New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses that they use in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to take care of them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact, they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole Unite States.
The cost of shoeing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty--five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two to three hours to do the job.  
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses ------ for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country form Ireland in 1948.He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and, as he puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”
【小题1】According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a         man.

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses that they use in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to take care of them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact, they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole Unite States.

The cost of shoeing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty--five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two to three hours to do the job.  

A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses ------ for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.

One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country form Ireland in 1948.He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and, as he puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”

1.According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a         man.

    A. clever               B. rich             C. strong               D. tall

2. James Corbin became a blacksmith because he        .

    A. was interested in horses.                    B. was needed by the policemen

    C. drew a picture of the horses                 D. had to make a living

3. In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to       .

    A. fit it on the horse’s foot                          B. use it for two or three hours

    C. make the form of a horseshoe from a piece of metal   D. draw a picture of the shoe

4.The best title for the passage is          .

    A. Policemen on Horseback               B. Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing

    C. James Corbin, a Blacksmith           D. Horseshoeing Is a Good Way to Make a Living

5. Which of the following is true?

    A. Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.

    B. New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.

    C. Policemen on horseback enjoy traveling around the United States.

    D. Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.

Anthony Horowitz suffered a lot as a child. He was, as he puts it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive (虐待的) boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and begged his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, ‘It’ll be good for him’,” Horowitz recalls.

It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺负) for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel (反抗). The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”

Now, at 55, Horowitz is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.

The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency MI6.

Horowitz said he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it’s to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.

That style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.

Now, Horowitz couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success, “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”

1. In his childhood, Anthony Horowitz _______.

A. was more intelligent than his brother

B. was paid more attention to by his parents

C. hated to be sent to the boarding school

D. led a miserable life because of poverty

2. In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers _______.

A. showed great concern for him                                 B. often abused and bullied him

C. taught him how to write stories                    D. thought little of his ability

3. Which of the following is true of Anthony Horowitz?

A. He was the beloved child of his family.

B. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.

C. He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories.

D. He developed his writing ability in the boarding school.

4. What advice does Horowitz give to readers?

A. Confidence is the key to success.                      B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.

C. Interest is the best teacher.                              D. Diligence is the parent of success.

B
Anthony Horowitz was miserable (痛苦的) as a child. He was, as he puts it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive (虐待的) boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded (恳求) with his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, ‘It’ll be good for him’,” Horowitz recalls (回忆).
It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺负) for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel (反抗). The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at 55, Horowitz is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency MI6.
Horowitz said he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it’s to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
That style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Horowitz couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success: “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”
61. The text is mainly about _____.
A. Horowitz’s popular book – Alex Rider       B. Horowitz’s miserable childhood
C. Horowitz, a successful children’s writer        D. Horowitz’s special writing style
62 In his childhood, Anthony Horowitz _____.
A. was more intelligent than his brother       
B. was paid more attention by his parents
C. couldn’t understand why he was sent to the boarding school
D. led a miserable life because of poverty
63.In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers ______.
A. showed great concern for him                B. often abused and bullied him
C. taught him how to write stories               D. thought little of his ability
64. Which of the following is true of Anthony Horowitz?
A. He was the beloved child of his family.       
B. He benefited a lot from boarding school.
C. He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories.
D. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.
65. What advice does Horowitz have for readers?
A. Confidence is the key to success.           B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.
C. Interest is the best teacher.                D. Diligence is the parent of success.

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses that they use in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to take care of them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact, they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole Unite States.

The cost of shoeing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty--five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two to three hours to do the job.  

A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses ------ for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.

One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country form Ireland in 1948.He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and, as he puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”

According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a         man.

    A. clever               B. rich             C. strong               D. tall

James Corbin became a blacksmith because he        .

    A. was interested in horses.                    B. was needed by the policemen

    C. drew a picture of the horses                 D. had to make a living

In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to       .

    A. fit it on the horse’s foot                          B. use it for two or three hours

    C. make the form of a horseshoe from a piece of metal   D. draw a picture of the shoe

The best title for the passage is          .

    A. Policemen on Horseback               B. Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing

    C. James Corbin, a Blacksmith           D. Horseshoeing Is a Good Way to Make a Living

Which of the following is true?

    A. Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.

    B. New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.

    C. Policemen on horseback enjoy traveling around the United States.

    D. Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.