A
NEW YORK—A massive winter storm paralyzed much of the U．S.East Coast on Thursday and Friday，
dumping as much as 46 centimeters of snow from the Carolinas to Maine.It also caused flooding on the streets of Boston due to swelling storm tides，forced the cancellation of nearly 5，000 flights and closed businesses，offices and schools.
Some meteorologists(气象学家)classified the storm as a “bomb cyclone” for its sharp drop in atmospheric pressure would be followed immediately by a blast of cold air that could break records in more than two dozen cities and bring wind chills as low as－40°C during the weekend.
From Baltimore，Maryland，to Caribou in Maine，efforts were underway to clear roadways of ice and snow as wind chill temperatures were to plunge during the day，reaching－40°C in some parts after sundown，according to the National Weather Service.
Utility companies across the East worked to repair downed power lines early on Friday as about 21，000 customers remained without electricity，down from almost 80，000 the day before，and issued warnings that temperatures may become dangerously low.
“If the temperature in your home begins to fall，we recommend taking shelter elsewhere until service can be restored.You can find warming centers by contacting local authorities，” National Grid power company，which serves Massachusetts，said on Twitter.
Airlines canceled 4，000 flights on Thursday and hundreds more on Friday，according to FlightAware.com，an online tracking service.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said it could feel like－30°C on Friday and Saturday nights with the wind chill.“This is a serious，serious storm，and may be the most severe in 2018，” he said at a news conference.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the southern part of the state，while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency for several counties.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇新闻报道。大规模的暴风雪于周四和周五袭击了美国东海岸，给当地的生产和生活造成了严重影响。
1．Which of the following is NOT the consequence of the massive winter storm?
A．Breakdown of the U．S.coast.
B．Flooding in Boston.
C．Cancellation of nearly 5，000 flights.
D．Closure in business，offices，and schools.
A [细节理解题。根据第一段第二句可知，受暴风雪的影响，波士顿暴发了洪水，近5 000架航班被迫取消，企业、办公楼和学校也被迫关闭。只有A项没有被提到，故选A。]
2．Why did some meteorologists classify this winter storm as “bomb cyclone”？
A．Because it will cause changeable atmospheric pressure.
B.Because the scale of this storm could break records in lots of cities.
C．Because of the deadly and destructive effects of this storm.
D．Because of the extremely cold air and the wind chills in this storm.
D [细节理解题。根据第二段可知，一些气象专家将此类风暴归为“炸弹气旋”的原因是气压急剧下降，随后还会有一股冷空气到来，打破了20多座城市的记录，导致周末时气温低至－40°C。故选D。]
3．Which of the following best explains the underlined word “plunge” in Para.3?
A．decline steadily B．drop dramatically
C．fluctuate violently D．fall moderately
B [词义猜测题。根据第三段可知，一些地区的风寒温度在日落后会降到－40°C。据此可知，画线词的含义为“突然下降”，故选B。]
4．About the rescue work，which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
A．People were making great efforts to rid roadways of ice and snow.
B．About 101 thousand people were left without electricity on Thursday.
C．Residents can stay in warming centers until heating service is restored.
D．Aviation service hasn't been brought back to normal yet until Friday.
B [细节理解题。根据第三段可知，人们正在加紧清理路面上的冰雪，故排除A项；根据第五段前两句可知，在供暖服务恢复之前，居民可以住在供暖中心，故排除C项；根据第六段可知，航班服务仍然没有恢复正常，故排除D项。根据第四段内容可知，周五早些时候，电力公司在努力修复被击落的电线，当时大约有21 000家没有电，比前一天的大约80 000家少，故可知周四没有电的不是101 000家。故选B。]
