15．In the second half of each year，many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea．Of these，only about half a dozen produce the strong，rotating winds of 75 miles per hour or more that give them hurricane status （身份），and several usually make their way to the coast．There they cause millions of dollars of damage，and bring death to large numbers of people．
The great storms that hit the coast start as innocent rotating disturbances （擾亂） hundreds or thousands of miles out to sea．As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun，they are carried westward by the trade winds （信風）．When conditions are just right，warm，moist （潮濕的） air flows in at the bottom of such a disturbance，moves upward through it and comes out at the top．In the process，the moisture in this warm air produces rain，and with it the heat is changed into energy in the form of strong winds．As the heat increases，the young hurricane begins to swirl （旋動） in a counter-clockwise （逆時針方向） motion．
The average life of a hurricane is only about nine days，but it contains almost more power than we can imagine．The energy in the heat released （釋放） by a hurricane's rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months．Water，rather than wind is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane．A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12-inch downpours resulting in sudden floods．Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea-the mountains of water moving toward the low pressure hurricane center．The water level rises as much as 15feet above normal as it moves toward shore．
33．When does an ordinary tropical storm turn into a hurricane？D
A．When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea．
B．When it hits the coastline．
C．When it travels aimlessly over water．
D．When its wind reaches a speed of 75 miles per hour．
34．What is the worst thing about the hurricane？A
A．The destructive effect of water．
B．The heat it releases．
C．It lasts about nine days．
D．Strong winds．
35．The counter-clockwise swirling of the hurricane is brought about byD．
A．the low pressure center of the storm
B．the force of waves of water
C．the trade winds
D．the increasing heat．
分析 文章主要講述了颶風的形成過程---是達到每小時75英里以上的熱帶風暴形成的，以及颶風對大自然和人類帶來的巨大的危害．
解答 33．D 細節理解題．根據第一段第二行becomes the strong，circling windsof 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes．可知當一個熱帶風暴達到每小時75英里以上的時候，就被稱為是颶風了，故選D．
34．A 細節理解題．根據最后一段第三行Water，not wind，is the mainsource of death and destruction（毀滅） in ahurricane．可知颶風最致命的是水的災難性的影響．故選A．
35．D 細節理解題．根據第二段的句子：As the heat increases，the younghurricane begins to swirl in a counter-clockwise （逆時針方向） motion．可知颶風的逆時針漩渦是由增加的熱量造成的，故選D．
點評 本文是新聞報道類閱讀，主要考查細節理解題．做題時，首先看題目要求我們理解什么細節，找出關鍵詞，運用尋讀的技巧迅速在文章里找出相應的段落、句子或短語．認真比較選項和文中細節，在正確理解細節的前提下，確定最佳答案．
