I often hear or read about “natural disasters”- the eruption of Mount St. Helen, a volcano in the state of Washington; Hurricane Andrew in Florida; the floods in the American Midwest; terrible earthquakes all over the world; huge fires; and so on. But I’ll never forget my first personal experience with the strangeness of nature – “the London Killer Fog” of 1952. It began on Thursday, December 4th when a high-pressure system (warm air) covered southern England. With the freezing-cold air below, heavy fog formed. Pollution from factories, cars, and coal stoves mixed with the fog. The humidity was terribly high, there was no breeze at all. Traffic (cars, trains, and boats) stopped. People couldn’t see, and some walked onto the railroad tracks or into the river. It was hard to breathe, and many people got sick. Finally on Tuesday, December 9th, the wind came and the fog went away. But after that, even more people got sick, many of them died.
- Volcanic eruption is one of natural disasters mentioned in the text. _________________
- The traffic stopped because of the humid weather. _________________
- Heavy fog didn’t happen during the time of the “London Killer Fog”. _________________
- The strangeness of nature is the writer’s unforgettable personal experience. _________________
Read the passage again and choose the best answer.
- What is the passage mainly about?
A. huge fires B. volcanic eruption C. terrible earthquake D. thick fog
- It can be inferred from the passage that natural disasters can ____________.
A. kill a lot of people B. mix with fog C. walk into the river D. stop the bad weather
