本文作者： 21ST
1

Today was the day for trying the new boat on the river. Nella jumped out of bed, got dressed quickly and woke up her brother Jed.

After 1 Nella and Jed arrived at the riverbank and 2 the new blue boat waiting for them. They got into the boat and packed their picnic under the 3 . Nella started the engine and 4 they went into the wide, brown and unknown 5 of the river.

But as they turned a bend in the river, the boat made a 6 sound. On the distant sandbank they saw a long dark creature 7 in the sun. It opened one eye at them and then suddenly disappeared into the 8 .

“What was that?” shouted Jed.

“It looked like a crocodile to me!” said Nella. “We’d better be 9 .”

As they came round the next 10 , the engine 11 and came to a stop. Nella 12 to start the engine again. But it wouldn’t start. They were 13 . “Let’s get the wooden oars,” said Jed. “Maybe we can push the boat free.”

They tried but failed.

“We’re stuck on a 14 ,” said Nella. “We’ll just have to sit here, have our 15 and wait for the water to 16 .”

“It’s boring!” said Jed.

Suddenly, they felt the boat move. It moved slowly off the sandbank. And the engine started again. At the same time they noticed a black 17 by the boatside. In no time it had disappeared into the brown water ahead.

They 18 their journey down the river. It was so exciting.

At noon they saw a small river 19 off from the main course. It wasn’t on the map. “Let’s 20 in there!” said Nella. The boat turned into the smaller channel. On both sides grew thick unknown trees.

1. A. meal B. breakfast C. dinner D. lunch

2. A. realized B. discovered C. found D. thought

3. A. sun B. boat C. fire D. seat

4. A. away B. around C. on D. up

5. A. flow B. flood C. direction D. position

6. A. smooth B. normal C. strange D. bad

7. A. walking B. lying C. running D. shining

8. A. sands B. woods C. air D. water

9. A. serious B. brave C. careful D. slow

10. A. bend B. river C. animal D. boat

11. A. put out B. broke down C. gave up D. got off

12. A. planned B. managed C. arranged D. tried

13. A. stuck B. delayed C. stopped D. kept

14. A. river B. creature C. sandbank D. stone

15. A. rest B. picnic C. sightseeing D. fun

16. A. fall B. come C. rise D. run

17. A. snake B. fish C. cloud D. figure

18. A. continued B. started C. ended D. went

19. A. separating B. leading C. dividing D. leaving

20. A. observe B. watch C. explore D. play

2

Nowadays the whole world is worrying about one danger – global warming. In fact the earth began to warm up a long time ago. 1 , not all of us seem to realize it.

One day around 30 years ago, the nine million citizens of London heard sirens (a loud noise of warning made by a special machine) all over town. Emergency services, 2 , police, doctors and nurses 3 by, ready to go into action. In railway and underground stations, people read posters and 4 , telling them where to go and 5 to do in the emergency. This was Exercise Floodcall. London wasn’t flooded yet. But it is 6 that it will be.

In 1236 and 1663 London was 7 flooded. In 1928, quite a 8 people living in Westminster in the heart of London 9 in floods. Again in 1953, 100 people living on the eastern 10 of the city, the London suburbs, were killed again in the floods.

At last, the Greater London Council (市政厅), took action to 11 this disaster from happening again. But the flood walls were not built until the 1980s. And in the 12 , Londoners had to be 13 . If London does flood, 50 underground stations go underwater. Electricity, gas and phone services will be out of action. 14 will be impassable. It will be impossible to 15 any of the bridges between North and South London. 16 – London will look like Venice.

But Exercise Floodcall didn’t cause 17 among Londoners. Most people knew it was just a 18 . One comment from a lady who was 19 along the Embankment when the sirens sounded was, “It’s a flood warning, isn’t it? The water doesn’t look 20 to me.”

1. A. Yet B. So C. Instead D. Otherwise

2. A. soldiers B. firefighters C. engineers D. repairmen

3. A. hurried B. went C. watched D. stood

4. A. books B. magazines C. maps D. dictionaries

5. A. what B. how C. why D. which

6. A. believable B. true C. natural D. possible

7. A. easily B. heavily C. strongly D. poorly

8. A. many B. few C. lots D. plenty

9. A. escaped B. killed C. survived D. drowned

10. A. edge B. area C. part D. district

11. A. resist B. keep C. prevent D. object

12. A. future B. past C. meantime D. end

13. A. delighted B. prepared C. frightened D. encouraged

14. A. Roads B. Power C. Messages D. Traffic

15. A. see B. pass C. build D. cross

16. A. Guess B. Remember C. Consider D. Imagine

17. A. panic B. attention C. notice D. care

18. A. design B. plan C. warning D. joke

19. A. living B. walking C. working D. studying

20. A. deep B. high C. shallow D. wide

（答案解析见B11版）