PeoplelivingonpartsofthesouthcoastofEnglandfaceaseriousproblem.In1993,theownersofalargehotelandofseveralhousesdiscovered,totheirhorror,thattheirgardenshaddisappearedovernight.Theseahadeatenintothesoftlimestonecliffsonwhichtheyhadbeenbuilt.Whileexpertswerestudyingtheproblem,thehotelandseveralhousesdisappearedaltogether,slidingdownthecliffandintothesea.
Erosion(侵蚀)ofthewhitecliffsalongthesouthcoastofEnglandhasalwaysbeenaproblembutithasbecomemoreseriousinrecentyears.Dozensofhomeshavehadtobeabandonedastheseahascreptfartherandfartherinland.Expertshavestudiedtheareasmostaffectedandhavedrawnupamapforlocalpeople,forecastingtheyearinwhichtheirhomeswillbeswallowedupbythehungrysea.
AngryownershavecalledontheGovernmenttoerectseadefensestoprotecttheirhomes.Governmentsurveyorshavepointedoutthatinmostcases,thisisimpossible.Newseawallswouldcosthundredsofmillionsofpoundsandwouldmerelymakethewavesandcurrentsgofurtheralongthecoast,shiftingtheproblemfromoneareatoanother.Thedangerislikelytocontinue,theysay,untilthewavesreachaninlandareaofhardrockwhichwillnotbeeatenaslimestoneis.Meanwhile,ifyouwanttobuyacheaphousewithanuncertainfuture,applytoahouseagentinoneofthethreatenedareasonthesouthcoastofEngland.Youcangetahouseforaknockdownpricebutitmayturnouttobeaknockdownhome.
1.WhatisthecauseoftheproblemthatpeoplelivingonpartsofthesouthcoastofEnglandface?
A)Thedisappearanceofhotels,housesandgardens.
B)Theexperts’lackofknowledge.
C)Therisingofthesealevel.
D)Thewashing-awayoflimestonecliffs.
2.TheerosionofthewhitecliffsinthesouthofEngland________.
A)willsoonbecomeaproblemforpeoplelivingincentralEngland
B)hasnowbecomeathreattothelocalresidents
C)isquicklychangingthemapofEngland
D)canbestoppedifpropermeasuresaretaken
3.Theexperts’studyontheproblemoferosioncan________.
A)leadtoitseventualsolution
B)provideaneffectivewaytoslowitdown
C)helptopreventitfromworsening
D)warnpeoplewhosehomesareindanger
4.Itisnotfeasibletobuildseadefensestoprotectagainsterosionbecause________.
A)itistoocostlyandwillendangerneighbouringareas
B)thegovernmentistooslowintakingaction
C)theywillbeeasilyknockeddownbywavesandcurrents
D)houseagentsalongthecoastdonotsupporttheidea
5.Accordingtotheauthor,whenbuyingahousealongthesouthcoastofEngland,peopleshould________.
A)beawareofthepotentialdangerinvolved
B)guardagainstbeingcheatedbythehouseagent
C)takethequalityofthehouseintoconsideration
D)examinethehousecarefullybeforemakingadecision
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