Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage: The plumes of ash came billowing from Mount Etna on July 17 at precisely 1:33 p.m., followed by 300-foot blasts of lava. Below, in the resort town of Nicolosi, Italy, anxious residents prayed for protection. But scientists were jubilant. “ Three minutes,” gushes Gene Ulmer, a Temple University geologist. “That’s all they missed by.” Not only did Ulmer witness the eruption (which killed no one), he was in Nicolosi the previous night when European volcanologists（火山学家） predicted that Mount Etna would erupt at 1:30 p.m.— one of the most accurate predictions in history. Scientists have historically had little success in predicting eruptions. There are instruments to monitor the geophysical changes that may suggest a volcano is ready to blow—increase in tremors, alterations in the mountain’s tilt, or changes in the resistance of the earth surrounding it. Other instruments track volcanoes’ chemical compositions, because rising levels of ammonia, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, water and can also herald eruptions. But none of these instruments has done particularly well. So scientists have taken to monitoring as many different aspects of volcanic activity as possible. This broader approach appears to have yielded the stunningly accurate results at Etna. “We may have finally found the right combination of instrument to monitor volcanoes—and save lives,” says Ulmer. It is, of course, possible that the Etna team just got lucky. Nonetheless, Ulmer says, “all of us in volcanology are very excited.” 36. Volcanologists were surprised by __. A) the accuracy of their own predictions of eruption of Mount Etna B) the eruption of Mount Etna C) the instruments they had used D) the ash and smoke of Mount Etna
37. Which instruments are the most effective ones to predict the eruption of volcanoes? A) Instruments to monitor the geophysical changes. B) Instruments to track volcanoes’ chemical compositions. C) The combinations of instruments. D) None of them.
38. What does the word “jubilant” mean according to;the context? A) Upset. B) Filled with great joy. C) Disappointed. D) Accurate.
39 . What is the main idea of the passage? A) Though Mount Etna erupted as European volcanologists predicted, it was just a coincidence. B) Scientists succeeded in finding the instruments to predict eruption. C) Lots of scientists witnessed the Eruption of Mount Etna. D) Scientists predicted accurately the eruption of Mount Etna.
40. What’s the possible title for this passage? A) The Volcanologists Succeeded. B) Mount Etna’s Eruption. C) Right on Schedule—Mount Etna Makes Scientists Look Smart. D)Prediction of Eruption in History.
can also herald eruptions. But none of these instruments has done particularly well. 
