The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.
1.It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
A. many famous buildings were destroyed
B. the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
C. some people lost their lives
D. the King's bakery was burned down
2.Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?
A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.
B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.
C. To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.
D. To show that poor people suffered most.
3.How was the fire put out according to the text?
A. Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down.
B. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.
C. People managed to get enough water from the river.
D. The king and his soldiers came to help.
4.Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (扩散)of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow.
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
A. (a) and (b)
B. (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)
C. (a), (b), (c) and (d)
D. (a), (b) and (c)
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