My name is Toby. I’m eighty-three years old now. I once knew the greatest man in England. William Shakespeare was his name. I first met William near a big field of apple trees in the town named Stratford in October, 1579. He told me he was 15 years old. He was two years older than me. He had a sister, Joan, and two younger brothers, Gilbert and Richard. And the next year he had another brother, Edmund. After William’s parents died, he and his sister lived with his mother’s brother. I became his friend from that day until he died. We met nearly every day. We were friends for thirty years.

I once worked with him in the theatre, through the good times and the bad times. William was good at acting. He could make all kinds of people pleased. By 1592, he became very famous. He was always busy day and night. I don’t know when he slept. He not only acted in plays, but also wrote his own plays. In his whole life, William wrote 37 plays in all. He was the best playwright in England.

He wrote a play about love in 1595. It was Romeo and Juliet. He once used my name, Toby, in his play—Twelfth Night. In this play, Sir Toby Belch was a big fat man, who liked drinking too much and having a good time. Queen Elizabeth the First watched this play on the 6^th of January, 1601. She liked it.

William Shakespeare is dead now, of course. He has been dead for more than thirty years. There’s no singing, no dancing, no plays. It isn’t like that in my young days. But I can still think—and remember when William and I were young, we had a good time in London, William and I…

1.Toby and William first met in ______.

   A. 1601          B. 1595         C.1592          D. 1579

2.Who was William’s youngest brother?

   A. Gilbert           B. Edmund       C. Richard      D. Joan

3.In the second paragraph, the underlined word “playwright” means “a person who ______”.

   A. writes plays                      B. performs in plays   

   C. watches plays                 D. works in a theatre

4.Romeo and Juliet is a play about _______.

   A. war           B. peace            C. love         D. friendship

My name is Toby. I’m eighty-three years old now. I once knew the greatest man in England. William Shakespeare was his name. I first met William near a big field of apple trees in the town named Stratford in October, 1579. He told me he was 15 years old. He was two years older than me. He had a sister, Joan, and two younger brothers, Gilbert and Richard. And the next year he had another brother, Edmund. After William’s parents died, he and his sister lived with his mother’s brother. I became his friend from that day until he died. We met nearly every day. We were friends for thirty years.
I once worked with him in the theatre, through the good times and the bad times. William was good at acting. He could make all kinds of people pleased. By 1592, he became very famous. He was always busy day and night. I don’t know when he slept. He not only acted in plays, but also wrote his own plays. In his whole life, William wrote 37 plays in all. He was the best playwright in England.
He wrote a play about love in 1595. It was Romeo and Juliet. He once used my name, Toby, in his play—Twelfth Night. In this play, Sir Toby Belch was a big fat man, who liked drinking too much and having a good time. Queen Elizabeth the First watched this play on the 6^th of January, 1601. She liked it.
William Shakespeare is dead now, of course. He has been dead for more than thirty years. There’s no singing, no dancing, no plays. It isn’t like that in my young days. But I can still think—and remember when William and I were young, we had a good time in London, William and I…
【小题1】Toby and William first met in ______.

沿着泰晤士河两岸，我们可以看到英国的许多名胜。请仔细阅读第56–60题对英国五处名胜古迹的介绍，然后从A到F的六处景点中，选出匹配的项。（根据英语读写强化训练九年级第67-68页改编）

56. If you like visiting places where important events like royal wedding take place, you should visit this 300-year-old cathedral. It is a world-famous building and is one of London sights that most tourists look forward to seeing. Once inside, they don’t mind climing the 259 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the city.

57. The British goverment has been meeting here since 1512. The clock with four faces is the biggest in Britain, and Big Ben is the name of the enormous bell inside it. People around the world see this place as a symbol of Britain.

58. This is an exact replica of the original theater that Shakespeare used for performances of his plays. You can enjoy watching Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet or any other of his great works.

59. In the past, this 900-year-old building was a prison. Today, tourists come to see the Crown Jewels and the ravens that live in the tower. Many people believe that these big black birds are unlucky, but they also say that disaster will never hit Britain as long as ravens keep living there.

60. It is the most famous bridge in the world and a symbol of London. The two towels have powerful machinery for lifting the bridge, so that tall ships can pass under.