The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.

         “So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name ? ”

         “Are you sure you want to hear it ? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.

         “Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”

         “Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began this tale.

         “Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in . In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.

         “ ‘You are clearing too much land, ’ warned one old man. ‘ The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it. ’

         “ ‘ Silly fool,’ said Dennis to himself. ‘If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’s just jealous!’”

         “Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.”

         “What happened? ” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.

         “The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned, ” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”

         “What a stupid story, ” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t …” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted (晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.

1.The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.

A. courage                           B. assistance                        C. instruction                       D. challenge

2.Why did Jack tell Tom and Martin the story?

A. To frighten them.

B. To satisfy their curiosity.

C. To warn them of the danger of the place.

D. To persuade them to camp in the swamp.

3.Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man?

A. The old man envied him.

B. The old man was foolish

C. He was too busy to listen to others.

D. He was greedy for more crops.

4.Why did Tom scream and faint?

A. He saw Dennis’s shadow

B. He was scared by a plant

C. His friends played a joke on him.

D. The weather became extremely cold.

5.What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis?

A. Grasp all, lose all.

B. No sweat, no sweet.

C. It is no use crying over spilt milk.

D. He who makes no mistakes makes nothing.

 

完成句子(共10小题;每小题2分,满分20分)

1.Something terrible ___________________ if Tom wasn’t coming to eat in his restaurant as he always did. (happen)

要是汤姆不像往常那样到他的餐馆来吃饭,一定是发生了什么可怕的事。

2.So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on ______________. (solve)

所以,在未来的数百万年中,生命能否在地球上延续取决于这个问题能否得到解决。

3.It is hard work as well as determination _________________________. (lead)

努力工作和决心使得他成功。

4.__________________, I will be right here waiting for you. (be)

无论你在哪里,我都会在这里等你。

5.My brothers can’t attend the party__________________ at Tom’s house at present, because he is preparing for his examination. (hold)

我的哥哥不能参加此刻正在汤姆家举行的晚会,因为他正在为考试做准备。

6.People may __________________ that Charlie was taught to sing as soon as he could speak and dance as soon as he could walk. (find)

人们可能会感到惊奇,查理刚会说话时大人就教他唱歌,他刚会走路时大人就教他跳舞了。

7.My teacher told us that ____________ would win us more friendships and bring us more chances. (modest)

老师告诉我们,谦虚会为我们赢得更多的友谊并给我们带来更多的机会。

8.A large number of people _____________ the importance of the environmental protection up to now. (realize)

如今,许多人已经意识到了环境保护的重要性。

9.______________, this kind of pear was soon sold out at the market. (taste)

口味甜,这种梨很快在超市里销售一空。

10.The fact ______________________as his brother made it necessary for him to lose weight. (twice)

他是他哥哥的两倍重,这个事实使得他有必要减肥。

 

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