No one knows yet the _ number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire .But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred . A wall of flames fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria . Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes . People are rushing excitedly into the streets . The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so . The cause of the fire is unknown . No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months , and the hot , north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour . The firefighters are travelling to the fire by road , rail and air . But it is not easy to get there . Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines . The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips . It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War . The writer wrote this article mainly to tell people _ . A) the fire was terrible and dangerous B) it was impossible to put out the fire C) more than one hundred people died of the fire D) to join in the fight against the fire
A
London's newest skyscraper is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better. The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire * He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren't regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin,sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts of the ships that were once on the river Thames. The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices. Before building work began, a lot of people didn't want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city. Other critics don't like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor. The... Which would be the best title for the passage? A) The Shard: Cheers and Claps B) The Shard: Work of a Great Architect C) The Shard: New Symbol of London? D) The Shard: A Change for the Better?
D
Q: It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we're also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn't even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium.These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness . When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body. This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers.Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium. But Pace said that they _ few threats to the health.Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry.He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought.He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning. But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms , he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months. However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles , which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train's movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels. Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist attack. What contributes to fresh air in US subways? A) The train's movement. B) Iron particles. C) Train wheels. D) Air conditioners on the trains.
A: A
Most people hate change, which is sad since we often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard? Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry. But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don't know how those changes will affect our future. People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible . When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job. When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don't merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it's up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. Why did the building of the Eiffel Tower make the Parisians unhappy? A) Because they didn't like the design of the Eiffel Tower. B) Because they couldn't avoid accepting the Eiffel Tower. C) Because it was no use building the Eiffel Tower. D) Because the Eiffel Tower seemed strange.
B