L’HAY-LES-ROSES, France: Three teenage girls admitted starting a fire in a suburban Paris housing project over the weekend that killed 17 people, including three children, police said yesterday. A fourth girl was held yesterday morning.

The fire in a 19-storey building south of Paris was the third fatal blaze in the Paris area in nine days. The death toll rose to 16 after a man died late Sunday in a hospital, where seven others

were being treated for serious injuries, police said. 全品高考网

Three teenagers taken in for questioning on Sunday admitted having started the fire for fun, police said. Two of the suspects were 18-year-old, the other was 16, police said. Further details were not available.

Witnesses claimed to have seen a group of youths who lived in the building start the fire, said Patrick Seve, mayor of the town of L’HAY-LES-ROSES, near Orly airport, where the building was located.

The fire is believed to have broken out in the lobby（门厅）of the building before raging up a stairwell at least three floors. Some residents jumped from windows as the fire spread through the building’s entrance.

Authorities were investigating possible criminals in an August 26 fire that killed 14 African children and three adults in a Paris apartment building. Three days later, another fire killed seven  in a building.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy suggested on French television on Sunday night that copycats（盲目模仿者）were at work. “Each time there is a new story, sometimes that gives ideas to people who then turn into criminals,” Sarkozy said, promising severe punishment for anyone found guilty of arson（纵火）.

20. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs？

A. Three girls were caught setting fire to a building.

B. The fourth girl wasn’t present when the fire broke out.

C. All the people lost their lives before police came.

D. Paris was troubled by fire during that period.

21. Why did the teenagers start the fire？

A. They were interested in playing with fire.

B. They wanted to make fun of their parents.

C. They were not satisfied with the surroundings.

D. They wanted to warm themselves.

22. From the fourth and fifth paragraphs we know that ________.

A. the witnesses must have put out the fire

B. the lobby of the building was covered with wood.

C. the witnesses were familiar with the teenagers

D. the residents shouldn’t have jumped from windows

23. What the Minister said in the last paragraph means that ________.

A. he doesn’t like to listen to new stories

B. he has no time to write new stories

C. teenagers often have ideas to turn into criminals

D. teenagers may do the same as others have done

Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite flight. He was a man of many talents and interests. His natural curiosity about things and the way they work made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries and advancements, Ben didn’t “invent” electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage.

In colonial America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben figured that there had to be a better way. His invention of an iron furnace stove allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The furnace stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Interestingly, Ben also established the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely.

As the postmaster, Ben had to figure out routes for delivering the mail. He went out riding in his carriage to measure the routes and needed a way to keep track of the distance. He invented a simple odometer and attached it to his carriage.

In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end.

Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, would follow in Ben’s footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today’s curious thinkers are keeping Ben’s traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work.

68. We can learn from the passage that Benjamin Franklin ___________________.

A. made his first invention using a kite

B. made his living by delivering the mail

C. set up some companies to help people to live better

D. made a stove which used other fuels instead of wood

69. The underlined word “odometer” in Paragraph 3 refers to something that ________.

A. contains the mail                                                 B. shows the direction

C. makes the carriage go fast                    D. records total miles covered

70. Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to _________.

A. replace his disabled arm

B. play games with his grandchildren

C. get books from the bookshelf more easily

D. clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf

71. The last paragraph mainly wants to tell us that _____________.

A. Ben was the most famous inventor.

B. other inventors learned a lot from Ben.

C. Ben’s spirit of inventing remain with us.

D. thinkers are more likely to become inventors

Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite flight. He was a man of many talents and interests. His natural curiosity about things and the way they work made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries and advancements, Ben didn’t “invent” electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage.
In colonial America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben figured that there had to be a better way. His invention of an iron furnace stove allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The furnace stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Interestingly, Ben also established the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely.
As the postmaster, Ben had to figure out routes for delivering the mail. He went out riding in his carriage to measure the routes and needed a way to keep track of the distance. He invented a simple odometer and attached it to his carriage.
In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end.
Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, would follow in Ben’s footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today’s curious thinkers are keeping Ben’s traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work.
68. We can learn from the passage that Benjamin Franklin ___________________.
A. made his first invention using a kite
B. made his living by delivering the mail
C. set up some companies to help people to live better
D. made a stove which used other fuels instead of wood
69. The underlined word “odometer” in Paragraph 3 refers to something that ________.
A. contains the mail                                                 B. shows the direction
C. makes the carriage go fast                    D. records total miles covered
70. Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to _________.
A. replace his disabled arm
B. play games with his grandchildren
C. get books from the bookshelf more easily
D. clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf
71. The last paragraph mainly wants to tell us that _____________.
A. Ben was the most famous inventor.
B. other inventors learned a lot from Ben.
C. Ben’s spirit of inventing remain with us.
D. thinkers are more likely to become inventors

第二部分：阅读理解（第一节：共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。

L’HAY-LES-ROSES, France: Three teenage girls admitted starting a fire in a suburban Paris housing project over the weekend that killed 17 people, including three children, police said yesterday. A fourth girl was held yesterday morning.

The fire in a 19-storey building south of Paris was the third fatal blaze in the Paris area in nine days. The death toll rose to 16 after a man died late Sunday in a hospital, where seven others were being treated for serious injuries, police said.

Three teenagers taken in for questioning on Sunday admitted having started the fire for fun, police said. Two of the suspects were 18-year-old, the other was 16, police said. Further details were not available.

Witnesses claimed to have seen a group of youths who lived in the building start the fire, said Patrick Seve, mayor of the town of L’HAY-LES-ROSES, near Orly airport, where the building was located.

The fire is believed to have broken out in the lobby（门厅）of the building before raging up a stairwell at least three floors. Some residents jumped from windows as the fire spread through the building’s entrance.

Authorities were investigating possible criminals in an August 26 fire that killed 14 African children and three adults in a Paris apartment building. Three days later, another fire killed seven in a building.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy suggested on French television on Sunday night that copycats（盲目模仿者）were at work. “Each time there is a new story, sometimes that gives ideas to people who then turn into criminals,” Sarkozy said, promising severe punishment for anyone found guilty of arson（纵火）.

56. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs？

A. Three girls were caught setting fire to a building.

B. The fourth girl wasn’t present when the fire broke out.

C. All the people lost their lives before police came.

D. Paris was troubled by fire during that period.

57. Why did the teenagers start the fire？

A. They were interested in playing with fire.

B. They wanted to make fun of their parents.

C. They were not satisfied with the surroundings.

D. They wanted to warm themselves.

58. From the fourth and fifth paragraphs we know that ________.

A. the witnesses must have put out the fire

B. the lobby of the building was covered with wood.

C. the witnesses were familiar with the teenagers

D. the residents shouldn’t have jumped from windows

59. What the Minister said in the last paragraph means that ________.

A. he doesn’t like to listen to new stories

B. he has no time to write new stories

C. teenagers often have ideas to turn into criminals

D. teenagers may do the same as others have done

Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite flight. He was a man of many talents and interests. His natural curiosity about things and the way they work made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries and advancements, Ben didn’t “invent” electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage.

   In colonial America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben figured that there had to be a better way. His invention of an iron furnace stove allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The furnace stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Interestingly, Ben also established the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely.

   As the postmaster, Ben had to figure out routes for delivering the mail. He went out riding in his carriage to measure the routes and needed a way to keep track of the distance. He invented a simple odometer and attached it to his carriage.

   In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end.

   Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, would follow in Ben’s footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today’s curious thinkers are keeping Ben’s traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work.

1.We can learn from the passage that Benjamin Franklin ___________________.

A. made his first invention using a kite

B. made his living by delivering the mail

C. set up some companies to help people to live better

D. made a stove which used other fuels instead of wood

2.The underlined word “odometer” in Paragraph 3 refers to something that ________.

A. contains the mail                         B. shows the direction

C. makes the carriage go fast                 D. records total miles covered

3.Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to _________.

A. replace his disabled arm

B. play games with his grandchildren

C. get books from the bookshelf more easily

D. clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf

4.The last paragraph mainly wants to tell us that _____________.

A. Ben was the most famous inventor.

B. other inventors learned a lot from Ben.

C. Ben’s spirit of inventing remain with us.

D. thinkers are more likely to become inventors