Water, water everywhere.
It lasted almost two months, but in August it ended. It left 45 people dead and $10 billion worth of damage in nine states of the USA. It was quite a big Mississippi flood ever recorded.
In St. Louis, Missouri, 9,000 people were forced to leave their homes while the city was in danger. St. Louis is just downriver from the points where the Missouri and Illinois Rivers flow into the Mississippi. All the three rivers were flooding. But the city escaped the worst when levees broke upriver. A levee is built of river sand and clay.
Eleven miles of flood walls were built in the late 1960s. The walls are 18 inches thick and 5 to 22 feet high. They were designed to protect against a 52-foot flood. In St. Louis, water almost reached the top of flood walls. It measured 49.4 feet.
The meaning of the words "But the city escaped the worst" is that ______.

[A] of
B. in
C. on
D. at

A bike tour and race will be held on July 26 and 27 ( Sat. & Sun. ). At 4:30 a.m. the riders will leave Tiananmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55-ki-lometre leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive (竞争性的) part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be taken from Jixian to Changli.
The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside at Nandaihe, covering a distance of 20 kilometers. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free at the seaside. At noon ail the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
Cost: 200 yuan
Telephone: 4675027

Brazilian footballers
The Brazilian Football Club will play Beijing Guoan Team at the Workers Stadium on July 26. The club has several national team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star Romario who has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.
Ticket prices: 60 yuan, 100 yuan, 150 yuan
Time/Date: 4:30 p. m. , July 26 ( Sat. )
Telephone: 5012372

Rock climbing
The Third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on July 26～27 at the Huairou Mountain climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Daiian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition of climbing. Free for spectators (观众).
Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.
Time/Dates:9～12 a. m. , July 26 and 27
Telephone: 7143177, 7144850, Wang Zhenghua