Question

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

Located on the shore of Sullivan's Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina's shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn't strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo's wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan's Island should be able to resist a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight, the house on Sullivan's Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble "a large party lantern" at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house's wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings (桩) might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. "These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings," said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house's ground-to-roof shell. " The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up, " said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

1.After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina's shore line should ________.

A. be easily reinforced

B. look smarter in design

C. satisfy higher building standards

D. be designed in the shape of cubes

2.Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.

A. withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr

B. make stronger pilings deep in the sand

C. break huge sea waves into smaller ones

D. prevent water from rushing into the house

3.The main function of the shell is ________.

A. to strengthen the pilings of the house

B. to give the house a better appearance

C. to protect the wooden frame of the house

D. to slow down the speed of the swelling water

4.It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.

A. fancy-lookingB. water-proof

C. easily breakableD. extremely strong

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了加利福利州南部一处海边的房子，在经历了飓风的毁坏后，设计师重新设计了这些沙滩上的房子，使其能够抵御一定程度的自然灾害。

1. 细节理解题。根据 In Hugo's wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan's Island should be able to resist a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.可知，在经历飓风后，新建的房子要达到更高的建筑标准，增强灾害防御能力。故选C。

2. 细节理解题。根据文章第五段The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it.可知，木桩让海浪从房子下面流过，而不是冲进屋里。故选D。

3. 推理判断题。根据最后一段The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up可知，木桩外面的壳把木桩遮盖起来，这样看起来就不会感觉有木桩立在沙滩上会被拔起的感觉，更美观些。故选B。

4. 推理判断题。根据文章最后一句In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house可知，如果发生风暴，外壳就会分裂开，让海浪从屋子下面流过。故选C。

【名师点睛】

说明文体裁概述

说明文是以说明为主要表达方式来解说事物、阐明事理，从而给人知识的一种体裁。说明文具有一定的知识性，这种知识，或者来自相关科学研究资料，或是亲身实践、调查、考察的结果，都具有严格的科学性。为了把事物说明白，就必须把握事物的特征，进而揭示事物的本质属性，即不仅要说明“是什么”，还要说明“为什么”是这样。根据说明对象的不同，说明文可分为事物说明文和事理说明文两类。事物说明文一般说明事物的状态、性质和功能；事理说明文则必须揭示问题的实质或阐明事理。为了把事物特征说清楚，或把事理阐述明白，说明文必须有其相适应的说明方法。常见的说明方法有举例法、分类法、列数据、作比较、下定义和类比法等。说明文通常根据说明对象和写作目的的不同，选择最佳的说明方法。为了使文章条理清晰、逻辑严谨，说明文也遵循一定的说明顺序。常见的说明顺序有：时间顺序、空间顺序和逻辑顺序。时间顺序以时间的变换推动文章的发展；空间顺序要特别注意弄清空间的位置，注意事物的表里、大小、上下、前后、左右、东南西北等位置和方向；逻辑顺序常以推理过程来表现。采用什么顺序，主要取决于说明对象的特点。说明事物的发展变化时，时间顺序容易表示清楚；写建筑物的结构，空间顺序易使读者看明白；说明事理用逻辑顺序，便于体现事理的内部联系。说明文的语言讲求准确性与科学性。在准确的前提下，说明文的语言有的以平实见长，有的则以生动活泼见长。说明文阅读技巧明确说明对象。阅读事物说明文，首先从整体入手，把握文章的说明对象是什么。阅读事理说明文，要先弄清文章说明了什么事理。可以通过看题目和把握段落主题句来明确说明对象。不少说明文的题目都表明了说明对象，有的题目在指出说明对象的同时，还指出其特征。一般来说，说明文每段的主题句常出现在段首或段尾，阅读时要找出这些关键句。有的说明文没有明显的主题句，阅读时更需要细心琢磨，从中加以提炼，逐段概括要点，理清说明顺序。概括要点时要重视首尾句的作用，重视给概念、下定义或解说性语句的作用。阅读时可以把这些语句勾画出来。在逐段概括要点的基础上，用“同类合并”的方法，把全文划分为相对独立的几部分，概括出每部分的大意，把每部分的大意依次连接起来，就能比较清楚地显示出全文的说明顺序了。

整体感知，把握中心。在理清说明顺序后，分析文章段落之间的关系。是并列、递进，还是总分关系？是由现象到本质，还是由个别到一般，或是从结果到原因？把握结构后，最好能画出结构示意图。“中心”即归纳该篇说明文中的说明对象具有怎样的特征，或该篇说明文阐释了怎样的事理。在理清说明顺序、把握文章结构后，再归纳说明中心也就不难了。说明文的设题类型及特点

说明文的考查对象多为同学们不熟悉的事物或事理，如高新科技、新发明新技术、动植物、科普自然知识、产品工艺的原理和人文地理等。这些说明对象是说明文阅读的重要内容，也是考查难点。说明文中往往多有解释性、定义性、说明性长句，甚至可能会出现从句叠现的现象。常见的说明文设题类型有以下几种。

词汇语义题

说明文为了把事物介绍清楚或把事理阐述明白，易出现一些学术性较强的词汇，因此常出现词义判断题。这类题目的常见题干表达方式有“What does the underlined word mean?”此外，说明文在阐述说明对象时易出现动作变换多、人称转变频的现象，因此常出现代词指代判断题，这类题目常以it，they，them等代词为命题点，要求同学们根据上下文语境，推断其指代对象。

主旨大意题

主旨大意题主要考查同学们对全文的理解，对说明对象整体的把握，即一篇说明文读下来，同学们是否对说明对象有大致了解。常见的题干表达方式有“The passage mainly tells us _____.”

推理判断题

推理判断题考查同学们是否能将说明对象举一反三，进行总结和推理。如：5.

文章结构题

文章结构题考查同学们是否能够理清说明顺序,或找到说明方法。常见的题干表达方法有"How is the passage mainly developed?"

细节理解题

说明文中考查的细节理解题大致与记叙文相似，主要检验同学们是否能够对文章描述的事实作出判断、归纳和总结。如：6.

观点态度题

虽然说明文的说明对象为客观事实,但作者往往会在文章中以议论的表达方式抒发自己对该说明对象的想法。也许是对某种新发明的赞赏,或是对某个事物的批判。这类题目常见的题干表达方式有"What was the author’s attitude towards ...?"

考点：说明文阅读理解