★ 永不停歇的雷暴 The Never- Ending Lightning Storm

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遊客蜂擁至馬拉卡波一睹世界上分布最密集的閃電。

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 克漏字 
Bruce、Antony

遊客蜂擁至馬拉卡波一睹世界上分布最密集的閃電。 Tourists flock to Maracaibo to enjoy the highest concentration▼ of lightning in the world.

       Thunder and lightning usually means it’s time to go inside and wait for the storm to pass. But _(1)_ it never stops? Welcome to Maracaibo, Venezuela, where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo. In the skies over the lake, a lightning storm appears around 150 nights per year, sometimes for 10 hours per day with up to 280 lightning strikes▼ per hour. _(2)_ this, Maracaibo holds the world record for the “Highest Concentration of Lightning,” as over 250 lightning flashes▼ per square kilometer have been recorded there. During the wet season, the lightning bolts▼ can appear every other second for hours on end.

 　　So why does this happen? Experts are puzzled and at one time thought that high levels of methane▼ or uranium▼ caused the storms, but that didn’t prove to be true. Most likely, geography is to _(3)_. The lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides, so warm, moist air flows in one direction. At the same time, cooler air from the surface flows in the other direction. This is the best _(4)_ for what causes a very entertaining lightning storm nearly every night. Strangely, in 2010, the storm suddenly stopped, _(5)_ everyone wondering why. But months later, just as mysteriously, it started back up again.

1. (A) what for (B) what if (C) how come (D) how about
2. (A) Because of (B) According to (C) Regardless of (D) Compared to
3. (A) bless (B) blend (C) bloom (D) blame
4. (A) prediction (B) observation (C) explanation (D) calculation
5. (A) left (B) leaves (C) to leave (D) leaving

 　　打雷和閃電通常表示人們應該進屋去等待風暴停息。但是，要是風雨從不停息呢？歡迎來到委內瑞拉的馬拉卡波，這裡是卡塔通博河和馬拉卡波湖交會的地方。在湖面上方的高空，每年大約有一百五十個夜晚會出現雷暴，有時一天中持續長達十小時，每小時落雷次數高達兩百八十次。因此，馬拉卡波保持著「分布最密集的閃電」的世界紀錄，因為當地曾偵測到每平方公里有超過兩百五十次落雷。在雨季時，長達好幾個小時的時間內，閃電每隔一秒就會出現。

 　　為什麼會發生這種情況呢？這個現象讓專家一頭霧水，他們一度認為高濃度的甲烷或是鈾導致了雷暴，不過這些說法都經證實為非。地理環境是最有可能的主因。這座湖三面環山，所以溫暖且潮濕的空氣只能往一個方向流動。在此同時，地表較冷的空氣則朝反方向流動。對於是什麼造成每晚幾乎都會出現有趣雷暴，這是最好的解釋。奇特的是，在 2010 年，雷暴突然停止了，讓所有人揣測背後的原因。可是幾個月後，雷暴又一樣奇異地再次開始了。

答案：

1. (B) 　2. (A) 　3. (D) 　4. (C) 　5. (D)

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