A
For the past week, hundreds of firefighters have been battling a wildfire that started on March 26 in the mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado. The fire quickly burned through 4, 140 acres of land— an area the size of more than 3, 000 football fields. It killed three people, destroyed at least 25 houses, and forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
Investigations have found that the fire was likely caused by a controlled burn started one week earlier by the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS).
A controlled burn is a fire ignited(点燃) by professionals to clear the ground of built-up fuel—such as dead wood, thick layers of pine needles, and overcrowded trees—that can cause dangerous wildfires. Hundreds of controlled burns have been safely managed in Colorado forests over the past few months.
Fire professionals take many measures to make sure that burns can be controlled. Before starting a burn, the professionals look carefully at weather forecasts, how close the fire will be to houses and roads, and other factors. They plan how they will ignite and contain the fire and arrange for resources such as fire trucks and firefighters to be present.
CSFS officials say fire crews followed all safety procedures before starting the controlled burn near Denver on March 19. The fire died down four days later. But on March 26, high winds blew embers(余烬) onto unburned land, starting the deadly flame. Unusually warm temperatures and dry conditions helped it spread.
Fire crews now have the flame almost fully contained, and most families have been allowed to return to their homes. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has issued a temporary ban on controlled burns on state land and has called for a complete review of the rules for these types of fires.
1. In the first paragraph, the underlined word “evacuate” can be replaced by “______”.
A. build B. protect C. leave D. watch
2. According to the passage, CSFS officials may agree that______.
A. the weather factor was blamed for the fire
B. fire crews’ carelessness led to the fire
C. burning wood in the forest will be banned
D. firefighters should be present when the burn was started
3. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Hundreds of people were injured in the wildfire.
B. The wildfire was an unexpected event.
C. No measures were taken to control the burn.
D. The wildfire has been completely put out.
4. Where can the article probably appear?
A. In a TV guide. B. In a newspaper.
C. In a science book. D. In a tour booklet.
