had largely tamed a tower of flame and smoke that covered the sun and drove thousands from their homes in the foothill suburbs northeast of Los Angeles,but a week of dangerously windy wildfire conditions and a year of historic dryness meant that this fire and predictable ones to come remained a major threat.
By nightfall Thursday,the wildfire that swept through about 2 1/2 square miles of brush in the San Gabriel Mountains and destroyed five homes early in the day had its progress stopped and was 30 percent contained.More than 700 firefighters were on the scene,along with 70 engines and a fleet of helicopters and air tankers dropping water and retardant(阻止物).
But the National Weather Service said a red-flag warning of extreme fire danger in effect much of the week would remain in place until Friday evening because of low humidity and the chance of the region's infamous Santa Ana winds bursting to 30 mph in the foothills and valleys.
Some 3,700 people from Glendora and Azusa evacuated at the height of the fire.Glendora residents were allowed to return home Thursday evening,but homes in Azusa remained under evacuation orders.It wasn't clear how many remained empty.
Fire engines would stay in all the endangered neighborhoods through the night and helicopters were available to fly after dark if it became necessary.Nighttime bursts brought a few flame-ups,but they remained within fire lines.
Two firefighters had minor injuries and a woman trying to fight the fire near her home suffered a minor burn.Seventeen structures were damaged,including homes,garages,barns and other buildings.At least 10 renters were left homeless when the fire destroyed rental units on the historic grounds of a retreat that once was the summer land of the Singer sewing machine family.Statues of Jesus and Mary stood unharmed near the blackened ruins.However,the main,1920s house was spared.
Three men in their 20s,including a homeless man,were arrested on suspicion of irresponsibly starting the fire by tossing paper into a campfire in the Angeles National Forest,just north of Glendora.They said they were trying to keep warm and the wildfire appears to have been an accident.They could face state or federal charges.
61.What's the purpose of the first paragraph?C
A.To introduce the topic
B.To arouse readers'interest.
C.To summarize the main idea
D.To share the writer's opinion
62.What do we know about the fire?D
A.It lasted a week
B.It started on a Thursday.
C.It grew wilder at night
D.It flamed up high at first
63.What led to the outbreak of the fire?D
A.Low humidity
B.Windy fire conditions.
C.No timely warning
D.Careless campers.
64.The underlined word"evacuated"in Paragraph 4 probably meansC.
A.swept
B.burst
C.fled
D.endangered
65.The three young men were arrested becauseB.
A.they were homeless
B.they were to blame for the fire
C.they wanted to keep warm by the fire
D.they started the fire deliberately.
分析 本文講的是美國圣加布里埃爾山發(fā)生森林火災(zāi),現(xiàn)消防隊已控制火勢.本次火災(zāi)導(dǎo)致多座房屋被毀,導(dǎo)致多人無家可歸.現(xiàn)縱火嫌疑人已被捕.
解答 61.C.細節(jié)理解題.仔細閱讀全文可知第一段是一個總起段,介紹了本文的主題.主題為消防隊已控制基本火勢,這一火災(zāi)迫使千人離開自己的家園.故選C.
62.D.細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文中第一段中"Firefighters had largely tamed a tower of flame and smoke that covered the sun and drove thousands from their homes in the foothill suburbs northeast of Los Angeles,"可推知一開始時火焰燃燒得非常旺.故選D.
63.D.細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文中最后一段"Three men in their 20s,including a homeless man,were arrested on suspicion of irresponsibly starting the fire by tossing paper into a campfire in the Angeles National Forest,"推知是露營時的篝火導(dǎo)致的.故選D.
64.C.詞義猜測題.swept---掃;burst---爆發(fā);fled---逃離; endangered---瀕危的;根據(jù)后文"Glendora residents were allowed to return home Thursday evening,but homes in Azusa remained under evacuation orders."人們已被疏散,已離開火災(zāi)地域.故選C.
65.B.細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文中最后一段中"Three men in their 20s,including a homeless man,were arrested on suspicion of irresponsibly starting the fire by tossing paper into a campfire in the Angeles National Forest,just north of Glendora.",他們被懷疑與火災(zāi)有關(guān),所以被捕.故選B.
點評 本文是新聞報道類閱讀理解文章,閱讀此類文章主要是要了解:
①新聞報道了什么事件;②事件是因為什么而發(fā)生的,相關(guān)背景如何;③文段中指出的事件發(fā)生過程中的突出細節(jié)是 什么;④事件造成的后果是什么;⑤事件的本質(zhì)是什么,透過事件的表面現(xiàn)象,我們看到了什么社會問題.通過這樣的梳理,我們就可以把新聞的脈絡(luò)理清楚.這類材料命題點往往落在事實細節(jié)上