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 本文讲的是美国圣加布里埃尔山发生森林火灾,现消防队已控制火势.本次火灾导致多座房屋被毁,导致多人无家可归.现纵火嫌疑人已被捕.
解答 61.C.细节理解题.仔细阅读全文可知第一段是一个总起段,介绍了本文的主题.主题为消防队已控制基本火势,这一火灾迫使千人离开自己的家园.故选C.
62.D.细节理解题.根据文中第一段中"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,"可推知一开始时火焰燃烧得非常旺.故选D.
63.D.细节理解题.根据文中最后一段"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,"推知是露营时的篝火导致的.故选D.
64.C.词义猜测题.swept---扫;burst---爆发;fled---逃离; endangered---濒危的;根据后文"Glendora residents were allowed to return home Thursday evening,but homes in Azusa remained under evacuation orders."人们已被疏散,已离开火灾地域.故选C.
65.B.细节理解题.根据文中最后一段中"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.",他们被怀疑与火灾有关,所以被捕.故选B.
点评 本文是新闻报道类阅读理解文章,阅读此类文章主要是要了解:
①新闻报道了什么事件;②事件是因为什么而发生的,相关背景如何;③文段中指出的事件发生过程中的突出细节是 什么;④事件造成的后果是什么;⑤事件的本质是什么,透过事件的表面现象,我们看到了什么社会问题.通过这样的梳理,我们就可以把新闻的脉络理清楚.这类材料命题点往往落在事实细节上