单选题 Very high waves are destructive when they strike the land. Fortunately, this seldom happens. One reason is that out at sea, waves moving in one direction almost always run into waves moving in a different direction. The two sets of waves tend to cancel each other out. Another reason is that water is shallower near the shore. As a wave gets closer to land, the shallow bottom helps reduce its strength.
But the power of waves striking the shore can still be very great. During a winter gale, waves sometimes strike the shore with the force of 6,000 pounds for each square foot. That means a wave, 25 feet high and 500 feet along its face, may strike the shore with a force of 75 million pounds.
Yet the waves, no matter how big or how violent, affect only the surface of the sea. During the most raging storms, the water a hundred fathoms (600 feet) beneath the surface is just as calm as on a day without a breath of wind.

单选题 According to the passage, destruction caused by high waves occurs ______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题为细节题，信息点定位在第一段第一、二句“Very high waves are destructive when they strike the land．Fortunately，this seldom happens．”本题问的是巨浪带来的破坏多长时间出现一次?B项中的rarely与seldom为同义词，因此选B。

单选题 We know from this passage that out at sea, when waves going in opposite directions meet, their force ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】本题为细节题。题干是“由文章可知当两股方向相对的海浪相遇时，它们的力量……”由文章第一段第三句“The two sets of waves tend to cancel each other out．”可知两股海浪力量相互抵消，与C项(力量减弱)相一致。

单选题 It is clear from the passage that coastal depth ______.

A、 is the only factor influencing the strength of high waves
B、 influences the power of high waves
C、 has no influence upon the strength of very high waves
D、 is irrelevant to the question of the power of high waves

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题为细节题。第一段最后一句“As a wave gets closer to land，the shallow bottom helps reduce its strength．”可知随着海浪向岸边推进，浅滩就会削弱它的力量，因此海岸的深浅会影响海浪的力量，即选项B。

单选题 From the second paragraph of the passage we know that the power of very high waves striking the shore is ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】本题为推断题。由第二段可知海浪冲击海岸的力量与其高度和宽度有关，因此各不相同，所以选C(变化的)。而A项经久不变的，B项均等的，D项不断的都与文意不符。

单选题 From your reading of the passage, which of the following is tree?

A、 At a depth of 1,200 feet the effects of a violent surface storm are frightful.
B、 A submarine commander navigating his vessel at a depth of 700 feet will not be affected by a ranging surface storm.
C、 A typhoon 500 miles out at sea can stir up the ocean floor.
D、 If high waves can strike the shore with a horizontal force of 75 million pounds, the vertical force of such waves can have an even greater effect upon the ocean floor.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题为判断题。A项意为海面狂风巨浪给1,200英尺海深处带来的影响非常可怕； C项为海面上空500米的台风能够搅动海底；D项为如果海浪以7,500万磅的水平力冲击海岸，那么它的垂直力会对海底产生更大的作用。此三项均说明海面风浪会影响海底，这与文章最后一段“the water a hundred fathoms(600 feet)beneath the surface is just as calm as on a day without a breath of wind．”中的关键词“calm”相违背。B项“指挥官坐在处于700英尺海底深处的潜水艇上，不会受到海面巨浪的丝毫影响”与文意最相符。