Today, men have reached the top the world’s highest mountains. But for years, even people who lived among the mountains did not climb them. Indeed, people believed that men could not climb mountains.
For a long time, mountains were thought to be the home of evil(凶恶的) spirits. People believed dragons(龙)lived on the mountainsides. They thought these dragons would gobble up anyone coming near.
When men began to climb mountains, the air high on a mountain was freezing cold. There was deep cracks(裂缝) into which a climber could fall. Roaring(咆哮的) winds and terrible storms could sweep a man off the mountainside.
At first, men did not have proper equipment(设备) to climb high mountains. They did not have ice axes(轴), ropes, or the right kind of clothing.
Later, men could not reach the top of the highest peaks(山顶) for another reason. As a man climbed higher, the air became thinner. There was less oxygen(氧气) to breathe. Above 18,000 feet, a climber had to stop every few steps to catch his breath. His heart beat faster and his blood became thicker. Above 25,000, a climber would begin to see things that were not here. He could no longer think clearly about what he had to do.
( )6. This passage mainly tells about ______.
A. the dangers of climbing high mountain
B. the evil spirits and dragons that live on mountains
C. the proper equipment needed to climb mountains
D. people who live in mountains
( )7. In this passage the words “gobble up” means ______.
A. eat up very fast B. catch up with C. get rid of D. hold back
( )8. Why didn’t men climb mountains long ago?
A. Because it was very cold on mountains.
B. Because they couldn’t breathe on mountains.
C. Because they were afraid of spirits and dragons.
D. Because they were afraid of falling into cracks.
( )9. From this passage we can see that _______.
A. men no longer face dangers when they climb mountains
B. only men who lived near mountains climbed mountains long ago
C. mountain climbing can be a dangerous sport
D. dragons once ate people who tried to climb mountains
( )10. Which of the following is not true?
A. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen he will breathe.
B.The higher on climbs, the more dangerous it will be.
C.The faster one climbs, the less oxygen he will need.
D. The faster one’s heart beats, the thicker one’s blood becomes