A man liked to climb tall mountains. After years of 　21　 , he felt he could handle any mountain in the world.

During a climbing trip, with five other men, he 　22　 he would first make the final climb and claim the glory, while the others 23　 . So he headed toward the top and he was　 24　 　that there was a full moon.

25　 it was foolish to climb at night alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton (岩钉) protection. With the 　26　 of the moon, he made rapid progress. But 　27 , thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain. In just a few minutes visibility 　28　 to almost zero. It was now too late to　 29 , so he continued to climb up the mountain.

While 　30　 in total darkness, he got into some rotten rock, and slid over the edge of a cliff (悬崖). The good news is that he was still 　31　 after the fall, although he found himself hanging from his rope. The bad news is, he had 　32　 his heavy coat during the fall and the night air was getting colder and colder.

Suddenly, from above he seemed to hear a strong deep voice, “ 33　 the rope!” What? Once again, he heard a deep voice saying that. But 　34　 followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, hoping to grab something that would enable him to climb to 　35 . Unable to see his true 　36 , the climber concluded that hanging onto the rope was his only 　37 .

The following day, his teammates discovered him 　38　 to death, still on his rope --- only eight feet 39　 a large rock. If the climber had cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a relatively safe area, where he could have built a 　40 , and probably survived the night.

21. A. recovering 　　　 B. experimenting 　 C. observing　 D. training

22. A. wondered 　 B. understood 　　　 C. decided　　 D. agreed

23. A. slept　　 　 B. climbed　　 　 C. walked　　　 D. prepared

24. A. sure　　 　 B. glad 　 　　　　C. upset　 　 D. calm

25. A. Since　 　 B. When 　　　 C. Although D. If

26. A. benefit 　 B. position　　 　 C. protection　 D. track

27. A. naturally　　　 B. thankfully　 　 C. finally 　　 D. unfortunately

28. A. dropped　 B. changed　　 　 C. rose　 　　 D. settled

29. A. look around 　　　 B. set out 　　　 C. turn back　 D. set off

30. A. driving　 　 B. rushing　　　 　 C. jumping　　 D. moving

31. A. awake　 　 B. cold 　　　　C. alive　 　　 D. active

32. A. buried　 　 B. picked　　 　　 C. worn 　　 D. lost

33. A. Wave 　　B. Cut 　 　　　　C. Drop　　　 D. pick

34. A. violence 　　 B. reply 　　　　C. silence　　　 　　 D. failure

35. A. safety　 　 B. origin　　 　　　 C. top　　 　　 D. base

36. A. appearance　 B. situation　　 　 C. movement D. direction

37. A. reward 　 B. hope　 　　　 C. work　 　 D. result

38. A. burned　 　 B. bitten 　　　 C. beaten 　 D. frozen

39. A. in 　　　 B. beside 　　　 C. above 　　 D. below

40. A. path　　 　 B. fire　　 　　　 C. house 　　 D. cave

A man liked to climb tall mountains. After years of 　21　 , he felt he could handle any mountain in the world.

During a climbing trip, with five other men, he 　22　 he would first make the final climb and claim the glory, while the others 23　 . So he headed toward the top and he was　 24　 　that there was a full moon.

25　 it was foolish to climb at night alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton (岩钉) protection. With the 　26　 of the moon, he made rapid progress. But 　27 , thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain. In just a few minutes visibility 　28　 to almost zero. It was now too late to　 29 , so he continued to climb up the mountain.

While 　30　 in total darkness, he got into some rotten rock, and slid over the edge of a cliff (悬崖). The good news is that he was still 　31　 after the fall, although he found himself hanging from his rope. The bad news is, he had 　32　 his heavy coat during the fall and the night air was getting colder and colder.

Suddenly, from above he seemed to hear a strong deep voice, “ 33　 the rope!” What? Once again, he heard a deep voice saying that. But 　34　 followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, hoping to grab something that would enable him to climb to 　35 . Unable to see his true 　36 , the climber concluded that hanging onto the rope was his only 　37 .

The following day, his teammates discovered him 　38　 to death, still on his rope --- only eight feet 39　 a large rock. If the climber had cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a relatively safe area, where he could have built a 40 , and probably survived the night.

21. A. recovering 　　　 B. experimenting 　 C. observing　 D. training

22. A. wondered 　 B. understood 　　　 C. decided　　 D. agreed

23. A. slept　　 　 B. climbed　　 　 C. walked　　　 D. prepared

24. A. sure　　 　 B. glad 　 　　　　C. upset　 　 D. calm

25. A. Since　 　 B. When 　　　 C. Although D. If

26. A. benefit 　B. position　　 　 C. protection　 D. track

27. A. naturally　　　 B. thankfully　 　 C. finally 　　 D. unfortunately

28. A. dropped　 B. changed　　 　 C. rose　 　　 D. settled

29. A. look around 　　　 B. set out 　　　 C. turn back　 D. set off

30. A. driving　 　 B. rushing　　　 　 C. jumping　　 D. moving

31. A. awake　 　 B. cold 　　　　C. alive　 　　 D. active

32. A. buried　 　 B. picked　　 　　 C. worn 　　 D. lost

33. A. Wave 　　B. Cut 　 　　　　C. Drop　　　 D. pick

34. A. violence 　　 B. reply 　　　　C. silence　　　 　　 D. failure

35. A. safety　 　 B. origin　　 　　　 C. top　　 　　 D. base

36. A. appearance　 B. situation　　 　 C. movement D. direction

37. A. reward 　 B. hope　 　　　 C. work　 　 D. result

38. A. burned　 　 B. bitten 　　　 C. beaten 　 D. frozen

39. A. in 　　　 B. beside 　　　 C. above 　　 D. below

40. A. path　　 　 B. fire　　 　　　 C. house 　　 D. cave

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 拓展与运用：

　　It was thumbs(大拇指) down at the British Museum, in London, for the Hollywood history of gladiatorial combat(格斗), from Quo Vadis through Ben-Hur and Spartacus to this year's blockbuster Gladiator.

　　According to Ralph Jackson, British curator(馆长) of the first major exhibition on the true history of the Roman games, no thumb was ever turned down to condemn a gladiator to death; no gladiator ever bellowed(怒吼) in the arena “We who are about to die salute you!”; the bloodied losers were carried off carefully on stretchers(担架), not dragged away with hooks(钩子).

　　Most shockingly of all, relatively few died and many lived on to the ripe old age of 35. “The sign for death was a thumb raised,” said Dr Jackson, a historical consultant on the blockbuster film Gladiator, which did at least get this bit right.

　　“The sign far life was probably the thumb hidden away behind the other fingers. As for the shout of ‘We who are about to die’, we can only find one reference to one fighter saying it on one occasion, and that was not in the arena.”

　　Where Gladiator erred(犯错), he said, was in the spectacle of an amphitheater heaving with gladiators engaged in mass warfare: great movie scene, had history. In reality, gladiators fought in pairs, in highly choreographed bouts(设计好了的动作回合), which ended not with one man being chopped(剁) into cat's meat but signaling(发信号) surrender: most of the complaints by Roman writers were not that the games were barbarous(野蛮的), but that they were boring.

　　Gladiators, after years of training and wearing expensive handmade armour, capable of winning small fortunes in prize money and large fortunes in bets, were valuable commodities. “I am not suggesting that the owners looked after their gladiators out of the goodness of their hearts,” said co-curator Paul Roberts.” But they were very costly(昂贵的) property, they were well taken care of, and the owners were shouting for then to win, net to be killed.” The exhibition, which originated in Germany but has been expanded in London, brings together an unprecedented(空前的) collection of gladiatorial items from 22 museums in Europe, ranging from cheap souvenirs sold to fans in gift shops at the amphitheaters, to a 2.5-tonne marble grave slab from near Pompeii.

　　It records the first recorded outbreak of stadium violence, when a fight started in the amphitheater(竞技场) at Pompeii between supporters of the home team and the visitors, which led to a riot in the town and the games being banned for 10 years.

　　The two most embarrassed warriors in history were on display at the British Museum yesterday, and will be making sporadic(零星的) appearances during the exhibition.

　　Blushing under cover of their massive bronze helmets, and tottering(蹒跚的) under 18 kg of kit, were Tim Chamberlain and Tim Clark, the only members of the museum staff who fitted into the replica armour recreated by a German archaeologist from real sword-slashed pieces found in excavations. In fact, the two Tims, though in their 20s, would in historical terms have been getting on a bit as gladiators.

Questions：

1．What is the comment of Ralph Jackson on the film?