The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2, 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 the Thames Street. That was the beginnings.
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 which 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. The fire began in ___________________________.
A. a hotel         B. the palace          C. Pudding Lane          D. Thames Street
2. The underlined word "family" in the second paragraph means “________________________________”.
A. home             B. children              C. wife and husband    D. wife and children
3. It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ________________________________.
A. some people lost their lives              
B. the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
C. many famous buildings were destroyed     
D. the King’s bakery was burned down
4. Why did the writer cite(引用) Samuel Pepys?
A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.
B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.
C. To show that poor people suffered most
D. To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.
5. How was the fire put out according to the text?
A. The king and his soldiers came to help.
B. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.
C. People managed to get enough water from the river.
D. Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down.
6. Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread 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) and (c)         
C. (a), (b), (c) and (d)                            D. (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)

_______71_______ It is a very happy day for many boys and girls. Before the term ends in some schools, the children act a nativity (基督诞生) or "birth" play, showing how Jesus was born in a stable.(马棚).
On the twenty-fourth of December, all children are very excited.______72____ The younger children think that Father Christmas will come down the chimney of fireplace, so they hang up a sock for him to put presents in. The greedy ones even hang up a pillowcase or a sack to try to get more presents.________73_____
On Christmas morning, the children wake up very early. Some even turn on the light at two o'clock, and most of them are awake by six o'clock although there is no light in England for another hour or two at this time of the year.
_____74______ At about one o'clock in the afternoon, the Christmas dinner is brought in._____75______ Children search in their Christmas pudding for new coins which are hidden in it. The rest of the day is full of games and eating until the happiness of all Christian holidays comes to an end.

A.People are often busy going shopping.
B.The turkey or chicken is quickly eaten.
C.Now the Chinese people also celebrate Christmas.
D.Children look for their presents, and the young ones play while the dinner is prepared.
E. Later that night, Father or Mother will put presents in the sock, and leave others at the side of the bed.
F. Usually they are sent to bed early so that their parents can get the presents ready.
G. Christmas Day falls on the twenty-fifth of December.

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