In the 6th century BC, there was a war between the Romans and the Etruscans(伊特拉斯坎人) who lived north of Rome. The Etruscans raised a great army and marched toward Rome. At that time, Rome was just a small town, and the Romans did not have enough fighting men to protect their people.

One morning, thousands of Etruscan horsemen and footmen were seen marching straight toward the wooden bridge over the Tiber River. Rome was in immediate danger!

Among the guards at the bridge was a brave man named Horatius. He ordered the soldiers to cut down the bridge. At the same time, he took two soldiers with him to the far side of it. There, the three brave men kept the enemy from taking the bridge.

The soldiers tried to destroy the bridge as quickly as they could, and soon it was ready to fall. Some of them ran across to call the three men back.

Horatius yelled at the two others to cross first. At that moment the bridge fell with a great crash. Horatius fought the Etruscans by himself, and a dart(标枪) entered his left eye. In great pain, he turned and jumped into the river.

Horatius sank into the deep water but soon came out of the water, halfway across the river. He was greeted with shouts of joy, for he had saved the town. He gained a new name, Horatius Cocles, meaning the "one-eyed Horatius" and is remembered as one of Rome’s greatest heroes.

1.From the first paragraph we learn that Rome ________.

A. did not have many brave soldiers

B. was not large and strong then

C. was under the control of the Etruscans

D. had sent most of its army away.

2.To save the city of Rome, Horatius planned________.

A. To burn the road to Rome.

B. To drive the enemy into the river.

C. To cut down the bridge.

D. To kill the enemy horsemen first.

3.After the two soldiers came back,________.

A. The bridge fell into the water.

B. Horatius was killed by a horseman.

C. The Etruscans won the battle.

D. Horatius defeated the Etruscans by himself.

4.Horatius was renamed "Horatius Cocles" because ________.

A. he was the wisest man in Rome

B. he had saved the town of Rome

C. he had shown great courage against the enemy

D. his left eye had been hurt in the battle

5.Which of the following words could NOT necessarily be used to describe Horatius?

A. Fearless. B. Honest. C. Selfless. D. Bright.

An old man was going home late one night with his horse and cart after a day’s hard work. When he was not far away from his house, the light on the cart went out. He tried but could not repair it. He was near his home, and so he went along the road without a light. When a policeman saw this, he stopped the old man.

“Where is your light?” asked the policeman. “No man may take a cart along the road at night without a light. You know that. You have broken the law.” “I had a light, but it has just gone out,” said the old man.

“I don’t believe that story. What’s your name and where do you live?” asked the policeman. “Please don’t write down my name,” said the old man. “My home is just there. You can see it from here. I had a light nearly the whole way.”

“You came all the way without a light. What’s your name?”

The old man quickly took the policeman’s hand and put it down on the top of the light. The light was still hot and burnt the policeman’s hand. The policeman jumped and he was very angry. “Now, what do you think?” said the old man. “Did I come all the way without a light?”

1.What does the underlined word “cart” mean in the passage?

A. It means house. B. It is something pulled by a horse.

C. It means light. D. It is something used for cooking food.

2.The old man drove home _____.

A. late one night B. with his donkey C. with a policeman D. early one morning

3.Where did the policeman stop the old man?

A. Under a street light. B. At the traffic lights.

C. Near the old man’s home. D. Far away from the old man’s home.

4.Why was the old man stopped by the policeman?

A. Because the light on his cart was not on.

B. Because he burnt the policeman’s hand.

C. Because he broke a street light.

D. Because he didn’t want to help the policeman.

5.What made the policeman believe the old man’s words?

A. He made the policeman angry. B. He jumped and shouted angrily.

C. The light burnt the policeman’s hand. D. He made the policeman touch the cart.

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