When Pierre Thiam was getting ready to open his Clinton Hill Restaurant last year, Kassoum Fofana’s family helped him kindly.

       “They did an amazing job,” said Thiam, owner of Dakar, who recalled how Fofana’s cousins did construction ,woodworking ,electrical work and other tasks .Now, Thiam wants to do something for Fofana when he needs support.

       Fofana lost his wife and two children last month during an early morning fire at 1033 Pacific Street.

       On Wednesday, a fund-raiser to benefit the victims of the fire will be held at Dakar.

       The event is being organized by Thiam, Councilwoman Letitia James and Bill Batson of Community Board.

       “I think I must do something,” said Thiam, who is from Senegal .Fofana, who owns a wood-flooring company, is from Burkina Faso ,which is in West Africa. “People from the West African communities here in Prooklyn are very close-knit,” Thiam said. “We all know each other and support each other.”

       The event is intended to bring together Prospect Heights residents when many are on edge.

       “We have had 18 fires in this area in the last 14 months,” said Batson, co-chair of the Fire Safety Committee of Community Board. “They always set small buildings on fire while people are asleep. We need to stop this reign of terror.

       Batson and James also have organized a neighborhood watch from midnight to 6 a.m.

       The Pacific Street fire, ignited at 5:17 a.m. , quickly spread from the first floor to the fourth floor of the building , and its roof.

       Five children were tossed out of windows to safety .Fofana escaped by leaping from his third-floor window. His wife, Assita Coulibably ; daughter , Mariam , 3; and son ,Mohammed ,I were later found inside.

       Last week ,the building was boarded up and locked .Balloons hung on the fence outside ,along with a dried bouquet（花束）of roses and a teddy bear proclaiming a daddy’s love.

1．Why did Pierre Thiam help Fofana? Because        .

       A．Fofana gave him some money to open his restaurant

       B．Fofana’s family gave him a lot of help when he opened his restaurant

       C．they were close relatives

       D．they came from the same country

2．How many people were killed in the fire that happened at 1033 Pacific Street?        .

       A．Three                  B．Eight                   C．Five                    D．Not known

3．A neighborhood watch was organized to        .

       A．help the victims of the fire                    B．make sure no one sets fires

       C．keep safety in the neighborhood            D．stop terrorists from attacking

4．The underlined phrase “on edge” in the middle of the passage probably means”        ”.

       A．nervous    B．frightened C．in danger  D．hopeless

　　In 1889 all Paris admired the Eiffel Tower． It was the engineering wonder of the world． Alexandre Gustave Eiffel had completed his masterpiece in steel．

　　Steel as a building material was then still new． The 984-foot tower was a lacy network of girders． There were thousands of steel pieces． Two and a half million rivets joined them．

　　From four corners, the legs of the tower slope inward． They rise to form the spire． Lifts, carry visitors to three platforms at different heights． On a clear day, countryside sixty miles off is viewed from the top platform．

　　As Eiffel planned, his structure is a landmark of Paris． It is even higher today． A relay station for radio and television has added almost fifty feet to the tower．

1．The Eiffel Tower was completed in _________．

A． 1849 B． 1869 C． 1889 D． 1899

2．The tower bears the name of________．

A．the main river of Paris B．a president of France

C．its builder D．none of the above

3．The tower was an engineering wonder because of_______．

A．its sideways slant B． the use of steel C． the use of glass D． its location

4．The article describes the tower as being________．

A． lacy B． solid C． needlelike D． spidery

5．At the bottom, the tower has________．

A．two main sections　　B．three legs C． four legs D． six legs

6．To reach the top platform, sightseers use______．

A． lifts B． escalators　　C． steel ladders D． spiral stairways

7．The article does not say that_______．

A．many people at first thought the tower was ugly

B．steel arches link the legs of the tower

C．the total height is now given as 1033 feet

D．Any of the above

第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Quick Reference Index (索引) 

56. Where can you find information on elephants?

       A. On Pages 517-528                   B. On Pages 529-615  

C. On Pages 616-619                   D. On Pages 493-496

57. If you want to know more about Chinese film star Jackie Chen, where should you begin

your search?

       A. POSTAL INFORMATION on pages 1033-1039

       B. ACTORS & ACTRESSES on pages 385-399

       C. ENVIRONMENT on pages 80-101 

       D. NATIONAL PARKS on pages 747-749 

58. One who likes surfing can find the information about how to surf on pages ________. 

       A. 142-144                 B. 841-873           C. 884-978           D. 517-528 

59. If you are interested in Thomas Edison, you may search __________.  

       A. DISCOVERIES & INVENTIONS        B. ART   

C. POPULATION                                     D. EDUCATION