题目内容
The diamond is the hardest natural substance in the world. What causes this superhardness? Pressure and heat are the answers. The pressure has to be close to two million pounds. That’s per square inch. Much heat is required too. Experts say over 5,000 degrees. To make a diamond, one more thing is needed. This is ______. Pressure, heat, and carbon combine. They create a sparkling diamond. The very best are colorless. Pale blue stones─very rare─are high quality too.
Where do most diamonds come from? Over 97 percent come from Africa. The first diamond in Africa was not found by miners. Children found it, in 1866. They were playing in a shallow stream. One picked up “a pretty pebble”. The “pebble” was placed on the mantel of the fireplace. It was soon forgotten. Much later, a guest noticed the sparkle. He urged the farmer to have the stone looked at. He did. He took it to an expert in town. The “pebble” proved to be a diamond worth $2,500. That was a small fortune in those days. To date, the mines in Africa have produced over 1 billion dollars worth of diamonds.
Not all diamonds are found in Africa. Our hemisphere produced diamonds too. Brazil was a big producer in earlier times. The famous gem the Star of the South was found in brazil in 1853.
The gem the President Vargas was found more recently in Brazil. This was in 1938. A poor prospector found the stone. It was in the San Antonio River. It weighed 726.6 carats. The man sold the stone for $10,000 to a local broker. The broker almost immediately resold it. He got about $425,000. What a nice guy!
1.What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words)
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2.Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
Some diamonds are found in Africa but some are not.
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3.Please fill in the blank in the first paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.(Please answer within 10 words)
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4.What do you think of the diamond in modern days?(Please answer within 30 words)
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5.Translate the underlined sentence in the first paragraph into Chinese.
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1.The world’s Hardest Substance.
2.Not all diamonds are found in Africa.
3.black carbon
4.Nowadays, diamond is a symbol that not common people can have it. Only the rich can own it.
5.钻石是世界上最硬的天然物质。

Willy, a merchant, returned home to his own country from a faraway continent, where he had succeeded making a small fortune by hard work. He found on arriving at the port that all his relatives were having a large party.
He was in such a happy mood and in the joy of the moment, he did not even bother changing his grey flannel(法兰绒)suit which had become a little worn during the trip home.
When he entered the brilliantly lit room, his relatives and friends gave him a rather cold welcome because they had noticed his modest suit and immediately imagined that he had come back a poor man.
A young man who happened to be accompanying him was quite irritated at this and said to Willy, “What a wonderful reception you have received from these people. They have not even the intention of shaking your hand after all these years that you have been away from home.”
“Just wait and see!” whispered Willy, “They will soon change their looks!” Saying this he slipped a precious ring on his finger. All of a sudden the faces of all those present lit up and immediately Willy was surrounded by so many people that he didn’t know what to do. A man shook his hand, a cousin threw his arms around him, and he had so many invitations from the people present that he thought he would be unable to make any other appointments for several years.
“Has this beautiful, precious ring of yours the power of magic people?” asked the young man.
“Oh, no!” replied Willy, “They see in this glittering diamond ring something that makes them think I am rich, and, unfortunately, they place wealth above everything else.”
"What blind people!" exclaimed the young man. “It is not the ring that has drawn them to you but their desire for riches. Is it possible to appreciate more a piece of yellow metal surrounded by little stones than the goodness of my Lord? And indeed how foolish are people who place their trust in riches rather than in virtues(美德)!”
【小题1】 In what way did Willy go to attend the party held by his relatives and friends?
A.In such a modest mood. | B.In travel-soiled clothes. |
C.Wearing a precious jewel. | D.Without being accompanied. |
A.excited | B.pleased | C.angry | D.envious |
A.give up all the physical wealth | B.appreciate more jewelry than goodness |
C.observe carefully when judging a person | D.avoid being blinded by the desire for wealth |
A.The Diamond Ring | B.The Welcome Party |
C.The Modest Clothes | D.The Joyful Crowd |
68. Mrs. Black went back to_______ place _____ she had found the diamond.
A.the same; where |
B.the same; as |
C.the same; that |
D.as the same; as |