三、阅读理解（请将答案填在答题区内  A.B部分每题1分，C部分每题2分   共20分）

A

　　Scientists think that a weather pattern（形式）called El Nino（厄尔尼诺现象）caused the drought in Australia.El Nino causes different weather in different parts of the world.It causes a lot of rain and floods in some places.It causes droughts in other places.Droughts can badly affect people and the land.El Nino lasts about a year.

　　In normal weather conditions warm winds from South America blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean.The winds carry storms to Australia.These storms bring rain to Australia.

　　During  El Nino weather pattern, the winds change direction.They blow from west to east across the Pacific Ocean.The storms no longer move across Australia.So Australia gets very little  rain during El Nino.

　　The drought began in January,1982.El Nino often occurs at this time of year.But that year, El Nino was stronger than usual.There was very little rainfall（降雨量）in eastern Australia.There  was also very little water in the rivers.The drought was at its worst in February,1983.At that time,the weather was very hot.The forests and fields were very dry.Cotton growers couldn't plant their cotton.Sheep farmers had no grass for their animals to eat.So many of them died.Because the  forests were dry.forest fires started quickly.Some of the fires burned for a month.Many forests were destroyed.Over 2,000 people lost their houses in the fires and 75 people died.

　　The Australian drought of 1982-1983 affected thousands of people and animals.The drought cost the country over$3,000,000,000.It was a reminder（提示）to Australians of how the weather could change their lives.

　　（    ）21.From the passage we know El Nino is      .

　　A. a powerful storm                B. a weather pattern

　　C. a place in Australia              D. a name of a scientist

　　（    ）22.The underlined word “droughts” in the passage means “      ” in Chinese

　　A. 洪水           B. 降雨         C. 干旱        D. 风暴

　　（    ）       C.                   D.

　　（    ）24. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　　A .The Australian government paid over$3,000,000,000 for this drought. B. Usually the wind blows from west to east across the Pacific Ocean.

　　C. El Nino always causes droughts in different parts of the world

　　D. The Australian drought lasted more than one year.

　　（    ）25. What's the main idea of the passage?

　　A. El Nino caused a great drought in Australia.

　　B. A drought happened in South America.

　　C. Australia got much rain during El Nino.

　　D. The weather changes a lot in Australia.

　　B

　　CHILDREN'S  BOOKSHELF

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　　Black Baby, White Hands: A View From the Crib

　　by Dr. Jaiya John

　　Soul Water Rising. May 2005

　　$ 17. ISBN 0-971-33081-6

　　The author is a young African American who was adopted （收养） from the crib（婴儿床） by a white family in New Mexico in the 1970s. Dr, John tells about his feelings as he was trying to understand how best to deal with them.

　　Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life

　　by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated（插图） by Kadir Nelson

　　Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, January 2005

　　$ 16.95. ISBN 0-689-86866-9

　　Ages 5-10

　　Hewitt is everything his parents could want in a son. But there's just one problem-he's very, very small while other members of his family are all proud giants（巨人）。 But it turns out that Hewitt's great, big character is all he really needs.

　　26.  Is Jaiya John from Mexico or from American?

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　　27.  When was the book Black Baby, White Hands: A View From the Crib published?

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　　28.  How much does the book Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life cost?

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　　29.  Who illustrated the book Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life?

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　　30.  Is Hewitt a proud giant?

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