18．Imagine sailing through the sky，high above buildings and trees，in perfect peace and quiet．No noisy engines．No window with dirty marks in your way．No strong wind blowing in your face．You can't feel or hear the wind because you're traveling in the exact same direction and at the exact same speed it is．
A hot-air balloon has three main parts：the balloon，called an envelope； a basket，where passengers ride； and a burner system，which supplies the hot air．
Most balloon envelopes are made of strong，lightweight nylon．（尼龍） They vary in size and shape，but they have to be really，really big to lift even a single person．Most weigh more than an adult man and use more fabric（框架）than you'd need to cover a baseball diamond（棒球場）．
The basket is usually made of wicker（柳條），which is strong but not too stiff（僵硬）．It needs to bend a bit for a soft landing，just like a good jumper bends her legs instead of keeping them stiff and straight when she lands．
When the burner system blasts（噴出） flames，it makes a noisy sound，but once the balloon is flying，the burner can be turned off．The air in the envelope will then slowly cool，and the balloon will gradually sink unless the pilot starts the burner again．
To operate，a pilot adds hot air to the balloon to go up or deflates it to go down，until he finds a breeze blowing in the direction he wants to fly．But no matter which way the wind blows them，balloonists have an amazing bird's-eye view of the world．
56．The envelope of a hot-air balloon is used toB．
A．supply the hot air B．hold the hot air
C．change the height D．control the direction
57．The soft landing of a hot-air balloon requires that the basketC．
A．should be made of nylon
B．should be controlled by a good jumper
C．should be a little soft
D．should be big enough to lift one person
58．The following steps are involved in flying a hot-air balloon．In what order should these steps happen？A
①Hot air enters the balloon．②The balloon sinks．
③The burner is turned on． ④The burner is turned off．
⑤The balloon rises．
A．③①⑤④②B．①③⑤②④C．③⑤④①②D．①③⑤④②
59．The underlined word"deflates"in the last paragraph meansA．
A．releases B．charges C．flattens D．separates
60．The text is probably fromD．
A．a(chǎn) story about hot-air balloon adventures
B．a(chǎn) newspaper article about hot-air balloon facts
C．a(chǎn) brochure advertising hot-air balloon rides
D．a(chǎn)n article on hot-air balloons in an airplane magazine．
分析 本文是一篇新聞報道類閱讀，主要講的是關(guān)于熱氣球的構(gòu)造及飛行原理．
解答 56-60BCAAD
56題答案：B考查基礎(chǔ)常識，熱氣球的envelope"罩子"當(dāng)然是用來儲存熱氣的，故本題答案為B選項．
57題答案：C考查細節(jié)推理，根據(jù)文章第四段的It needs to bend a bit for a soft landing，just like a good jumper bends her legs instead of keeping them stiff and straight when she lands．它（籃子）需要彎一點點這樣就能軟著陸，就像一位好的跳遠者落地時會彎曲他的腿而不是使他們僵直．可知本題答案為C選項．
58題答案：A考查細節(jié)推理，根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第二段的When the burner system blasts（噴出） flames，it makes a noisy sound，but once the balloon is flying，the burner can be turned off．The air in the envelope will then slowly cool，and the balloon will gradually sink unless the pilot starts the burner again．當(dāng)燃燒系統(tǒng)噴出火焰時會發(fā)出巨大的聲音，但是馬上氣球就會飛，隨后燃燒器就可以關(guān)閉了．罩子里的空氣會慢慢冷卻，氣球會隨之慢慢下沉除非飛行員重啟燃燒器．可知本題答案為A選項．
59題答案：A考查細節(jié)推理，根據(jù)所在句子a pilot adds hot air to the balloon to go up or deflates it to go down．駕駛員可以添加熱空氣以使熱氣球上升或者是deflates熱空氣以使其下降．可知與前面"添加"對應(yīng)的是"減少"，故本題答案為A選項．
60題答案：D考查主旨大意，本文主要講的是關(guān)于熱氣球的構(gòu)造及飛行原理；故應(yīng)該來自于飛機雜志，因此本題答案為D選項．注意：本文不是熱氣球飛行的廣告，故C排除．
點評 本文是一篇新聞報道類閱讀，題目涉及多道細節(jié)理解題，做題時結(jié)合原文和題目有針對 性找出相關(guān)語句進行仔細分析，結(jié)合選項選出正確答案．推理判斷也是要在抓住關(guān)鍵句子的基礎(chǔ)上合理的分析才能得出正確的答案．
