雅思阅读模拟题：The Spectacular Eruption of Mount St. Helens_雅思英语阅读

雅思阅读模拟题：The Spectacular Eruption of Mount St. Helens

　　D By 1979, the Geological Survey, alerted by signs of renewed activity, had been monitoring the volcano for 18 months. It warned the local population against being deceived by the mountains outward calm, and forecast that an eruption would take place before the end of the century. The inhabitants of the area did not have to wait that long. On March 27, 1980,a few clouds of smoke formed above the summit , and slight tremors were felt. On the 28th, larger and darker clouds,. consisting of gas and ashes,. emerged and climbed as high as 20,000 feet. In April a slight lull ensued, but the volcanologists remained pessimistic. The, in early May, the northern flank of the mountain bulged, and the summit rose by 500 feet.

　　E Steps were taken to evacuate the population. Most- campers, hikers, timbercuttersleft the slopes of the mountain. Eighty-four-year-old Harry Truman, a holiday lodge owner who had lived there for more than 50 years, refused to be evacuated, in spite of official and public, including an entire class of school children, wrote to him, begging him to leave. He never did.

　　F On May 18, at 8.32 in the morning, Mount St. Helens blew its top. literally. Suddenly, it was 1300 feet shorter than it had been before its growth had begun. Over half a cubic mile of rock had disintegrated . At the same moment, an earthquake with an intensity of 5 on the Richter scale was recorded. It triggered an avalanche of snow and ice. mixed with hot rock-the entire north face of the mountain had fallen away. A wave of scorching volcanic gas and rock fragments shot horizontally from the volcanos riven flank, at an inescapable 200 miles per hour. As the sliding ice and snow melted, it touched off devastating torrents of mud and debris, which destroyed all life in their path. Pulverised, which destroyed all life in their path. Pulverised rock climbed as a dust cloud into the atmosphere. Finally, viscous lava, accompanied by burning clouds of ash and gas, welled out of volcanos new crater, and from lesser vents and cracks in its flanks.