When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小题1】“Talk of the town” means　　　.

A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing

B．it made Tom look taller

C．the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted

D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller

A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B．People are always disappointed during war time.

C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D．People should be married when they are small children.

—I don’t know if Tom will attend the party until now.
— Really?          Tom is eager to do so.

If Tom _____ my advice, he wouldn't have lost his job．

         A．should follow                                             B．had followed

         C．followed                                              D．would follow

The summer holidays are upon us again．Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

Peterborough Museum

The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! Watch out for monsters （怪物） lurking （潜伏）around every corner! The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．

Call 01733 864663 for details

Saxon Youth Club

School holiday fun: Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm．PLUS an aero ball match will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm．

Call 01 353 720274 for details

Houghton Mill

Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th．August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5:30 pm, performance 6:30 pm—8:30 pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval（间隔）．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．

Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．

Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

Farmland Gaines: From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette（饰品） that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child．

For further information, call 01223 810080．

If you are interested in cooking, you can go to ______．

       A．Peterborough Museum    B．Houghton Mill

       C．Saxon Youth Club           D．Farmland Museum

You want to watch the new play with your parents, so it will cost you ______．

       A．￡7     B．￡17       C．￡27            D．￡20

Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?

       A．Playing farmland games．         B．Watching a new play．

       C．Competing in spots activities．      D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．

If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on Monday and Wednesday in August, how many activities can he choose from?

       A．One activity．            B．Two activities．

       C．Three activities．           D．Four activities．

There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there. First of all, we should talk about the Tango(探戈舞) Festival in Argentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentineans admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.
The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo(马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina. This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina. Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people, admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.
The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Llao Llao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Llao Llao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel to Argentina in October. There are also many carnivals in October. There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.
【小题1】.
What would be the best title for the passage?