More Than a Ride to SchoolThe National Education Association claims, "The school bus is a mirror of the community." They further add that, unfortunately, what appears on the exterior does not always reflect the reality of a chosen community. They are right—sometimes it reflects more! Just ask Liesl Denson. Riding the school bus has been more than a ride to school for Liesl.Bruce Hardy, school bus driver for Althouse Bus Company has been Liesl"s bus driver since kindergarten. Last year when Liesrs family moved to Parkesburg, knowing her bus went by her new residence, she requested to ride the same bus.This year Liesl is a senior and will enjoy her last year riding the bus. She says, "It"s been a great ride so far! My bus driver is so cool and has always been a good friend and a good listener. Sometimes when you"re a child adults do not think that what you have to say is important. Mr. Hardy always listens to what you have to say and makes you feel important." Her friends Ashley Batista and Amanda Wolfe agree.Bruce Hardy has been making Octorara students feel special since 1975. This year he will celebrate 30 years working for Althouse Bus Company. Larry Althouse, president of the company, acknowledges Bruce Hardy"s outstanding record: "You do not come by employees like Bruce these days. He has never missed a day of work and has a perfect driving record. He was recognized in 2000 by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for driving 350,000 accident free miles. Hardy"s reputation is made further evident through the relationships he has made with the students that ride his bus."Althouse further adds, "Althouse Bus Company was established 70 years ago and has been providing quality transportation ever since. My grandfather started the business with one bus. Althouse Bus Company is delighted to have the opportunity to bring distinctive and safe service to our local school and community and looks forward to continuing to provide quality service for many more years to come."Three generations of business is not all the company has enjoyed. Thanks to drivers like Bruce Hardy, they have been building relationships through generations. Liesl"s mother Carol also enjoys fond memories of riding Bruce Hardy"s bus to the Octorara School District. Bruce Hardy has been working with Althouse Bus Company
A. for 30 years.
B. for 70 years.
C. since last year.
D. since 2000.
The Exploding Lakes of CameroonWhat comes to mind when you think of a lake You probably imagine a pretty scene with blue water, birds, and fish. For the people in the northwestern Cameroon, however, the image is very different. For them, lakes may mean terrible disasters. In 1984, poisonous gases exploded out of Lake Monoun and came down into the nearby villages, killing thirty-seven people. Two years later, Lake Nyos erupted. A cloud of gases rolled down the hills and into the valleys and killed 1,700 people.Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun are crater (火山口) lakes. They were formed when water collected in the craters of old volcanoes. The volcanoes under Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun are not active anymore. However, poisonous gases from the center of the earth continue to flow up through cracks in the bottom of the lake. This is normal in a crater lake. In most crater lakes, these gases are released often because the water "turns over" regularly. That is, the water from the bottom of the lake rises and mixes with the water at the top, allowing the gases to escape slowly.However, in Lakes Nyos and Monoun, there is no regular turning over. No one knows the reason for this fact, but as a result, these lakes have more gases trapped at the bottom than other crater lakes. In fact, scientists who have studied Lakes Nyos and Monoun have found 16,000 times more gases. When a strong wind, cool weather, a storm, or a landslide (滑坡) causes the water to turn over suddenly, the gases escape in a violent explosion.In the past, no one knew when the gases might explode, so there was no way for the villagers to escape disaster. Now scientists from the United States, France, and Cameroon have found a way to reduce the gas pressure at the bottom of Lake Nyos. They stood a 672-foot plastic pipe in the middle of the lake, with one end of the pipe near the bottom and the other end in the air. Near the top of the pipe, the team put several holes that could be opened or closed by a computer. Now, when the gas pressure gets too high, the holes are opened and some of the gas-filled water shoots up through the pipe into the air like a fountain. With less pressure, a disastrous explosion is much less likely. However, the scientists are not sure that one pipe will be enough to prevent explosions. They hope to put in others soon and they plan to install a similar pipe and a computer system at Lake Monoun as well.To protect people nearby until all of the pipes are in place, the scientists have installed early warning systems at both lakes. If the gas pressure rises to a dangerous level, computers will set off loud sirens (警报) and bright lights to warn the people in the villages. That way, they will have time to escape from the dangerous gases. What will happen when Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun explode
A. Water will flow down the hills.
B. Poisonous gases will be released suddenly.
C. A strong wind will rise from the lakes.
D. The volcanoes will come to life.
More Than a Ride to SchoolThe National Education Association claims, "The school bus is a mirror of the community." They further add that, unfortunately, what appears on the exterior does not always reflect the reality of a chosen community. They are right—sometimes it reflects more! Just ask Liesl Denson. Riding the school bus has been more than a ride to school for Liesl.Bruce Hardy, school bus driver for Althouse Bus Company has been Liesl"s bus driver since kindergarten. Last year when Liesrs family moved to Parkesburg, knowing her bus went by her new residence, she requested to ride the same bus.This year Liesl is a senior and will enjoy her last year riding the bus. She says, "It"s been a great ride so far! My bus driver is so cool and has always been a good friend and a good listener. Sometimes when you"re a child adults do not think that what you have to say is important. Mr. Hardy always listens to what you have to say and makes you feel important." Her friends Ashley Batista and Amanda Wolfe agree.Bruce Hardy has been making Octorara students feel special since 1975. This year he will celebrate 30 years working for Althouse Bus Company. Larry Althouse, president of the company, acknowledges Bruce Hardy"s outstanding record: "You do not come by employees like Bruce these days. He has never missed a day of work and has a perfect driving record. He was recognized in 2000 by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for driving 350,000 accident free miles. Hardy"s reputation is made further evident through the relationships he has made with the students that ride his bus."Althouse further adds, "Althouse Bus Company was established 70 years ago and has been providing quality transportation ever since. My grandfather started the business with one bus. Althouse Bus Company is delighted to have the opportunity to bring distinctive and safe service to our local school and community and looks forward to continuing to provide quality service for many more years to come."Three generations of business is not all the company has enjoyed. Thanks to drivers like Bruce Hardy, they have been building relationships through generations. Liesl"s mother Carol also enjoys fond memories of riding Bruce Hardy"s bus to the Octorara School District. The word "mirror" in the first line could be best replaced by
A. vehicle.
B. device.
C. need.
D. reflection.