Lightning flashed through the darkness over Sibson's bedroom skylight (天窗) .Sibson was shaken by a clap of thunder 32        he knew what was happening. The storm had moved directly 33        his twostorey wooden house. Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping.

Sibson rushed down the stairs barefoot to 34      he opened the door to the basement,and flames 35       out. Sibson ran back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom. "I felt 36        because the room had a separate outdoor stair?way," he explains.

But the phone didn't work,and when he tried to go down the outdoor stairway,he was 37        by a wall of flames. Sibson realized he was trapped.

Sibson's house was three kilometres 38        the main road and was so well hidden by trees that he knew calling for help would be 39       .

Up a hill nearby lived Sibson's neighbour,Huggons. He was lying in bed when something like a smoke alarm 40        his ears. He jumped out of bed,took his 41       and flashlight,and headed down the hillside towards the 42       . That was when he saw the rolling heavy smoke.

Huggons dialed 911,and the operator warned him not to 43       the house. But Huggons said, "There is no way I am going to listen to Sibson 44        and die in that fire."

"Anyone there?" Huggons called out. Then he heard "Help!I'm trapped!" coming from the second floor balco?ny. He entered the house,but soon had to run back to catch his 45       .

After one more 46        inside the house,Huggons gave up and 47       around back.

The wind parted the smoke just 48        for him to catch sight of Sibson. But there was no way to get to him.

He 49       the flashlight into the woods and noticed a lad-1 der. He took it over to the balcony and 50        Sibson down just as the second floor of the house fell off.

Sibson is still 51        when he tells the story. "I was alone that night”,he says. "Then I heard the most beau?tiful sound in my life. It was Huggons."

32. A. before   B. while   C. since   D. until

33. A. on   B. in   C. through   D. over

34. A. hide   B. wait   C. check   D. escape

35. A. moved   B. gave   C. went   D. exploded

36. A. safe   B. worried   C. glad   D. tired

37. A. burned   B. stopped   C. shocked   D. covered

38. A. beside   B. off   C. across   D. along

39. A. limited   B. false   C. fruitless   D. regretful

40. A. struck   B. missed   C. touched   D. passed

41. A. coat   B. key   C. basin   D. phone

42. A. noise   B. road   C. smoke   D. danger

43. A. search   B. enter   C. leave   D. damage

44. A. call   B. roll   C. scream   D. sigh

45. A. breath   B. attention   C. ladder   D. flashlight

46. A. stay   B. chance   C. thought   D. attempt

47. A. climbed   B. circled   C. looked   D. jumped

48. A. clear   B. open   C. enough   D. fit

49. A. led   B. put   C. drove   D. shone

50. A. persuaded   B. kicked   C. pulled   D. forced

51. A. nervous   B. surprised   C. proud   D. thankful

 The people of ancient Maya approached the art of ceramics in a manner which actually no other culture did.

  The Vase of the Seven Gods,made in the area of Naranjo,an ancient city of the Maya civ?ilization,shows the fine way the Maya handled clay. There is no evidence of burned marks,but the clay maintains an even width all around. A special box was used to fire this to equally dis?tribute the heat. The mere fact that so much effort was spent on the creation of this vase alone shows the importance of ceramics to the Maya people. Like all art of Maya,this vase exhibits highly religious symbols. Furthermore,the artist's name is marked along the bottom of this piece in the form of a small white rabbit.

  Ceramics also served as reminders of ancestors,God,and spirituality. Color was often used as an indicator,and research shows that artists actually applied the pigments to each work in a far different manner than is typically used today. The Fleur De Lis vase is a fine example. The water lilies are not only symbols of new birth and life giving qualities,but a constant re?minder of purity. On this vase,the water lilies are white,which is undoubtedly a sign of purity.

  Furthermore,ceramics served a great level of ftxnctionality in the Maya culture. Vases,which are quite commonly seen today,were used primarily for the consumption of liquid choco?late and cocoa. Bowls were used to serve various maize (corn) products. This practice holds extreme spiritual importance,because maize is seen as the body of the Maize God. The ancient Maya thought if they ate maize,or the body of God from the bowl,they actually became God. Far less specifically,plates were merely used for any object which should not be consumed from a vase or bowl.

  Finally,Maya used depictions―cravings or paintings―on ceramics to resurrect family members and honor god. Because they believed that they would rise from the dead with their name spoken or their figures drawn or painted,the depictions on these ceramics played a vital role in Maya spirituality.

  Clearly,ceramics served a key function in ancient Maya society.

(   ) 1. The art of ceramics of the ancient Maya         .

   A. was instructed by gods

   B. was distinct from that of other cultures

   C. was not paid attention to by other cultures

   D. marked the best aspect of the Maya civilization

(   ) 2. The water lilies on the Fleur De Lis vase         .

   A. give people a sense of purity

   B. are floating in a white ancient sea

   C. merely indicate new birth and life giving qualities

   D. remind people of ancestors,God,and spirituality

(   ) 3. What does the underlined word "resurrect" most probably mean?

   A. Show respect for sb. B. Tell stories about sb.

   C. Bring sb. back to life. D. Memorize sb. who are dead.

(   ) 4. We can conclude that in ancient Maya society         .

   A. ceramics served a functional and spiritual purpose

   B. the ceramics were initially made to meet religious needs

   C. owing fine ceramics was a symbol of richness and nobility

   D. ceramics were used totally differently from what we do now

S Rifca Stanescu gave birth to her daughter Maria when she was only 13 !And now at 12 ,Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy.

Despite Rifca Stanescu's pleas for her daughter Maria to stay in school,the 11-year-old girl ran away,got married and got pregnant with her husband's baby. That's right,she was only 11 !History repeats itself.

At the age of 11,Rifca ran away with her now husband Ionel,who was only 13 at the time. The pair got married and conceived Maria. "I am happy to be a grandmother but I wished something else for Maria,and something else for me," Rifca tells the The Sun. "Ion is a good boy,and he is already engaged to a girl aged 8. Boys are always good to have,they don't have to suffer as much girls I think."

Already engaged? Seems weird right,but in Romanian gypsy culture that's normal. Rifca was promised to be married to someone else at the age of two,but once she met Ionel,she de?nied her family's wishes and ran away with him. "I wanted to marry him,so I agreed,and of course after we had spent the night together then there was no way anyone could separate us”, Rifca explains.

In gypsy culture,virginity is greatly prized and girls marry young so that their new hus?bands are assured they are virgins. If a woman loses her virginity before marriage,the deal is off. After Maria's birth,Ionel's family paid Rifca's father a dowry (嫁妆) and so that everything could be settled.

So when Maria decided at the age of 11 to get married,Rifca couldn't really do anything about it. "I did not try to stop my daughter getting married because this is the tradition," she says, "it's what happens."

(   ) 1. Which of these is the best definition of the word " conceived"?

   A. Think carefully about. B. Take into consideration.

   C. The process of giving birth. D. Become pregnant.

(   ) 2. Why do the girls marry so young in Romanian gypsy culture?

   A. Because their families are really so poor.

   B. This is the traditional custom.

   C. The girls want to look for their better life.

   D. Their husbands want to identify they are virgins.

(   ) 3. Which of the following is the right order of the story?

a. Ion is engaged to a girl aged 8.

b. Rifca ran away with her now husband Ionel at the age of 11.

c. Maria got married and got pregnant at the age of 11.

d. Rifca gave birth to her daughter Maria when she was only 13.

e. Rifca was promised to be married to someone at the age of two.

f. Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy,Ion.

   A. ecfabd   B. ebdcfa   C. bedfca   D. bdcefa

(   ) 4. What is the main meaning of the passage?

   A. The world youngest granny ― only twentythree years old this year.

   B. In gypsy culture,virginity is greatly prized.

   C. Rifca,the 11-year-old girl,ran away,got married and got pregnant with her husband's baby.

   D. Rifca gave birth to her daughter Maria when only 13 ,and now at 12 ,Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy.

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