2011年职称英语理工类A级阅读判断精华.doc

2011年职称英语理工类A级阅读判断精华(4) 来源：123职称英语网 2011年11月10日 　　Eruptions of Mount Saint Helens 　　On March 27， the US Government scientists made a decision after they predicted the eruption of Mount Saint Helens. They telephoned all state and local officials in the area and told them that a serious eruption was possible at any time. Roads were closed to every one except scientists and forest keepers struggled to keep curious visitors away from the mountain. 　　Shortly after noon on March 27， Mount Saint Helens erupted for the first time in 123 years. People living north of the mountain heard a loud boom that shook their windows， and airline pilots flying near the volcano soon afterwards described a thick black column of ash and steam shooting more than 2，100 meters into the sky. 　　Later， scientists found that the explosion had made a new crater （大坑） in the top of the mountain， not far from the old crater. The north side of the peak， now had a huge bulge （凸出部分） where rock and ice had been pushed out by the eruption. 　　A second eruption shook the mountain on March 28. It， too， sent up a column of black ash high into the sky. By March 29， scientists flying over the mountain saw that a second crater formed about 9 meters from the first one. Strange blue flames flickered （闪烁） inside the crater and sometimes jumped from one crater to the other. 　　By April 1 the mountain had erupted several more times and the snow on the north slope of the peak was black with ash. Ash carried by the wind had fallen on towns as far as 240 kilometers away from Mount Saint Helens. 　　During the first week of April， Mount Saint Helens gave scientists something new to worry about： harmonic tremors （震动） recorded by scientists showed a big eruption would happen. All during April and into May Mount Saint Helens continued to shudder （震动） and shoot out ash. By April 8， the two craters had merged to form a vast hole nearly a half of a kilometer wide and 250 meters deep. 　　Scientists main worry during this time was t