Early February, I was flying up to Ohio. Well prepared, I had everything in my favour—fuel for five hours, charts in order, my flight plan on my lap, and a beautiful clear sky.
I was wrong.
I had heard about Alberta Clippers coming out of Canada. I knew all about them―how an entire air mass was streaming along at over sixty miles an hour.
That morning, the Weather Briefer informed me that an Alberta Clipper was going over Chicago about the time I got to the airport. Chicago was some 400 miles from my destination—not a factor, or so I thought. That was the first hint I missed.
The controller called and asked if I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I did the check and everything was in the green. So I told him no. Twenty minutes later the controller called again asking whether I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I checked everything. All was fine. I ignored that hint. I was fooled by the smooth air and limited experience with a rapidly moving air mass that was not changing violently. The Alberta Clipper was clipping along.
The first blast of turbulence（气流）struck my plane. I got slammed into the roof, and then slammed sideways hitting the window with such force up my nose that I started bleeding.
After a 2-hour flight of 100 miles, I realized fuel was now an issue. So was landing. I called Flight Following. We figured out the airport I could land.
The engine stopped. So did my heart. There is no quiet as quietly stunning as this one at such an altitude. I had run out of fuel in the left tank, and only a little in my right tank. The engine quit for a second time. I declared an emergency. I was told that I might get another few minutes of fuel if I gently banked the airplane. Luckily, it worked. Then, the engine quit for the last time. I was a glider now. I made a long lazy spiral descent. Down I went. I stopped at the very end of the runway.
I made so many mistakes, missed so many clues, and showed my ignorance so much that I beat myself up over and over again in my mind. I learned textbook descriptions of Alberta Clippers and real-life experience with one are totally different. I will never forget the sound of that silence.
I flew home the next day. Older. Wiser. Humbler. Lucky.
4. We can know from the passage that Alberta Clippers ______.
A. can bring snowstorms
B. are quick-moving air masses
C. are violently changing air pressure
D. can lead to a sudden temperature drop
5. What mainly led to the author's missing all the hints?
A. His lack of flying experience.
B. His poor preparation for the journey.
C. His misjudgement about the air mass.
D. His overconfidence in his piloting skills.
6. Which is the right order of the events?
a. I declared an emergency.
b. My airplane was running out of fuel.
c. I insisted on carrying on my flight plan.
d. I was thrown to the roof by the violent air mass.
e. I slightly banked my airplane and made a landing.
A. dcbea B. dceba
C. cdabe D. cdbae
7. The passage describes ______.
A. a rewarding training B. a narrow escape
C. a painful exploration D. a serious accident
【答案】4. B    5. C    6. D    7. B
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了，作者在糟糕的天气条件下，坚持飞行，错估天气状况，又遭遇飞机没油和飞机引擎不转，经历了一次死里逃生的飞行经历。
【4题详解】
细节理解题。由第三段中的“I had heard about Alberta Clippers coming out of Canada. I knew all about them―how an entire air mass was streaming along at over sixty miles an hour.”（我听说Alberta Clippers从加拿大来了。我对它们了如指掌——整个空气团以每小时60英里的速度流动。），可知Alberta Clippers是快速移动的气团。故选B项。
【5题详解】
细节理解题。由第五段中的“I ignored that hint. I was fooled by the smooth air and limited experience with a rapidly moving air mass that was not changing violently.”（我忽略了这个暗示。我被平稳的空气和有限的经验愚弄了，认为快速移动的空气团没有剧烈的变化。），可知是作者对气团的错误判断使他忽略了暗示。故选C项。
【6题详解】
细节理解题。按事件顺序，c——第五段中的“So I told him no.”（所以我告诉不调整飞行计划。），d——第六段中的“I got slammed into the roof, and then slammed sideways hitting the window with such force up my nose that I started bleeding.”（我被摔在顶上，然后侧身撞在窗户上，鼻子上的力量太大，我开始流血。），b——倒数第三段中的“I had run out of fuel in the left tank, and only a little in my right tank.”（我的左油箱没油了，而我的右油箱只有一点油。），a——倒数第三段中的“I declared an emergency.”（我宣布了紧急情况。），e——倒数第三段中的“I was told that I might get another few minutes of fuel if I gently banked the airplane. Luckily, it worked.”（有人告诉我，如果我轻轻地把飞机倾斜起来，我可能再得到几分钟的燃油。幸运的是，它成功了。）及“I stopped at the very end of the runway.”（我在跑道的尽头停了下来。），可知事件的正确顺序为cdbae。故选D项。
【7题详解】
主旨大意题。由第六段中的“The first blast of turbulence（气流）struck my plane. I got slammed into the roof, and then slammed sideways hitting the window with such force up my nose that I started bleeding.”（我的飞机受到了第一次气流的冲击。我被摔在顶上，然后侧身撞在窗户上，鼻子上的力量太大，我开始流血。），倒数第三段中的“I had run out of fuel in the left tank, and only a little in my right tank. The engine quit for a second time. I declared an emergency.”（我的左油箱没油了，而我的右油箱只有一点油。发动机又一次熄火了。我宣布了紧急情况。）及“I stopped at the very end of the runway.”（我在跑道的尽头停了下来。），和最后一段“I flew home the next day. Older. Wiser. Humbler. Lucky.”（第二天我就飞回家了。年纪大了。要更聪明的，更谦卑。真幸运。），可知文章讲的是死里逃生的一次飞行经历。故选B项。