Perfect Disaster
All around us buildings shook. We decided to leave the town. We stopped once we had left the buildings behind us. The carts were moving in opposite directions, though the ground was perfectly flat, and they wouldn't stay in place even with their wheels blocked by stones.
In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked(吸) backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea animals were left on dry sand.
Behind us were frightening dark clouds that opened up to show fire—like lightning, but bigger. Not long after that the clouds reached down to the ground and covered the sea. Now came the dust, though still thin. I looked back. A dense cloud appeared behind us, following us like a flood pouring across the land. Then a darkness came that was not like a moonless or cloudy night, but more like being in a closed and unlighted room. You could hear women and children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children; they could only recognize them by their voices.
Darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again; otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed by the weight.
At last the cloud became thinner and thinner until it was no more than smoke or fog. Soon there was real daylight. The sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.
―from Pliny's letter to a friend
1.Pliny left the town after _____.
A. the eruption B. the sky became dark
C. the buildings began shaking D. the sea went back
2.The carts wouldn't stay still because _____.
A. the earth was shaking
B. the sea sucked them backwards
C. the wheels had stones under them
D. the lightening frightened the horses
3.The reason why it was dark is that _____.
A. it was very late at night B. clouds of ash covered the sun
C. there was a very bad storm D. there was no moon that night
4.People tried to find their relations by calling out their names and .
A. listening to their voices B. running about looking for them
C. shaking the ash off people D. watching people as they ran past
One day I took a bus with my girlfriend. It was so that we stood for several stops until a vacant seat was for her.
Then a pretty girl rushed towards me, saying, "Hi, where are you going?" I was so struck by the stranger that I had a hard time trying to her. Clearly she had taken me somebody else. I returned her greeting with politeness, to give explanation to my girlfriend later.
Noticing my dialogue with somebody else, my girlfriend her eyes and found she was pretty. She asked jealously, "Who's she?" The pretty girl, quite of the situation, spoke out first, "Hi, let me myself. I'm Nancy, used to be . Very glad to meet you." She behaved very .
But I was to search in my memory for someone called Nancy among my neighbors. I was worrying how to explain this to my girlfriend the pretty girl again turned to me, "Will you give me your cell phone number so that we keep contacts later?" I had to submit to her . Then the girl got off the bus at the next stop.
A minute later I got a short on my phone-from a stranger. My girlfriend my phone and read the note. It was from the girl, who said, "Just now, two thieves tried to your pocket. I had to act as an acquaintance to draw your attention. I should have left at the stop but gave up as I noticed these two thieves also to leave at the same stop. Because of the I delayed my departure. Now you' ll understand all I have done to you. Wish you luck."
1.A.tiring B.slowC.crowded D.messy
2.A.ready B.availableC.special D.suitable
3.A.identify B.realizeC.remind D.judge
4.A.on B.byC.with D.for
5.A.preferring B.planningC.managing D.promising
6.A.fixed B.openedC.raised D.focused
7.A.proud B.carefulC.afraid D.aware
8.A.explain B.enjoyC.introduce D.help
9.A.partners B.neighborsC.friends D.colleagues
10.A.naturally B.generouslyC.cautiously D.normally
11.A.in a hurry B.at a lossC.at ease D.in time
12.A.while B.beforeC.when D.until
13.A.would B.canC.should D.must
14.A.request B.questionC.command D.opinion
15.A.suggestion B.warningC.notice D.message
16.A.removed B.seizedC.found D.caught
17.A.steal B.reachC.get D.pick
18.A.terminal B.formerC.previous D.latter
19.A.pretending B.intendingC.demanding D.announcing
20.A.incident B.matterC.accident D.affair
It is reported that a powerful earthquake ______the Italian island of Sicily early this morning.
A. happened B. caused C. occurred D. struck
The room became ______ crowded after the desk was moved out.
A. a little B. fewer C. less D. much
A post office should be built in a central ______ for the sake of the convenience.
A. position B. situation C. eruption D. connection
They wanted to charge $5,000, ______ we managed to bring the price down.
A. butB. so C. whenD. since