Suchslidesarenotunexpected.Localcitizensknowtheslopeswhichtendtoavalancheandtheweatherinwhichsuchslidesarelikely.Trapsaresettocatchthesnoworpreventitslipping;bombsareplacedandexplodedfromtimetotimetosetoffsmallavalanchesbeforeabigonehastimetobuildup;andaboveall,skiersarewarnednottoskiindangerareas.
Inspiteofthis,avalancheshappeninunexpectedareasand,ofcourse,skierignorethewarnings.Theonecomforttorecreationalskiers,however,isthatavalancheincidentsonthemarkedskislopesarequiterare.Noskiresortwantstheimageofbeingadeathtrap.
51.Eachwinterholidaymakersinthemountainscomefacetofacewith
deathbecause___.
A.theyfailtorealizehowdangerousavalanchescanbe
B.theyarenotexpertenoughatskiingonthefixedruns
C.theyaretryingtoavoidareaswhereavalancheshappen
D.theyskigreatdistancesdownthemountainsides
52.Accordingtothewriter,skiingconditionsintheSalzburgareaofAustriabeforetheaccidenthappenedwere___.
A.perfectfortheinexperiencedskier
B.unsafebecausethenewsnowwascoveredwithice
C.typicalofconditionsresultinginavalanches
D.suionlyforskiinglocally
53.Itwouldappearfromthetextthatavalanchesarebroughtabout
because___.
A.aparticularsectionofsnowisnotthickenough
B.thereisaslightfallinthetemperature
C.heavysnowfallsturnintorain
D.theicebetweendifferentsectionsofsnowmelts
54.Inareaswhereavalanchesareknowntohappen___.
A.localresidentsstayindoorswhentheweatherisbad
B.measuresaretakentopreventseriousavalanches
C.smallavalanchescaneasilybeprevented
D.skiersformthemselvesintoawalltokeepthesnowinposition
55.Althoughaccidentsdohappen,skierswillbereasonablysafeif___.
A.theystayontheofficiallyapprovedslopes
B.theyskionlyforpleasure
C.theyskionlyatresorts
D.theychooselesscrowdedskislopes
4
TheEnglish,asarace,areverydifferentfromallothernationalities,includingtheirclosestneighbors,theFrench,BelgiansandDutch.ItisclaimedthatlivingonanislandseparatedfromtherestofEuropehasmuchtodowithit.Whateverthereasons,itmaybefairlystatedthattheEnglishmanhasdevelopedmanyattitudesandhabitswhichdistinguishhimfromothernationalities.
Broadlyspeaking,theEnglishmanisaquiet,shy,reservedpersonwhoisfullyrelaxedonlyamongpeopleheknowswell.Inthepresenceofstrangersorforeignersheoftenseemsinhibited,evenembarrassed.Youhaveonlytowitnessacitytrainanymorningoreveningtoseethetruthofthis.Serious-lookingbusinessmenandwomensitreadingtheirnewspapersorhavingalightsleepinacorner;noonespeaks.Infact,todosowouldseemmostunusual.AnEnglishman,pretendingtobegivingadvicetooverseasvisitors,oncesuggested,"Onenteringarailwaycarriageshakehandswithallthepassengers."Needlesstosay,hewasnotbeingserious.Thereisanunwrittenbutclearlyunderstoodcodeofbehaviorwhich,ifbroken,makesthepersonimmediatelysuspect.
Inmanypartsoftheworlditisquitenormaltoshowopenlyextremesofenthusiasm,emotion,excitement,etc.,oftenaccompaniedbyappropriategestures.TheEnglishmanissomewhatdifferent.Ofcourse,anEnglishmanfeelsnolessdeeplythananyothernationality,buthetendstodisplayhisfeelingsfarless.Thisisreflectedinhisuseoflanguage.ImagineamancommentingonthegreatbeautyofayoungGirl.Whereasamoreemotionalmanmightdescribeheras"anexcellentjewel","extremelybeautiful","precious",theEnglishmanwillflatlystate"Um,she’sallright".AnEnglishmanwhohasseenahighlysuccessfulandenjoyablefilmrecommendsittoafriendbycommenting,"It’snotbad,youknow,"oronseeingveryunusualsceneryhemightconveyhispleasurebysaying,"Nice,yes,verynice."Theoverseasvisitormustnotbedisappointedbythisapparentlackofinterestandinvolvement;hemustrealizethat"allright","notbad",and"nice",veryoftenhavethesenseof"first-class","excellent","beautiful".Thisspecialuseoflanguage,particularlycommoninEngland,isknownasrestrainedstatement.