Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.

1. 1.

   Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The water in Badwater is 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
   2. B.
      The highest air temperature in summer can reach as high as 74℃.
   3. C.
      The ground has been pushed up violently by explosions of volcanoes.
   4. D.
      There might have been marine lives living in Death Valley.
2. 2.

   Why were some people killed by Death Valley?

   1. A.
      Because they didn’t respect Death Valley and thus they were punished.
   2. B.
      Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter.
   3. C.
      Because they were not careful enough to take with them what they needed.
   4. D.
      Because several volcanoes erupted and caused huge explosions.
3. 3.

   The underlined word “twisted” in Paragraph 4 most possibly mean ______.

   1. A.
      bent and turned
   2. B.
      created and developed
   3. C.
      built and shaped
   4. D.
      changed and ruined
4. 4.

   The purpose of the article is to _______.

   1. A.
      encourage people to visit Death Valley, a beautiful national park in America
   2. B.
      warn people not to visit Death Valley because it is quite dangerous there
   3. C.
      introduce to us readers a special national park in America, Death Valley
   4. D.
      raise money for the protection of Death Valley because it is in danger now

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”——the land of fire．Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849 when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story．Today Death Valley has been declared a Notional Monument (纪念碑) and is crossed by several well - marked roads where good services can be found easily．Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

    Here nature created a lot of surprising scenes, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors．One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams．Sand sculptures (沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1．________ is the lowest place in the desert.

A．Tomesha

B．Death Valley

C．Nevada

D．Radwater

2．The name of the valley comes from ________ .

A．an Indian name

B．the death of the miners

C．the local people

D．a National Movement

3．From the passage we can learn that ________.

A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C．people can find gas stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

4．Devil Gold Course is famous for ________ .

A．the frequent wind

B．the colors of the sand

C．dream- like sight

D．the sand sculptures

5．From the passage we can see that the writer ________ the Death Valley.

A．．makes Britain a good area for wild animals

B．is fearful of

C．dislikes

D．is tired of

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place Tomesha—the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849 when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure ended with a disaster. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the changes created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

Here nature created a lot of surprising scenes, almost like the sights on the moon, every changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures（泥雕）stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1.The name of the valley comes from ________.

    A. an Indian name

    B.the local people

    C.a National Monument

D.the death of the miners

2. From the passage we can learn that ________.

    A. people can find gas stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

    B.no one had ever known the desert before the miners

    C.it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

D.people have changed the natural sights of the desert

3. From the passage we can see the writer ________ the Death Valley.

    A.is fearful of

    B.appreciates

    C.dislikes

    D.has never been to

Death valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali（碱性）sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and bad water, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and it is the lowest point in the United States.

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place Tomesha—the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849 when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure ended with a disaster. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the changes created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

Here nature created a lot of surprising scenes, almost like the sights on the moon, every changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures（泥雕）stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1.The name of the valley comes from ________.

    A. an Indian name

    B.the local people

    C.a National Monument

D.the death of the miners

2. From the passage we can learn that ________.

    A. people can find gas stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

    B.no one had ever known the desert before the miners

    C.it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

D.people have changed the natural sights of the desert

3. From the passage we can see the writer ________ the Death Valley.

    A.is fearful of

    B.appreciates

    C.dislikes

    D.has never been to

    Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali (碱性的) sand．Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Radwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest, point in the United States.

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”——the land of fire．Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849 when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story．Today Death Valley has been declared a Notional Monument (纪念碑) and is crossed by several well - marked roads where good services can be found easily．Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

    Here nature created a lot of surprising scenes, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors．One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams．Sand sculptures (沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1．________ is the lowest place in the desert.

A．Tomesha

B．Death Valley

C．Nevada

D．Radwater

2．The name of the valley comes from ________ .

A．an Indian name

B．the death of the miners

C．the local people

D．a National Movement

3．From the passage we can learn that ________.

A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C．people can find gas stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

4．Devil Gold Course is famous for ________ .

A．the frequent wind

B．the colors of the sand

C．dream- like sight

D．the sand sculptures

5．From the passage we can see that the writer ________ the Death Valley.

A．appreciates

B．is fearful of

C．dislikes

D．is tired of

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand．Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States．

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire．Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story．Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily．Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place．

    Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors．One of the most astonishing and colorful parts of Death Valley is the Devil’s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from dreams．Sand sculptures stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen．

The present name of the valley comes from _______．

       A．an Indian name           B．the death of the miners  

       C．the local people             D．a National Movement

From the passage we can learn that _______．

       A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

       B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

       C．people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

       D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

The Devil’s Golf Course is famous for _______．

       A．the terrible sights    B．the moon-like sights

       C．dream-like sights    D．the ever-changing sights

From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley．

         A．appreciates      B．is fearful of         C．dislikes      D．is tired of

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.     

Long ago, the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

    Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

_______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A. Tomesha                         B. Death Valley

C. Nevada                           D. Badwater

The name of the valley comes from _______.

A. an Indian name                      B. the death of the miners

C. the local people                      D. a National Movement

From the passage we can learn that _______.

A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B. it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert

Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A. the frequent wind            B. the colors of the sand

C. dream-like sights             D. the sand sculptures

From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A. appreciates                     B. is fearful of

C. dislikes                           D. is tired of

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.

    Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

    Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1. _______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A. Tomesha                         B. Death Valley

C. Nevada                           D. Badwater

2. The name of the valley comes from _______.

A. an Indian name                      B. the death of the miners

C. the local people                      D. a National Movement

3. From the passage we can learn that _______.

A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B. it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert

4. Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A. the frequent wind            B. the colors of the sand

C. dream-like sights             D. the sand sculptures

5. From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A. appreciates                     B. is fearful of

C. dislikes                           D. is tired of

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.
About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.
So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”
In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.
One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”
【小题1】The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared（宣告）a National Monument（纪念碑）and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprise, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent（频繁的）wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most surprising and variable（多变的）parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures（沙雕）stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
【小题1】.. _______ is the lowest place in the desert.

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.
The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.
Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.
The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled to the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley.  They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.
The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the Valley, Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, "Good -bye, death valley. ” The name has never been changed.
Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.
The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty. by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.
【小题1】 The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s ________.

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place "Tomesha"-- the land of fire. Death Valley's present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and colorful parts of Death Valley is the Devil's Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from dreams. Sand sculptures stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
1. The name of the valley comes from__________ .
A. an Indian name                              B. the death of the miners
C. the local people                              D. a National Movement
2. From the passage we can learn that__________.
A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners
B. it's still not easy to travel across the desert
C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert
D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert
3. The Devil's Golf Course is famous for__________ .
A. the terrible sights                            B. the moon-like sights
C. dream-like sights                             D. the ever-changing sights
4. From the passage we can see that the writer__________the Death Valley.
A. appreciates         B. is fearful of           C. dislikes          D. is tired of

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold      during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.
The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.                                                                     
Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.
The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled Lo the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, hut there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.
The people could not find a pass through the call mountains to the west of the Valley. Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, “Good -bye, death valley.”  The name has never been changed.
Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.
The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.
【小题1】The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s               ．

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold      during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.
The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.                                                                     
Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.
The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled Lo the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, hut there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.
The people could not find a pass through the call mountains to the west of the Valley. Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, “Good -bye, death valley.”  The name has never been changed.
Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.
The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.
【小题1】The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s               ．

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold      during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.

The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.                                                                     

Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.

The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled Lo the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, hut there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.

The people could not find a pass through the call mountains to the west of the Valley. Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, “Good -bye, death valley.”  The name has never been changed.

Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.

The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.

1.The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s               ．

A．geography         B．climate           C．location           D．size

2.The volcanoes mentioned in the third paragraph proved          ．

A．a valley that is formed by explosions

B．a place where volcanoes are still active

C．a good example of the violence of nature

D．a symbol of rock formations in history

3.The woman who named Death Valley intended to             ．

A．explore the mystery of the valley

B．find an area with plants for animals

C．experience the terrible heat of summer

D．look for gold in California

4.If the passage continues, it will be about             . 

A．the truth about Scotty's Castle

B．why Spanish built the castle

C．when the castle was built

D．where the castle lies in

5.The main idea of the passage is about          ．

A．the interesting place in Death Valley

B．the facts about Death Valley

C．the origin of Death Valley

D．the route to visit Death Valley

Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.

The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.

Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.

The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled to the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley.  They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.

The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the Valley, Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, "Good -bye, death valley. ” The name has never been changed.

Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.

The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty. by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.

1. The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s ________.

2.The volcanoes mentioned in the third paragraph proved ________.

3.The woman who named Death Valley intended to ________.

4.If the passage continues, it will be about ________.

5.The main idea of the passage is about ________.

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.

About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.

So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”

In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.

One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”

1.The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.

2.What does the underlined word “ hardiest” in Paragraph 4 mean?

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.

Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place "Tomesha"-- the land of fire. Death Valley's present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.

Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and colorful parts of Death Valley is the Devil's Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from dreams. Sand sculptures stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1. The name of the valley comes from__________ .

A. an Indian name                              B. the death of the miners

C. the local people                              D. a National Movement

2. From the passage we can learn that__________.

A. no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B. it's still not easy to travel across the desert

C. people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D. people have changed the natural sight of the desert

3. The Devil's Golf Course is famous for__________ .

A. the terrible sights                            B. the moon-like sights

C. dream-like sights                             D. the ever-changing sights

4. From the passage we can see that the writer__________the Death Valley.

A. appreciates         B. is fearful of           C. dislikes          D. is tired of