阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A,B,C,D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂上.

When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing.His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum.Mr.Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show.He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.

He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes.When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads.To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.

During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people.He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money.By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich.He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.

Fortunately for Tom, Mr.Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well.One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher.Tom was able to win her love, and they married.

The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town.They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests.Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage.The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.

Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war.Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb" weddings.In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.

1.The underlined words "talk of the town" means________.

A. it was in the newspaper

B. it was the most popular topic

C. people spread bad rumors about it

D. it was discussed in a city meeting

2.Which one of the following statements is true according to the text?

A. Charles mother took him to see the famous showman because he stopped growing.

B. Tom had to fight with others during the show.

C. Tom’s wedding ceremony helped people cheer up in a dark time.

D. Tom and his mother came from England.

3.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B. People are always disappointed during war time.

C. Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D. People should be married when they are small children.

阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

Today I am known for my voice.Perhaps the greatest honor came when I was asked to read a book on tape.

But it____ a long time to believe such good things could happen to me.When I was a youngster I stuttered(口吃) so badly that I was completely ____to speak in public.

____, when I was 14, Professor Donald Crouch came to our school.He was a retired college professor.English was his favorite subject and ____ was his deepest love.He held a book of poems as if it were a diamond necklace, ____pages as if uncovering treasures.When he heard our school was teaching Shakespeare and other classics, he could no longer____not being a part of our school.

When he____that I not only loved poetry but was____it, we became closer.There was, however, one____between us-Professor Crouch could not bear the____that I refused to read my poems to the class.

“Jim, poetry is____to be read aloud,” he said. “You should be able to speak those beautiful words.” I shook my head and turned away.

One day he____me.After handing in a poem, I waited for his____.It didn’t come.Instead, one day as the students gathered together, he____me, “Jim, I don’t think you wrote this poem.”

I stared at him in___.“Why,” I started, anger____me.“of course I did!” “Well, then,” he said, “you’ve got to prove it by getting up and reciting it ____memory.”

By then the other students had settled at their desks.With knees shaking, I walked up to the front.For a moment I stood there, ____.Then I began, and kept going.I recited my poem all the way____!

Afterwards, Professor Crouch congratulated me, and encouraged me to read other writers’ poetry before public. I discovered I did have a(n) ____and found my fellow students actually looked forward to hearing me recite.

1.A. lasted B. took C. spent D. wasted

2.A. uncertain B. uncomfortable C. unbelievable D. unable

3.A. However B. Besides C. Then D. Therefore

4.A. novel B. Architecture C. art D. poetry

5.A. drawing B. Writing C. turning D. finding

6.A. protect B. help C. keep D. stand

7.A. learned B. recognized C. decided D. proved

8.A. Writing B. reading C. reciting D. saving

9.A. difference B. difficulty C. promise D. similarity

10.A. truth B. idea C. fact D. belief

11.A. said B. meant C. taught D. prepared

12.A. fooled B. joked C. tricked D. scolded

13.A. idea B. reward C. congratulation D. comment

14.A. told B. noticed C. attacked D. challenged

15.A. disbelief B. silence C. sadness D. excitement

16.A. flowing B. flooding C. filling D. sweeping

17.A. with B. By C. from D. in

18.A. terrified B. hopeless C. disappointed D. breathless

19.A. down B. along C. through D. around

20.A. voice B. sound C. appearance D. interest

In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music,dance and theater in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.

At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theater groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a public house disused for years.

Soon,groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theater by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.

Today the “Fringe”,once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theater,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theater groups performing,some said it was getting too big.

A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.

1.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at he beginning?

A. To bring Europe together again.

B. To honor heroes of World War 11.

C. To introduce young theater groups.

D. To attract great artists from Europe.

2.Why did some uninvited theater groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?

A. They owned a public house there.

B. They came to take up a challenge.

C. They thought they were also famous.

D. They wanted to take part in the festival.

3.Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?

A. Popular writers.

B. University students.

C.Artists from around the world.

D. Performers of music and dance.

4.We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival___.

A. has become a non-official event

B. has gone beyond an art festival

C. gives shows all year round

D. keeps growing rapidly

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