A.
At about 3:00 am on July 28, 1976, some people saw bright lights in the sky. The sound of planes could be heard outside the city of Tangshan even when no planes were in the sky. In the city, the water pipes in some buildings cracked and burst. But the one million people of the city, who thought little of these events, were asleep as usual that night.
At 3:42 am everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world was at an end! Eleven kilometers directly below the city one of the greatest earthquakes of the 20th century had begun. It was felt in Beijing, which is more than two hundred kilometers away. One-third of the nation felt it. A huge crack that was eight kilometers long and thirty meters wide cut across houses, roads and canals. Steam burst from holes in the ground. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay in ruins. The suffering of the people was extreme. Two-thirds of them died or were injured during the earthquake. Thousands of families were killed and many children were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or seriously injured reached more than 400,000.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. A big earthquake destroyed the city of Tangshan.
B. A great shake and a huge crack.
C. The suffering of people.
D. The number of people killed or injured.
2. What time did the earthquake begin?
A. At about 3:00 am. B. At about a quarter to four in the morning
C. At early night D. After people getting up
3. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Beijing is more than two hundred kilometres away from Hebei.
B. The huge crack was seven kilometres long.
C. Hundreds of families were killed.
D. In a very short time a large city became ruins.
