When Columbus returned home with the news of his discovery, he was considered as the hero who had given a new world to Spain. Never had so great respect been shown to any   1   man.

　　 But there were some who were jealous of(嫉妒) the   2  . “Who is this Columbus?” they asked, “and what has he done? Isn’t he a poor pilot from Italy? And could not any other seamen sail across the ocean just   3   he has done?”

　　 One day Columbus was at a   4   and several of these fellows were   5   . They tried to make Columbus   6   . “You have discovered strange lands   7   the sea,” they said．“But we don’t see   8    there should be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean; and anybody can coast along the islands on the other side, just as you have done. It is the   9   thing in the world.”

　　 Columbus made no answer: but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the people at the table, “Who   10   you, gentlemen can make the egg stand   11   ?” One by one they tried the   12  . When the egg had gone entirely around and everyone had   13   , all said that it could not be done. Then Columbus took the egg and   14   its small end gently upon the table so as to   15   the shell a little. After that there was no   16   in making it stand   17  ,“ Gentlemen,” said he, “What is easier   18   to do this which you said was   19   ? It is the simplest thing in the world．Anybody can do it—AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN   20   .”

1. A．common

B．great

C．respectable

D．noble

2. A．inventor

B．traveler

C．discoverer

D．bravery

3. A．because

B．as

C．like

D．since

4. A．palace

B．hotel

C．counter

D．dinner

5. A．present

B．at present

C．kind- hearted

D．invited

6. A．happy

B．satisfied

C．uncomfortable

D．disappointed

7. A．beside

B．along

C．in

D．beyond

8. A．why

B．how

C．whether

D．that

9. A．hardest

B．wonderful

C．simplest

D．strange

10. A．besides

B．among

C．including

D．except

11. A．by

B．still

C．weight

D．on end

12. A．experiment

B．egg

C．method

D．result

13. A．succeeded

B．failed

C．experience

D．chance

14. A．beat

B．felt

C．touched

D．struck

15. A．protect

B．crush

C．break

D．damage

16. A．trouble

B．time

C．shell

D．gravity

17. A．downward

B．upward

C．easily

D．upright

18. A．as to

B．if

C．than

D．compared

19. A．possible

B．impossible

C．difficult

D．easy

20. A．HOW

B．WHEN

C．IT

D．HIM

　　 But there were some who were jealous of(嫉妒) the   2  . “Who is this Columbus?” they asked, “and what has he done? Isn’t he a poor pilot from Italy? And could not any other seamen sail across the ocean just   3   he has done?”

　　 One day Columbus was at a   4   and several of these fellows were   5   . They tried to make Columbus   6   . “You have discovered strange lands   7   the sea,” they said．“But we don’t see   8    there should be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean; and anybody can coast along the islands on the other side, just as you have done. It is the   9   thing in the world.”

　　 Columbus made no answer: but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the people at the table, “Who   10   you, gentlemen can make the egg stand   11   ?” One by one they tried the   12  . When the egg had gone entirely around and everyone had   13   , all said that it could not be done. Then Columbus took the egg and   14   its small end gently upon the table so as to   15   the shell a little. After that there was no   16   in making it stand   17  ,“ Gentlemen,” said he, “What is easier   18   to do this which you said was   19   ? It is the simplest thing in the world．Anybody can do it—AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN   20   .”

1. A．common

B．great

C．respectable

D．noble

2. A．inventor

B．traveler

C．discoverer

D．bravery

3. A．because

B．as

C．like

D．since

4. A．palace

B．hotel

C．counter

D．dinner

5. A．present

B．at present

C．kind- hearted

D．invited

6. A．happy

B．satisfied

C．uncomfortable

D．disappointed

7. A．beside

B．along

C．in

D．beyond

8. A．why

B．how

C．whether

D．that

9. A．hardest

B．wonderful

C．simplest

D．strange

10. A．besides

B．among

C．including

D．except

11. A．by

B．still

C．weight

D．on end

12. A．experiment

B．egg

C．method

D．result

13. A．succeeded

B．failed

C．experience

D．chance

14. A．beat

B．felt

C．touched

D．struck

15. A．protect

B．crush

C．break

D．damage

16. A．trouble

B．time

　　When Columbus returned home with the news of his discovery, he was considered as the hero who had given a new world to Spain. Never had such great respect been shown to any __(1)__ man.

　　But there were some who were jealous（嫉妒）of the __(2)__.“Who is this Columbus?”hey asked,“And what has he done? Isn't he a poor pilot from Italy? And could not any other seaman sail across the ocean just __(3)__ he has done?”

　　One day Columbus was at __(4)__ and several of these fellows were __(5)__. They tried to make Columbus __(6)__.“You have discovered strange lands __(7)__ the sea,”they said,“But we don't see __(8)__ there should be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean, and anybody can coast along the islands on the other side, just as you have done. It is the __(9)__ thing in the world.”

　　Columbus made no answer, but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the people at the table,“Who __(10)__ you, gentlemen, can make the egg stand __(11)__?”One by one they tried the __(12)__ When the egg had gone entirely around and everyone had __(13)__, all said that it could not be done. Then Columbus took the egg and __(14)__ its small end gently upon the table so as to __(15)__ the shell a little. After that there was no __(16)__ in making it stand __(17)__“Gentlemen,”said he,“what is easier __(18)__ to do this which you said was __(19)__? It is the simplest thing in the world. Anybody can do it--AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN __(20)__.”

Columbus returned home with the news of his discovery of “Indian” 36 Columbus called it. Then he was considered as the hero who had given a new world to Spain. Never had so great __37__ been shown to any __38__man.But there were some who were jealous of the __39__.”Who is this Columbus?” they asked, “and what has he done? Isn’t he a poor sailor from Italy？And could __40__ other seamen sail across the ocean just as he has done?”
One day Columbus was at 41 and several of these fellows were __42__ too. They tried to make Columbus __43__.”You have discovered strange lands __44__ the sea,”they said.“But we don’t see why there __45__ be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean and anybody can coast along the islands __46__ ,just as you have done. It is the __47__ thing in the world.”
Columbus made no answer, but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the people at the table, “Who __48__ you, gentlemen, can make the egg stand __49__ ?” One by one they tried the __50__．When the egg had gone __51__　around and everyone had failed, all said that it could not be done, Then Columbus took the egg and __52__the shell of the egg’s small end a little upon the table. After that there was no trouble in making it stand __53__.“Gentlemen,”said he, “what is easy than to do this __54__ you said was impossible ? It is simplest thing in the world. Anybody can do it-----AFTER HE HAD BEEN SHOWN __55__.”
【小题1】A. so         B. when     C as        D. that

 Below is a selection about some Guinness (吉尼斯) World Records.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

           Top 6 Unusual Guinness World Records

◆Fastest 100 m running on all fours

The 2008 Guinness World Records Day was, according to GWR, their biggest day of record-breaking ever, with more than 290,000 people taking part in record attempts in 15 different countries. Kenichi Ito’s record attempt was part of this special day. He is just another example of Japanese with “super powers”. His “super power” is to run with great speed on all fours. Kenichi Ito ran 100m on all fours in 18.58 seconds .The Japanese set this record at Setagaya Kunitsu Sogo Undojyo, Tokyo, in 2008.

◆Most people inside a soap bubble

The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California celebrated this year the 15th anniversary of the Bubble (泡泡) Festival. A bubble's math principles and science were presented and demonstrated at the three-week-long exhibition. The intriguing Bubble Show was also part of the program. Fan Yang and Deni Yang impressed the audience with their awesome skills for bubble making. The Yang family cooperated with the Discovery Science Center to set a new Guinness World Record for most people inside a soap bubble and they succeeded.

The family that has been working with soap bubbles for 27 years created a huge soap bubble and got 118 people inside it. The record was set on April 4, 2011.

◆Longest ears on a dog

A bloodhound from Illinois has the longest ears ever measured on a dog. The right ear is 13.75 inches long and the left one 13.5 inches. The dog named Tigger earned this title in 2004 and is owned by Christina and Bryan Flessner.

Mr.Jeffries is the previous record holder of this title. Each of his ears measured approximately 11.5 inches long. His grandfather used to hold this amazing world record, but when he died Mr.Jeffries took over.

◆Most living generations

Did you ever wonder what is the Guinness World Record for most living generations in one family? Seven is the answer.

The ultimate authority on record-breaking mentions on the website that the youngest great-great-great-great grandparent of this family was Angusta Bung “aged 109 years 97 days, followed by her daughter aged 89, her granddaughter aged 70, her great grand-daughter aged 52, her great-great grand-daughter aged 33 and her great- great-great granddaughter aged 15 on the birth of her great-great-great-grandson on January 21,1989”.

◆Most T-shirts worn at once

Believe it or not, there is a record also for this category. Krunoslav Budiseli set a new world record on May 22,    2010 for wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The man from Croatia was officially recognized as the new record holder by Guinness World Records after he managed to put on 245 different T-shirts in less than two hours. The T-shirts weighted 68 kg and Budiseli said he began struggling around T-shirt No. 120. He dethroned the Swedish Guinness record holder who wore 238 T-shirts.

◆ Heaviest pumpkin

     Guinness World Records confirmed on October 9, 2010 that a gigantic pumpkin（南瓜）grown in Wisconsin was officially the word’s heaviest. It weighed 1,810 pounds 8 ounces and was unveiled by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Festival in Minnesota. Stevens’pumpkin was 85 pounds heavier than the previous record, another huge pumpkin grown in Ohio. The proud farmer said his secret is a precise mixture of rain, cow manure, good soil, sea grass and fish emulsion. Some of the world’s heaviest pumpkins, including the record holder, were on public display at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in New York for a dozen days.

45. Why is Kenichi Ito described as a man with a "super power" ?

A. He set a good example to all Japanese.

B. He set a new record for "Fastest 100m running on all fours".

C. He made record attempts in 15 different countries.

D. He participated in the 2008 Guinness World Records Day activities.

46. Jeffries is the name of______ .

A. the owner of the dog with the longest ears

B. the present holder of the record for " Longest ears on a dog"

C. the former holder of the record for "Longest ears on a dog"

D. the grandfather of the dog with the longest ears

47.How many T-shirts had Krunoslav Budiseli put on before he felt it difficult to go on?

A. 68.               B. 120.                C. 238.                D. 245.

48.According to the given information, which Guinness World Record was most recently set?

A. The record for "Heaviest pumpkin".

B. The record for "Most living generations".

C. The record for " Most T-shirts worn at once".

D. The record for " Most people inside a soap bubble".