1. (2023高一上·宣城月考)  阅读理解

Those who make great discoveries must often overcome many challenges along the way—as was the case with the explorer Christopher Columbus. Columbus was born in a port city of Italy in 

1451. As a teenager, he loved sailing, and he showed great interest in geography, which inspired him to begin his career as a seaman. 

Columbus stuck to searching for a direct sea route to the East Indies by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. After trying many times, he received financial support from the King and Queen of Spain. On 3 August 1492, he set off from Spain with three ships carrying about 90 crewmen. His adventure was full of challenges: it took longer than expected, they faced the lack of food, and one of the ships was leaking badly, which put everyone on this ship in great danger. The men on board were in panic. Although they faced so many challenges, Columbus managed to keep everyone out of danger with his knowledge and bravery across the ocean. Finally, on 12 October, the crew found land in the distance. Columbus called the natives living on the islands Indians because he believed that he was in the East Indies. However, the shores they had reached were of the Caribbean, not the East Indies. 

Between 1493 and 1504, Columbus found more land over the course of the following three voyages. The major contribution of this great explorer is that he "discovered" the New World. His discovery encouraged explorers such as Captain James Cook to explore and discover more vast areas of the world. His voyages opened a new chapter of the Age of Exploration.

1. （1） What's the main idea of paragraph 2?

   A . Introduction to Columbus' first voyage. B . Columbus' preparations for his adventure. C . The challenges Columbus and his team met. D . Columbus' discovery of the New World.
3. （2） According to this passage, many factors contributed to Columbus' success EXCEPT ____

   A . strong interest in sailing B . support from the Spanish government C . rich knowledge and bravery D . encouragement from other explorers
5. （3） Which of the following words can best describe Columbus? 

   A . Creative and smart B . Determined and adventurous C . Caring and patient D . Kind and knowledgeable