Can you tell the _____ difference between the words “require” and “request”? I sometimes get puzzled by their meanings.

A.apparent B.subtle C.dramatic D.regional

I didn’t know how to handle the situation, but an idea suddenly _____ me that I could turn to my best friend for help.

A.realized B.struck C.occurred D.came

Peter was already at the door ____ on his shoes.

A.skipping B.sinking C.slipping D.shifting

The account offered by the bank will be ____ exactly to your needs.

A.met B.tailored C.satisfied D.taken

We are going away in June, but ____ that I’ll be here all summer.

A.other than B.more than C.rather than D.less than

Thanks to the comfortable climate for business creation, many enterprises started by college graduates have taken _____.

A.in B.up C.off D.away

An anonymous donor donated a large sum of money to _____ the campaign “saving our planet”.

A.launch B.organize C.sponsor D.plan

The pains that you _____ to realize your dream will pay off sooner or later.

A.spent B.took C.cost D.paid

I set the alarm clock, as a result, I got up earlier and reached the airport with minutes to _____.

A.spare B.catch C.leave D.make

_____ personality varies from person to person is known to all.

A.What B.That C.Whether D.Which

Starting a small business is always risky, and the chance of success is really _____.

A.fantastic B.obvious C.slim D.gentle

If you come to visit China, you will _____ a culture of amazing depth and variety.

A.taste B.create C.substitute D.develop

The factory produced many famous cars, none of _____ were shipped to foreign countries.

A.them B.what C.those D.which

We established a mutual trust tradition which can _____ the test of time.

A.fail B.stand C.take D.conduct

When you go by train, make sure you take an express, ___________stops only at big stations.

A.one B.one that C.that D.what

You are really         ! I heard marvelous news that you set a new world record.

A.anything B.nothing C.something D.everything

Geraniums of Love

As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews with the same teachers. The only thing different was the child. And every child _______ an old school traditional activity---the annual plant sale held in early May, just in time for _______Day.

Third grade was the first time that I was allowed to take part in the plant sale. I wanted to surprise my mother. _______, I didn’t have any money. I went to my eldest sister and _______ the secret, and she gave me some money. When I arrived at the plant sale, I carefully made my _______. I agonized(苦苦思索) over that decision, _______ each plant to ensure that I had indeed found the best geranium. The moment I had smuggled it home, with the help of my sister, I _______ it on the upstairs neighbor’s porch. I was very afraid my mother would find it before Mother’s Day, but my sister assured me that she wouldn't, and _______ she did not.

When Mother’s Day arrived, I was bursting with pride when I gave her that geranium. I remember how bright her eyes were, and how delighted she was with my _______.

The year I ________ fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that there was going to be a plant sale at school and she wanted to ________ our mother. As my eldest sister did for me, I gave her some money and ________ went my sister. She arrived at home full of ________ excitement, the geranium hidden in a paper bag ________ her sweater. “I looked at every plant,” she explained, “and I know I got the best one!”

I helped my little sister hide that geranium on the upstairs neighbor’s porch, assuring that our mother wouldn’t find it before Mother’s Day. I was there when she gave my mother the geranium and I saw them both bursting with pride and ________. It was like being in a dream I had already dreamed. My mother noticed me ________, and she gave me a soft secret smile. Shocked and puzzled, I ________ back. I had been wondering how my mother could ________ to be surprised at this gift from her sixth child. But as I watched her eyes ________ with delight as she was ________ with that most precious gift, I knew she was not pretending.

1.A.passed down B.participated in C.broke with D.carried on

2.A.Women’s B.Father’s C.Children’s D.Mother’s

3.A.Furthermore B.Moreover C.However D.Therefore

4.A.shared B.discovered C.guarded D.stuck

5.A.plan B.preparation C.present D.selection

6.A.watering B.growing C.inspecting D.protecting

7.A.showed B.potted C.packaged D.hid

8.A.indeed B.instead C.properly D.anyhow

9.A.performance B.grades C.gift D.presence

10.A.went B.turned C.grew D.came

11.A.inspire B.surprise C.satisfy D.relax

12.A.off B.up C.in D.out

13.A.nervous B.youthful C.increasing D.false

14.A.on B.beside C.over D.under

15.A.confusion B.anxiety C.delight D.astonishment

16.A.listening B.watching C.smelling D.tasting

17.A.waved B.smiled C.signed D.called

18.A.pretend B.continue C.appear D.try

19.A.take up B.make up C.light up D.set up

20.A.impressed B.satisfied C.associated D.presented

    Living in a culture that is different from your own can be both an exciting and challenging experience. You have to learn different cultural practices and try to adapt to them.

1. They talk about topics such as ages, income or marital status, which Americans think is annoying and instructive (侵犯的).

In China, elders are traditionally treated with enormous respect and dignity while the young are cherished and nurtured. In America, the goal of the family is to encourage independence, particularly that of the children. 2.

Chinese people have their own way to define friends. 3. Friendship means lifelong friends who feel deeply obliged to give each whatever help might seem required. Americans always call people they meet friends, so the definition of friends is general and different. There are work friends, playing friends, school friends and drinking friends.

As is well known, the Chinese like to save. 4. It is different in the US, where for fewer families are saving money for emergencies and education than their Chinese counterparts.

5. If you achieve something in the US, it’s because you are great. While in China, if you achieve something it’s because the team, or family, or company is great. Everything you do gets attributed to the greater whole, while in America individual merits are celebrated.

A.Just hanging out together from time to time is not friendship.

B.Chinese people put more emphasis on good character and faith.

C.More often than not, they call casual acquaintances friends.

D.They are always conservative when they are planning to spend money.

E.Basically China values the community and the US values the individual.

F.Chinese people do not have the same concept of privacy as Americans do.

G.Unlike the Chinese, older Americans seldom live with their children.

    What makes Belgian (比利时的) chocolate so special? How has Belgian chocolate become so famous? What are the reasons why Belgian chocolate is so good? After reading the text, you will find the answers.

Congo (刚果) became their gateway to Africa’s cocoa plantations and resulted in Belgium bringing back cocoa beans to Europe from Africa around the 1880s. Therefore, Belgium could produce quality chocolate before anyone else in Europe and before most countries in the world. Even the Swiss, who are farmed for their chocolate, learnt much of what they know from the Belgians.

Belgians are naturally good at engineering---They developed processes; they created new methods. Firstly, Belgium was one of the first countries to come up with machines which could make the cocoa beans really thin so that the chocolate was extremely smooth.

Another example of this Belgian innovation was the process brought about by Jean Neuhaus in 1912. He developed a way to make a cold shell of chocolate for what he called “pralines (干果糖)”. These were different and for the first time the chocolate could be filled with a variety of flavored creams, such as coffee, fruit or even more chocolate. No one else at that time could make chocolate with such a complexity of flavor and this development changed the way people would eat chocolate forever.

Just as many Italian villages have a specialty olive oil supplier and many French villages have a local vineyard (酒庄), so is it true that every Belgian village has its own small chocolate shop. Recipes have been passed down through for families for generations. This culture extends to both the quality of ingredients used and the care that is taken when people make the chocolate. The most delicious Belgian chocolate is made not by large manufacturing companies, but in small family chocolate shops by hand and basic equipment.

1.What makes Belgians produce quality chocolate first in Europe?

A.The perfect location. B.The improved process.

C.The advanced equipment. D.The earlier access to cocoa beans.

2.What does the underlined word” innovation” in paragraph 4 mean?

A.devotion. B.creation.

C.strength. D.preference.

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A.Chocolate has been the typical product of Belgium.

B.Belgian chocolate has been also famous in Italy and France.

C.It is hard to buy Belgian chocolate made by small family shops.

D.Recipes of Belgian chocolate were introduced from other countries.

4.What is the structure of the passage?

A.①---②③④---⑤ B.①--②--③--④--⑤

C.①--②--③④--⑤ D.①--②--③④⑤

    As pictures of the recent Northern California wildfires confirm, living on the edge of a forest comes with considerable dangers. But new research from Germany suggested closeness to a wooded area may not have all unfavorable effects.

In a study of older urban residents, it was found that living close to forest land is linked with strong, healthy functioning of a key part of the brain. This indicates that, compared with those who live in a mostly man-made environment, people who live on the boarder between city and forest may be better able to deal with stress.

“The findings suggest forests in and around cities are valuable resources that should be promoted,” writes a research team led by Simon Kuehn of the Max Plank Institute for Human Development in Berlin.

The researcher analyzed data on 341 participants in the Berlin Aging Study II, all of whom were between the ages of 61 and 82. They specifically looked at three different signals of brain structural function, each of which provided distinct information on several key brain regions. They also noted the amount of forest land within a one-kilometer distance of each participant’s home address.

“Our results reveal a significant positive association between the coverage of forest and amygdale (扁桃腺) function,” the researchers report. The amygdale is the set of neurons (神经元) that plays a key role in processing emotions, including fear and anxiety.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kuehn and her colleges found the amygdale function wasn’t germane to living close to urban green spaces such as parks, or bodies of water. Only closeness to forest land had this apparent positive effect.

More research will be needed to confirm that forest has a stronger, measurable impact on brain health than exposure to other forms of nature. But the evidence keeps mounting that, in stressful times, there is much to gain by surrounding yourself with plants and …

1.What’s the finding of the new research?

A.Brain activities relate to stress control.

B.Man-made environment may lead to stress.

C.Old urban citizens have healthier brain functions.

D.Living near a forest may help relieve pressure.

2.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A.The result of the new study.

B.The standard of choosing participants.

C.The preparations for the study.

D.The process of the new study.

3.What does the underlined part “germane to” in paragraph 6 mean?

A.beneficial to B.damaged by

C.relevant to D.limited to

4.What may be the author’s attitude towards living close to the forest?

A.Cautious. B.Favorable.

C.Ambiguous. D.Disapproving.

    Starting Cycling

We have two services designed to give people the confidence and knowledge to cycle successfully.

Lessons

All our instructors have been trained to National Standards level of “Bike-ability”. This means you will be trained to a standard consistent across the whole country.

There are three levels of skills to progress through. Children would start levels 1&2, progressing from the playground or park to cycle on less busy local roads. Teenager and adult beginners can also learn levels 1&2 in an off-road and quiet environment.

Confident teenagers and adults can broaden their skills by learning level 3, using multi-lane roads and larger roundabouts. We provide both complete packages of lessons for the beginner or individual lessons tailors to the client. Whatever the need we can address and practice until perfect!

Cost is ＆30 per hour.

Guided Ride

We know that riding on the roads in London can be scary, and if you have to navigate(确定行车路线)as well it can become a real hard task! The Guided Ride service takes all the stress out of it for you by providing the following:

Route planned in advance to suit your skill level. Route map provided to you.

Cycle and equipment checked. We will teach you a simple method to check basic roadworthiness(车辆性能)of your bike that you can perform on a weekly basis.

Route discussed and focus given to any areas requiring special attention.

Cycle along with the instructor close behind. Here the traffic can be controlled by the instructor and rider observed.

We currently cover London Zones1&2. Please contact us if your requirements are outside of these areas.

Cost ＆30 per hour.

1.Where can level1&2 lessons for adult beginners be carried out?

A.Off road. B.Near large roundabouts.

C.On busy local roads. D.On multi-lane roads.

2.What services does the Guided Ride provide?

A.They check your cycle and equipment every week.

B.They help you to be familiar with all London roads.

C.They let users experience the busiest road in London.

D.They ensure users ride safely in London zones 1&2.

3.Who is the text probably intended for？

A.Bike riding lovers. B.Children and teenagers.

C.Travelers in London. D.Parents loving cycling.

    Raised in a fatherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I grumbled, he’d say in his loudest father-voice, “That’s what your legs are for!” The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.

It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.

A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew, each time I’d come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.

On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son, it’s you!” he’d say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.

I replied, “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I’m home.”

1.What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A.Accepted happily. B.Spoke unhappily.

C.Agreed willingly. D.Explained clearly.

2.What made the author feel upset was ______.

A.the feeling of being less than valued

B.the fear of seeing something moving

C.the tiredness after long hours in labs

D.the loneliness of riding the bus home

3.The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.

A.he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway

B.he wanted to help his son build up courage

C.he was concerned about his son’s safety

D.he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.My College Life. B.My Father’s Secret.

C.Terrible Journey Home. D.Riding Bus Alone.

假定你是李华，你的好友Jack是来自英国的一位交换生，即将在你市某中学学习半年时间。他想了解并学习中国画，最近来信希望你给他推荐一位美术老师。请根据下面的要点提示，给对方写一封回信。内容包括：

1.简介中国画；

2.帮助联系指导老师。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Nusrat lives with her ten-year-old son, Ben. However，the rent kept increasing but the income gains don't change. He has struggled to find the means to buy for Ben a home that he deserves. For years, she has dreamed of giving

Ben the room he needs to run and plays just like other kids. Lucky, now thanks to the local government, they will have new house later this year.

Not only will their new house be twice as large as their current living place, and it will also come at half the month cost of their current apartment. Nusrat is exciting to finally start saving for her son's education, healthy and well-being.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Ava Kopecky enjoyed her visit to the Disneyland Hotel last Sunday. And she 1. (present) with the Girl Scout Medal of Honor at a ceremony there for saving the life of a kid she did not know. Ava and her friends 2. (play) near the water at Woodbridge North Lake when she heard a boy crying for help. Ava was not 3. strong swimmer, but her quick thinking led her to find and extend a large stick to pull the boy and save him from 4. (drown). She then took him to the 5. (safe) and helped him reunite with his mother. Vikki Shepp, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Orange County, presented the award 6. Ava，''Girl Scouts is prepared to do 7. (meaning) things. We are very proud of Ava's actions, which 8. (exact) reflected the Girl Scout Promise to help people at all times. '' For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts of America has celebrated girls 9. actions saved the lives of others. Today, the Meritorious Service Awards are awarded to the children aged from 5 to 17 who attempt 10. (help) save a life under dangerous circumstances，regardless of risk to their own lives.

    One day a few years ago, Mike was walking to class when he came across a Be The Match sign-up table and the organization caught his interest.

The staff told him what the organization did, how they _______ individuals who have blood diseases and may be in need of bone marrow (骨髓) donations，and just how _______ it was to sign up. Then he signed up right _______.

Mike always hoped he would _______ someone. However, he knew that the _______ of doing so were slim _______ his mother had been on the registry for 25 years without a match.

Yet almost a year later, Mike got the call and _______ additional testing in the hospital recommended by Be The Match, and learned he was a (n) _______ match. Months later, he went back to the _______，donating bone marrow to a little girl he had never ________.

''You could be the potential ________ for someone across the world, '' he says. ''For me, I can only think I would make ________ to help the little girl to have a ________ life so that she won't be tortured (使受煎熬) by diseases. '' Thousands of miles away, Adriana's mother was longing to thank Mike ________. However，donors (捐赠者) and recipients aren't ________ to have any contact for at least a year after the operation. Then, if both parties agree, the organization will share ________. One year after Adriana's operation, her mother reached out in full force.

The staff ________ a reunion for Mike and Adriana. And the little girl broke into tears of ________ before her hero even arrived. She knew she wouldn't be there without Mike, s donation.

It’s a heartwarming example of an ordinary man ________ out a total stranger, and in doing so, Mike has ________ millions more to sign up for the bone marrow registry.

1.A.assisted B.learned about C.employed D.called in

2.A.lucky B.easy C.different D.hard

3.A.out of favor B.on the spot C.at first sight D.on the contrary

4.A.treat B.attract C.match D.accompany

5.A.conditions B.reasons C.ways D.chances

6.A.if B.as C.until D.while

7.A.went in for B.fit in with C.attached to D.focused on

8.A.false B.artificial C.perfect D.similar

9.A.hospital B.organization C.school D.table

10.A.touched B.recognized C.met D.forgotten

11.A.cure B.doctor C.partner D.teacher

12.A.improvements B.appointments C.efforts D.excuses

13.A.beautiful B.healthy C.meaningful D.comfortable

14.A.generally B.shortly C.finally D.personally

15.A.demanded B.permitted C.informed D.told

16.A.energy B.hopes C.money D.names

17.A.exchanged B.expected C.arranged D.called

18.A.concern B.fright C.sympathy D.gratitude

19.A.helping B.pointing C.figuring D.sorting

20.A.warned B.shown C.donated D.inspired

    Having roommates can sometimes be challenging. 1. It can be said, though, that nearly all issues are based on one roommate's lack of consideration for another.

Considerate people usually have consideration for others simply because it seems like the best thing to do. On the contrary, inconsiderate people usually don't think of themselves as such. 2. This can consequently cause major upset in the atmosphere of a room.

Not all roommates have the same daily schedule, so a common problem that roommates have to deal with is noise. It can be hard to coordinate a time for noise and a time for quiet. One may want to study and the other may want to play music. 3.

In the shared areas of the room, problems can arise in terms of how much space one or another roommate claims for himself. 4. This kind of space issue is often repeated in the refrigerator and other areas where each roommate needs an equal amount of space.

5. Although not all problems can be overcome easily, having discussions can sometimes prevent an issue from becoming a major point of tension in the room. For example, sometimes the solution to a problem with space is as simple as a verbal (言语的) exchange of views the problem.

A.There are certain things that roommates may decide not to share.

B.For example, one may take all the shared space for his or her own.

C.This can greatly contribute to the pleasure of living with roommates.

D.And it's hard to explain to these people that they are acting in inconsiderate manners.

E.So it's common that many people experience tough problems when living with others.

F.And one may have friends come over for a talk when the other is sick and trying to rest,

G.Open communication is the best way to come up with a solution to the above problems.

    Look on almost any street comer in America and you will see a fast food shop, the McDonald’s. Did you ever wonder why the McDonald's is so successful everywhere you go?

It certainly doesn't lie in the price of the food or the customer service there. If you stop for lunch at an airport McDonald's，half the continent away, the meal will be almost the same as the lunch you could order at the McDonald's that's closest to your home. What's more, anytime you eat at a McDonald's, you may feel nostalgia (怀旧之情)because the tastes are so similar to your first Happy Meal when you were a child.

The success of the McDonald's, which truly set the stage for other franchise (特许经销权) businesses all over the world, is owed to Ray Kroc. Ray，in 1954, partnered with Dick and Maurice McDonald, the founding brothers behind the first McDonald’s restaurant，to make this small restaurant a nationwide sensation (轰动). Ray's pushing the McDonald's farther than the founders proves an important concept in leadership: the Law of the Lid (盖子法则). The higher the person's ability to lead, the higher the lid on his or her potential.

The McDonald brothers understood how to run a business. They were excellent managers, but when they tried marketing the McDonald's concept, they failed. Their thinking patterns in leadership limited the lid of their potential on the level of what they can do or become. In contrast, the lid of potential in Ray's life was sky high due to his leadership. Between 1955 and 1959, he succeeded in opening 100 McDonald's restaurants. Today the company has more than 35,000 locations in over 120 countries around the world!

If you can get a handle on this law, you will see the unbelievable effect of leadership on every aspect of your life or your company. Wherever you look, you can find smart people who are only able to go so far because of the limitations of their leadership. That's why in times of trouble, organizations naturally look for new leadership. To lift the lid on your potential, continue your study of leadership.

1.What is most probably the key to the McDonald's success?

A.Its fair price. B.Its consistency in food.

C.Its Happy Meal for children. D.Its warm and friendly service.

2.What can we know about Ray Kroc?

A.He opened the first McDonald's.

B.He made the most popular food in the McDonald's.

C.He set up various stages for guests in the McDonald's.

D.He expanded the McDonald's into a worldwide business.

3.Which of the following statements will the author agree with?

A.Ray Kroc lacked a strong sense of effectiveness and leadership.

B.A person's leadership determines the potential of his business.

C.The lid on the McDonald brothers' potential is fairly high.

D.An excellent manager is also good at marketing.

4.What's the best title of the text?

A.Leadership counts B.Ways to realize our potential

C.Popularity of the McDonald's D.Secrets of running a business

    As technology in the security field advances, so does the intelligence of the burglars in prevailing over this technology. Gone are the days when a simple alarm system, connected to your phone line, was enough to protect you from potential security risks.

Cellular alarm systems (蜂窝报警系统)are a replacement of the traditional wired phone line security networks. These systems work just like your cell phone. A cellular module is placed in the main control panel and it sends signals, without the use of wires, to the monitoring station. The cellular signal is sent via the data part of a cellular signal, much like a text message.

Sensors can be placed anywhere in your house. Whenever there is an emergency, the relevant sensor picks up the unusual activity and sends a cellular signal to the main control panel. The control panel serves more than one purpose, which sends a cellular signal at the same time to the monitoring service at the back end. The monitoring service later informs the relevant authorities in the form of high-pitched sirens (高音警笛声). Typically it takes a few minutes for emergency services to arrive at the scene. Depending on the efficiency of your monitoring service and the local authorities, help should arrive soon and deal with the potential threats.

It allows you to monitor your house remotely. All you have to do is simply access the cameras from your phone and keep a check for any unusual activities while you are not around. With cellular technology securing your house, you don’t have to worry about the power failure or even burglars cutting your phone lines.

Since these systems operate on batteries, you should be careful about when the batteries die out. There might be other appliances including microwave ovens and WiFi in the house that can cause disruption (干扰). Ensure that your cellular alarm system's range is not affected by the presence of these appliances. Many homeowners tend to go for wireless systems due to the ease of installation (安装）factor. However，keep in mind that a non-professional installation might actually leave the system easy to damage.

1.What do the underlined words ''prevailing over'' mean in Paragraph 1?

A.Improving. B.Defeating.

C.Worrying about. D.Looking into.

2.How can the authorities know an emergency is happening?

A.They hear high-pitched sirens.

B.They read the cellular signal.

C.They check the control panel online.

D.They notice the unusual activity via sensors.

3.What can we know about the cellular alarm system?

A.It looks like a phone. B.It is energy-saving.

C.It needs to be improved. D.It is wireless.

4.What's the purpose of the last paragraph?

A.To give cautions about the system.

B.To introduce the benefits of the system.

C.To call on people to watch out for security risks.

D.To teach people to install the system correctly.

    On the morning of July 4, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Southern California, destroying roads and sending people fleeing to safety. But that wasn't all the Earth had in store: Less than a day and a half later, a powerful magnitude7. I earthquake shook again. While earthquakes are not unexpected, the two most recent earthquakes are the largest that have struck this area in at least two decades. And a series of large and small aftershocks are expected on the way.

The two earthquakes struck in what's known as the Eastern California shear zone, where the Pacific Plate crushed against the North American Plate. The recent events occurred when two blocks of Earth moved side by side.

They seemed to have occurred along the same set of faults (断层)lying in an area known as the Little Lake fault zone-in most circumstances, earthquakes hit in a familiar order: There's a large earthquake followed by a series of smaller events. That's because the movement that occurs during a large earthquake causes increased force in the surrounding area.

But things are quite different in some circumstances, such as the recent pair of earthquakes in California, a relatively large earthquake just being the forerunner for an even bigger event. While the difference between 7.1 and 6.4 may seem minor，magnitude is a logarithmic (对数的) scale. An increase of a unit of magnitude is about 32 times more energy, which means that the energy the second earthquake released is roughly 11 times that of the first one.

''Fortunately, no deaths or major injuries were reported, '' says Bohon, an earthquake geologist. ''It was in a fairly unpopulated area, although a lot of people felt it'' She suggests people who live in earthquake-prone (地震频发的)areas check how prepared they are for the next event. And she also hopes that the earthquake early warning system can play a good role in saving tens of thousands of lives and schools will popularize the knowledge of geological (地质的) disasters among students.

1.What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?

A.The first earthquake was predicted before its occurrence.

B.The two big earthquakes hit the same area within one day.

C.The aftershocks are even more dangerous than the first two earthquakes.

D.The second earthquake is the largest one in Southern California since 2000.

2.What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A.The introduction of Eastern California shear zone.

B.The forming process of the Little Lake fault zone.

C.The geological facts about the two big earthquakes.

D.The potential disasters caused by plate movement.

3.The recent two earthquakes represent an unusual circumstance in the way that.

A.a major earthquake is followed by a larger one

B.there is a minor difference in their magnitude

C.the two earthquakes release a similar amount of energy

D.a series of smaller earthquakes occur in the surrounding areas

4.What contributes to the good point of the two Southern California earthquakes?

A.The popularization of earthquake knowledge in schools.

B.Peopled good preparation made in advance.

C.Small populations in the earthquake-hit area.

D.The earthquake early warning system.