Question

Earlier this month, two rock climbers achieved what many thought impossible: They climbed up the 3,000-foot-high Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park without specialized equipment. Climbing without this equipment is called“free-climbing.”Until now, no one had free-climbed to the top of the rock face, which is a part of the mountain EI Capitan.

El Capitan, which means“the captain”or“the chief”in Spanish, has always presented a challenge to climbers. But the Dawn Wall, on the mountain^’s southeast face, is a particularly difficult route to the summit (顶峰). It is a rock formation that is both steep and relatively smooth. This makes free-climbing the rock face seem almost impossible.

About seven years ago, professional climber Tommy Caldwell spotted a possible route up the wall. It took years of planning and preparation, but this month, Caldwell, 36, and his friend Kevin Jorgeson, 30, finally make the climb.

Free climbers do use ropes and other basic safety equipment to catch them if they fall — and Caldwell and Jorgeson fell often. Before starting their climb, they broke down their route into 32 sections. Each section was based on a rope length called a“pitch.”The rope was secured into the rock face to catch the climbers if they fell.

Caldwell and Jorgeson^’s goal was to climb the Dawn Wall without returning to the ground. If they fell, they had to start that pitch all over again. The two men started climbing on December 27. They slept in hanging tents, and a team of friends brought them food each day.

The men had spent years rehearsing (排练) the movements it would take to get through each pitch. They made it through the fist half of the climb relatively easily. But halfway up, Jorgeson ran into trouble. In one difficult spot, he fell each time he attempted to climb. After 10 days of trying, Jorgeson finally made it to the next pitch.

Getting through that troublesome pitch gave both climbers renewed energy. They finished the rest of the climb five days later, on January 14.

1.What does Paragraph 2 mainly explain?

A．Why the Dawn Wall is a hard challenge.

B．Why people prefer climbing El Capitan.

C．How to free-climb the Dawn Wall.

D．How El Capitan got its name.

2.To climb Yosemite^’s Dawn Wall, Caldwell and Jorgeson      .

A. received one year^’s training

B. chose the nearest route

C. made thoughtful preparations

D. used special equipment

3.What can we learn about this world^, s toughest climb?

A．It includes 32 different routes.

B．It is also the world^, s highest climb.

C．It was once completed by Caldwell 7 years ago.

D．It took the two climbers 19 days to get to the top.

4.Which of the following words can best describe Jorgeson?

A．Proud but patient.

B．Cautious and friendly.

C．Brave and determined.

D．Imaginative but half-hearted.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了Jorgeson和Caldwell却在没有专业装备的情况下成功攀登the Dawn Wall的故事。

1.A 段落大意题。根据第二段最后两句It is a rock formation that is both steep and relatively smooth. This makes free-climbing the rock face seem almost impossible.可知the Dawn Wall的岩石很陡峭也很光滑，这种情况让free-climbing变得不可能。本段主要是在说明free-climbing这样的一座山峰似乎不可能的任务。也就是说人们为什么说the Dawn Wall是一个巨大的挑战。故A正确。

2.C 推理判断题。根据第六段第一句The men had spent years rehearsing (排练) the movements it would take to get through each pitch.他们已经对本次攀登进行了多年的排练。说明他们做了充分的准备工作。故C正确。

3.D 数字计算题。根据第五段最后一句The two men started climbing on December 27. They slept in hanging tents, and a team of friends brought them food each day.和全文最后一句They finished the rest of the climb five days later, on January 14.可知他们是在12月27日开始攀登的，在1月14日结束。所以一共用了19天的时间。故D正确。

4.

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