A nighttime building fire in southern Taiwan Province that took hours to bring under control killed 46 people on Thursday. Officials in the city of Kaohsiung said at least 41 people were injured.

The fire started early Thursday morning local time. A statement by the fire department described it as “extremely fierce.” Flames and smoke poured from the lower floors as firefighters tried to control the fire.

The number of dead rose during the day as rescue workers searched the building which combined businesses and homes. By late afternoon, officials confirmed 32 people had died, while 14 people, who showed no signs of life, were among 55 taken to the hospital. In Taiwan, official confirmation of a death is made at the hospital.

Firefighters could be seen spraying water into the middle floors of the 13-floor building. One woman, who was not identified, said on Taiwanese television that her 60-to-70 year old parents were still inside as rescue efforts continued. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that officials said the building’s age and waste blocking many areas made search and rescue efforts more difficult.

Many of the people living in the 40-year-old building were retired and lived alone in apartments as small as 13 square meters, local media reported. The building had 120 living spaces on the upper floors. It also had a closed movie theater, disused restaurants and karaoke businesses below them, the Central News Agency said. Mayor Chen Chi-mai said the building was partly abandoned.

The United Daily News, a major newspaper, said fire extinguishers(灭火器) had been put in place last month. But there were only three on each floor because the residents could not pay for more.

The fire appeared to have started on the ground floor. Investigators were examining a first-floor tea shop whose owner reportedly fought with his girlfriend the day before. They had not ruled out that the fire may have been set on purpose, The United Daily News reported.

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1.From the passage, we can know that_____.

A the fire made lots of firemen in trouble

B all the victims have been properly relocated

C the accident caused many injuries and deaths

D the local hospital has organized blood donations

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据第一段可知，此次火灾已造成46人死亡，至少有41人受伤。由此说明伤亡数字巨大。故选C。

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A No signs of life were found when rescuers came.

B The exact number of victims could not be confirmed.

C There are hidden dangers in the building itself.

D The building is used for business and residential purposes.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第三段The number of dead rose during the day as rescue workers searched the building which combined businesses and homes.可知，这座大楼是一个综合商业和住宅的建筑。故选D。

3.What probably caused the firefighters’ work to be blocked?

A The waste in the building.

B Narrow rescue space.

C Too many retired old people.

D The TV station’s live broadcasting.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第四段Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that officials said the building’s age and waste blocking many areas made search and rescue efforts more difficult.可知, 大楼老化，垃圾堵塞了许多区域，使得搜救工作更加困难。故选A。

4.Which question’s answer will help detect the fire case?

A Why was the building partly abandoned?

B How do the residents live in the small apartments?

C Why weren’t there enough fire extinguishers in the building?

D What happened to those on the ground floor that morning?

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据最后一段可知，火灾似乎是从一楼开始的，调查人员正在检查一楼的一家茶馆，据报道该茶馆的店主前一天与女友发生了争执。由此推断，只要知道了当天早上一楼住户的居家情况就可以侦破此次火灾案，故选D。