Question

Colorado has more fourteeners — mountain peaks (山峰) over 14,000 feet — than any other state in the US. Many people believe that Colorado’s 53 fourteeners are reachable by only the most experienced mountaineers. In fact, climbing those fourteeners is hardly an impossible task for most climbers.

Surprisingly, unlike climbing Denali (the highest point in North America), a climb to one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks seldom takes more than a day. Pikes Peak is a well-known difficult climb, yet a college teacher in his middle seventies makes the climb every day in the summer. A friend of mine, Carson Black, in a day, once climbed four fourteeners. Three of them — Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, and Kit Carson Peak — are the most difficult in the state. Only a handful of climbs took more than a day.

Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks are also easy to climb because they often require no special climbing tools. The climb to Capitol Peak is probably the most difficult, yet most climbers who carry ropes don’t use them when they see the ridge ( 山 脊 ) is not very frightening. The highest peak in the state, Mt. Elbert, is so simple to climb that one man rode a 24-year-old bicycle to the peak last year.

Another sign that climbing Colorado’s highest peaks is not very difficult is the number of climbers each summer. After going down from Torreys Peak one weekend in August, I counted over seventy cars in the parking lot. On a weekend of another August, I passed fifty people in different stages (路段) of Mt. Elbert. Last year, 4,226 people climbed Longs Peak. Its parking lot today is about a quarter-mile long.

In a word, Colorado’s peaks are not hard to climb. Most of them take only a day to climb, require no more than simple climbing skills, and are topped by many people each year.

1.What does the writer think of many people’s belief in Paragraph 1?

A.He disagrees with it. B.He worries about it.

C.He is uncertain about it. D.He pays little attention to it.

2.Which of the following climbs may take more than a day?

A.Climbing Crestone Needle. B.Climbing Crestone Peak.

C.Climbing Pikes Peak. D.Climbing Denali.

3.What may be the writer’s advice for Capitol Peak climbers?

A.Ropes are usually necessary. B.It is better to reach the top by bike.

C.No special climbing tools are needed. D.Climbing the peak is not as easy as expected.

4.Why does the writer mention Longs Peak’s parking lot?

A.To prove it has a parking problem. B.To advise climbers to travel by car.

C.To show its effort to draw climbers. D.To show the large number of climbers.

5.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.Colorado has the most fourteeners in the US. B.Colorado’s fourteeners can be easily climbed.

C.Topping a Colorado fourteener takes courage. D.Climbing Colorado’s peaks requires experience.

Answer 1