Crowd controls could soon become an important skill for climbers on Mount Everest, as important as physical strength or watching the weather. In a single day last week, nearly 40 people reached the top of the world --- a record. Reports from base camp spoke of queues at dangerous ridges and crowds as people passed each other in the final dash for the 8, 848 meters top.
More traditional mountaineers tease about the circus atmosphere surrounding Everest in re­cent years, and there are warnings that the crowds are making the mountain more dangerous. In 1996, 14 died on the mountain when the members of several groups were trapped at high altitudes by sudden snowstorms. Bad weather in early May led to this year’s jam on the summit ridge, but the loss, luckily, was light. Just four climbers died, in­cluding a Nepali Sherpa who had made 11 previous successful climbing.
Traditionalists are also worried about the growing tendency of climbers to set records and achieve “firsts”, rather than simply climb the mountain. This year’s crop of mountaineers included the oldest man, 64-year-old Sherman Bull from Connecticut, and the youngest, 16-year-old Temba Tsheri Sherpa of Nepal. An American with only one arm was on the mountain this year; an Indian with no legs also tried but failed. Erik Weihennieyer, an Ameri­can, became the first blind person to reach the top of the world. His fellow climbers stayed in front of him on the way up, describing the type of land and ringing bells.
Nepal（尼泊爾）views Mount Everest as something of a cash cow. The government charges journeys a minimum of $ 70,000. That is probably why officials in Katmandu are ignoring concerns about overcrowding and talking about even more climbers coming next year. But a celebration of the 48th anniversary of the first conquest of Everest, by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was cancelled after violent strikes. Tumultuous（動(dòng)亂的）Nepali politics, it seems, could be just the crowd-control mea­sure that Everest needs.
【小題1】What is the problem that the climbers have to face in recent years?

B
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) - Nepal has given its security personnel permission to shoot pro-Tibet demonstrators during China's Olympic flame climb to Mount Everest's summit early next month.
"About 25 soldiers and policemen have established camps on the mountain and they have been ordered to use force if necessary to stop any anti-Chinese activities," Mod Raj Dotel, spokesman for the home ministry, said Sunday. "This could mean shooting if necessary."
Security personnel will also check mountain climbers for non-essential expedition materials, Dotel added.
"If anyone is found with anti-Chinese material their permit will be canceled and returned from the mountain," he said.
Chinese climbers plan to take the Olympic flame to the top of the world's highest peak, at 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) as part of the global relay leading up to the August 8 opening of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Spring is the most popular season for climbing Mount Everest, which straddles(跨越) the border between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China.
The Nepali government has given permits to dozens of climbers from 30 expeditions this season.
But between May 1 and May 10, climbers are barred from going above 6,400 meters until the torch run is completed. China plans to take the Olympic flame to the summit sometime then.
Bad weather conditions allow only about two opportunities in May for a push to the summit.
The Chinese have not allowed any expedition to climb the mountain from the north side, according the Kathmandu representative of the Tibet China Mountaineering Association.
Almost every day in the past month, Nepalese police have arrested pro-Tibet protesters from in front of the Chinese Embassy and the United Nations offices. The demonstrators are released later in the evening. 
Supporters of Tibet punish the government's attitude toward the autonomous region, and many believe China should not have been awarded the honor of hosting the Olympic Games.
Earlier torch relay stops in London, England; Paris, France; and San Francisco, California attracted tens of thousands of demonstrators. They led to attacks on the torch and relay participants, and prompted police to make dozens of arrests.
Subsequent stops in Argentina, Tanzania and Oman were trouble-free.
In Pakistan, authorities closed the relay to the public. And India shortened the relay and kept thousands of anti-Chinese protesters at bay by sealing off roads and shuttering buildings along the route.
The relay went smoothly in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, amid heavy security and scattered protests along the route.
The flame arrived in Malaysia on Sunday. About 1,000 police officers will be on hand to watch for protesters during a relay in the capital city Kuala Lampur Monday.
61．When will China's Olympic flame probably reach Mount Everest's summit?
A．April 28        B．May 12        C．June 10        D．May 7
62．The underlined word “barred” means_____________.
A．permitted     B．stopped       C．encouraged    D．introduced 
63．How many times Climbers can reach the top of the mountain at most in May?
A．once               B．twice   
C．three times            D．a(chǎn)s many times as they can
64．Where did the torch relay meet no trouble?
A．India          B．Nepal     C．Tanzania          D．France
65．What is the attitude of the Nepali government towards towards China's Olympic flame climb to Mount Everest's summit?
A．negative          B．positive         C．a(chǎn)mbiguous            D．Indifferent

Crowd controls could soon become an important skill for climbers on Mount Everest, as important as physical strength or watching the weather. In a single day last week, nearly 40 people reached the top of the world --- a record. Reports from base camp spoke of queues at dangerous ridges and crowds as people passed each other in the final dash for the 8, 848 meters top.

More traditional mountaineers tease about the circus atmosphere surrounding Everest in re­cent years, and there are warnings that the crowds are making the mountain more dangerous. In 1996, 14 died on the mountain when the members of several groups were trapped at high altitudes by sudden snowstorms. Bad weather in early May led to this year’s jam on the summit ridge, but the loss, luckily, was light. Just four climbers died, in­cluding a Nepali Sherpa who had made 11 previous successful climbing.

Traditionalists are also worried about the growing tendency of climbers to set records and achieve “firsts”, rather than simply climb the mountain. This year’s crop of mountaineers included the oldest man, 64-year-old Sherman Bull from Connecticut, and the youngest, 16-year-old Temba Tsheri Sherpa of Nepal. An American with only one arm was on the mountain this year; an Indian with no legs also tried but failed. Erik Weihennieyer, an Ameri­can, became the first blind person to reach the top of the world. His fellow climbers stayed in front of him on the way up, describing the type of land and ringing bells.

Nepal（尼泊爾）views Mount Everest as something of a cash cow. The government charges journeys a minimum of $ 70,000. That is probably why officials in Katmandu are ignoring concerns about overcrowding and talking about even more climbers coming next year. But a celebration of the 48th anniversary of the first conquest of Everest, by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was cancelled after violent strikes. Tumultuous（動(dòng)亂的）Nepali politics, it seems, could be just the crowd-control mea­sure that Everest needs.

1.What is the problem that the climbers have to face in recent years?

A．Bad Weather.      B．Technology.        C．Overcrowding.     D．Physical strength.

2.What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．The risks of mountain climbing.

B．The consequence of overcrowding.

C．The challenge that climbers have to face.

D．The damage that snowstorms have caused.

3.Several climbers are mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show ______.

A．their great courage                      B．their common motivation

C．their different identity                   D．their outstanding achievements

4.What is the attitude of the Nepali government towards overcrowding?

A．Unconcerned.      B．Doubtful.          C．Disapproving.      D．Worried.

Climbers at the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, will now be able to make video calls and surf the Internet on their mobile phones, a Nepalese (尼泊爾的) telecom group claims.

Ncell, a branch company of Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera, said on Thursday it had set up a high-speed third-generation (3G) phone base station at an altitude of 5,200 metres in the Everest region.

“Today we made the world’s highest video call from Mount Everest base camp successfully. The coverage (覆蓋范圍) of the network will reach up to the peak of Mount Everest,” Ncell Nepal chief Pasi Koistinen told reporters in Kathmandu.

The installation (安裝) will also help tens of thousands of tourists and hikers who visit the world’s highest mountain every year.

Climbers who reached its 8,848-metre peak previously depended on expensive satellite phones and a voice-only network set up by China Mobile in 2007 on the Chinese side of the mountain.

“This is a great milestone for mobile communications as the 3G high speed Internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services from the world’s tallest mountain,” said Lars Nyberg, chief executive of TeliaSonera, which owns 80 percent of Ncell.

The 3G services will be fast enough to make video calls and use the Internet, said the company, which also claimed the world’s lowest 3G base at 1,400 metres below sea level in a mine in Europe.

Despite the installation in Mount Everest, telecom services cover less than one-third of the 28 million people of Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.

TeliaSonera said it planned to invest $ 100 million in the next year to ensure that mobile coverage increases to more than 90 per cent of the Himalayan nation’s population.

The 3G network on Mount Everest puts TeliaSonera ahead of state-controlled Nepal Telecom, Indian-owned United Telecom and China Mobile.

Around 3,000 people have climbed to the Everest summit since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to conquer the peak in 1953.

1.Who are most likely to benefit from the 3G services at Mount Everest?

A. The telecom firm.          B. The local residents.

C. Travelers to Nepal.                  D. Mount Everest explorers.

2.According to Lars Nyberg, the 3G services they provide __________.

A. are fast and convenient             B. are a little expensive

C. can make voice-only calls      D. offer free emailing

3.What do we know about TeliaSonera?

A. 80 percent of it is owned by Ncell

B. It belongs to Nepal Telecom.

C. It is in the charge of Pasi Koistinen

D. It provides services for Pasi Koistinen.

4.What is the best title of the text?

A. Telecommunication in Nepal

B. 3G services reach Mt. Everest summit

C. TeliaSonera takes lead in communication

D. Good news for hikers and climbers

B

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) - Nepal has given its security personnel permission to shoot pro-Tibet demonstrators during China's Olympic flame climb to Mount Everest's summit early next month.

"About 25 soldiers and policemen have established camps on the mountain and they have been ordered to use force if necessary to stop any anti-Chinese activities," Mod Raj Dotel, spokesman for the home ministry, said Sunday. "This could mean shooting if necessary."

Security personnel will also check mountain climbers for non-essential expedition materials, Dotel added.

"If anyone is found with anti-Chinese material their permit will be canceled and returned from the mountain," he said.

Chinese climbers plan to take the Olympic flame to the top of the world's highest peak, at 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) as part of the global relay leading up to the August 8 opening of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Spring is the most popular season for climbing Mount Everest, which straddles(跨越) the border between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China.

The Nepali government has given permits to dozens of climbers from 30 expeditions this season.

But between May 1 and May 10, climbers are barred from going above 6,400 meters until the torch run is completed. China plans to take the Olympic flame to the summit sometime then.

Bad weather conditions allow only about two opportunities in May for a push to the summit.

The Chinese have not allowed any expedition to climb the mountain from the north side, according the Kathmandu representative of the Tibet China Mountaineering Association.

Almost every day in the past month, Nepalese police have arrested pro-Tibet protesters from in front of the Chinese Embassy and the United Nations offices. The demonstrators are released later in the evening.  

Supporters of Tibet punish the government's attitude toward the autonomous region, and many believe China should not have been awarded the honor of hosting the Olympic Games.

Earlier torch relay stops in London, England; Paris, France; and San Francisco, California attracted tens of thousands of demonstrators. They led to attacks on the torch and relay participants, and prompted police to make dozens of arrests.

Subsequent stops in Argentina, Tanzania and Oman were trouble-free.

In Pakistan, authorities closed the relay to the public. And India shortened the relay and kept thousands of anti-Chinese protesters at bay by sealing off roads and shuttering buildings along the route.

The relay went smoothly in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, amid heavy security and scattered protests along the route.

The flame arrived in Malaysia on Sunday. About 1,000 police officers will be on hand to watch for protesters during a relay in the capital city Kuala Lampur Monday.

61．When will China's Olympic flame probably reach Mount Everest's summit?

A．April 28     B．May 12        C．June 10        D．May 7

62．The underlined word “barred” means_____________.

A．permitted      B．stopped        C．encouraged     D．introduced 

63．How many times Climbers can reach the top of the mountain at most in May?

A．once             B．twice   

C．three times            D．a(chǎn)s many times as they can

64．Where did the torch relay meet no trouble?

A．India          B．Nepal     C．Tanzania         D．France

65．What is the attitude of the Nepali government towards towards China's Olympic flame climb to Mount Everest's summit?

       A．negative         B．positive        C．a(chǎn)mbiguous           D．Indifferent