单选题 Tides are created mainly by the pull of the moon on the earth. The moon"s pull causes water in the oceans to be a little deeper at a point closest to the moon and also at a point farthest from the moon, on the opposite side of the earth. These two tidal "waves" follow the apparent movement of the moon around the earth and strike nearly every coast line at intervals of about twelve hours and twenty-five minutes. After reaching a high point, the water level goes down gradually for a little more than six hours and then begins to rise towards a new high point. Hence, most coast lines have two tides a day, and the tides occur fifty minutes later each day. Differences in the coast line and in channels in the ocean bottom may change the time that the tidal wave reaches different points along the same coast line. The difference in water level between high and low tide varies from day to day according to the relative positions of the sun and the moon because the sun also exerts a pull on the earth, although it is only about half as strong as the pull of the moon. When the sun and the moon are pulling along the same line, the tides rise higher, and when they pull at right angles (直角) to one another, the tide is lower. The formation of the coast line and variations in the weather are additional factors which can affect the height of tides. Some sections of the coast are shaped in such a way as to cause much higher tides than in other areas. A strong wind blowing towards the shore may also cause tides to be higher.
单选题 Which of the following may be concluded from the information presented in the passage?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章中的第5句“因此,大部分海岸线每天有两次潮汐,而且潮汐涌来的时间每天落后50分钟”,因此,不难推断出有些海岸线不是每天有两次潮汐。
单选题 The time that high tide occurs at a particular place is affected by all of the following EXCEPT ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 作者在文章的第3句和第6句中谈到:“这两种潮汐明显是随着月球绕地球的运动而产生,而且几乎每隔12小时25分钟就冲击每条海岸线一次。”作者在文章的结尾部分虽提到强风,但只是说,向海岸吹送的强风也可以提高潮水的水位,并未谈及风向会影响高水位潮汐产生的时间。
单选题 Which of the following is an accurate statement about the pull of the sun on the earth?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 从文章的第7句“高潮与低潮水位之差每日随着太阳与月亮相对位置的变化而变化,因为太阳对地球亦有引力,虽然只及月球的一半”中可以十分有把握地得出选项D是正确答案。
单选题 If the pull of the sun equaled the pull of the moon, tides would ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 文章第八句清楚地指出:“当太阳与月亮排在同一条线上时,潮水较高,当它们互成直角时,潮水较低。”