California is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature, sort of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another.
People living in Bakersfield, for instance, can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain, the fertile San Joaquin Valley, the arid Mojave Desert, and the high Sierra Nevada, all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day, without having to travel long distance.
Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States (outside Alaska ) is in California, and so is the lowest point (including Alaska). Mount Whitney, 14,494 feet above sea level, is separated from Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level, by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles.
California has deep, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe, the deepest in the country, but it also has shallow, salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo, 12,020 feet above sea level, and the lowest lake in the country, the Salton Sea, 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes, like Owens Lake in Death Valley, are not lakes at all: they are driedup lake beds.In addition to mountains, lakes, valleys, deserts, and plateaus, California has its Pacific coastline, stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.
1. Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States?
A. Lake Tulainyo.B. Mojave desert.
C. Death Valley.D. The Salton Sea.
2. Where is the highest point in the United States located?
A. Lake Tahoe.B. Sierra Nevada.
C. Mount Whitney.D. Alaska.
3. How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney?
A. About 3 miles.B. Only 100 miles.
C. 282 feet. D. 14,494 feet.
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as being within a radius of about 100 miles of Bakersfield?
A. The Pacific Ocean.
B. San Joaquin Valley.
C. Mojave Desert.
D. Oregon and Washington.
5. Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast
A. The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.
B. It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having to travel long distance.
C. Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean all lie within a radius of about 100 miles.
D. Owens Lake, in Death Valley, is not really a lake at all.
答案及解析
1. C) 这是一道细节题。根据第三段所给的海拔高度，可知美国最低点在death valley。
2. D)此题很容易误选为C，这是因为第三段提到Mount Whitney的海拔高度;但是要注意此段第二句提到美国最高点时在括号中补充说明这个最高点是在Alaska以外的。这就说明美国的海拔最高点不是Mount Whitney，而是位于Alaska。
3. B)这是一道细节题。根据第三段可找出答案。
4. D)根据第二段可知答案。
5. C)文中说加利福尼亚是一个地貌多样，富于变化的地方，而选项C是一个最突出的例子。