问题描述：
Very recently, the state of Arkansas decided to keep its history alive by teaching children stories about the past. One of the stories is a sad one about a steamboat called the Sultana.Here is a newspaper report dated 27th April 1995 that will tell you the story too.
Today, the Mississippi River is flowing silently and peacefully through our state. What a difference to this day, 27th April, 130 years ago!
The Sultana was built to carry about 380 people, but on that fateful journey as many as 2,000 were aboard. Why? Well, the Civil War had just ended and many soldiers had been told they could travel home on the Sultana. Some said that the boat was too full, but, of course, the homesick soldiers wanted to be home.“We will see our wives and children again in less than two weeks!”they said. So they all went aboard and were willing to accept the crowded conditions.
Sadly, at about 2 a.m. on the 27th April, 1865, the three boilers on the steamboat suddenly exploded. Flames went up so high into the sky that they could be seen 10 kilometers away. Loud screams could be heard coming from the boat but little could be done to help those on board.
A few of them were able to jump into the cold, dark river and swim to safety. And small boats along the river looked for hours to try to find survivors. But as the sun rose in the sky a few hours later, it was obvious that most of the 2,000 had died.
The wreck of the Sultana was found about 20 years ago and this has made people in the region keep alive the sad story of that miserable night.
1. How many people were there on the steamboat?
____.
2. Why did so many people die in the Sultana disaster?
____.
3. What caused the accident?
____.
4. How did people along the river help?
____.
5. Did more people die than survived?
____.
6. How did people several kilometers away know that a terrible disaster had happened?
____.
7. Why are people interested today in the disaster?
____.
最佳答案： 【分析】1. 由第四段第一句...but on that fateful journey as many as 2,000 were aboard.可知，轮船上有两千人。
2. 由第四段可知，甲板上的人太多了，所以在轮船事故中才会有那么多人丧生。
3. 由第五段第一句...the three boilers on the steamboat suddenly exploded.可知，轮船上的三个锅炉突然爆炸引起了这场灾难。
4. 由第六段第二句And small boats along the river looked for hours to try to find survivors.可知，沿岸有很多小船花了几个小时设法找到幸存者。
5. 由第六段最后一句...it was obvious that most of the 2,000 had died.可知，两千人中大部分人都在事故中丧生。
6. 由第五段第二句Flames went up so high into the sky that they could be seen 10 kilometers away.可知，火焰喷得很高，以至于10公里以外的人都能看到。
7. 由最后一段可知，轮船的残骸在20年前被发现，使得当地的人们对那场悲惨的事故仍然保持着兴趣。
