There was once a famous king whose name was Tamerlane. Like Alexander the Great, he  _36__ to become the master of the whole world. So he raised a great   _37__ and made war on other countries. He conquered(征服，打败） many kings and   __38__ many cities. But at last his army was beaten; and Tamerlane escaped alone from the field of __39__ .
For a long time he wandered in __40__ from place to place. His enemies were __41__ him. He was about to lose all hope.
One day he was __42__ under a tree, thinking of his failure. He had now been a wanderer for twenty days. He couldn’t __43___ any longer. Suddenly he saw a small object climbing up the trunk (树干) of the tree. He looked more __44__ and saw it was an ant, __45__ a grain of wheat（麦粒）as large as itself.
There was a __46__ in the tree only a little way above, and that was the home of the ant.
“You are __47__, Mr. Ant,” he said, “but you are carrying something that is too heavy for you.” Just as he __48__, the ant lost its footing and fell to the ground. But it __49__ held on to the grain of wheat. Tamerlane  _50__ the little insect. It tried the second time, the third time ... the twentieth time — but always with the same __51__. Then it tried the twenty-first time. __52__, one little step at a time, it climbed across the rough place where it had  __53__ so often. The next minute it climbed __54__ into its home, carrying the grain of wheat. “Well done!” said Tamerlane, “you’ve taught me a lesson. I, too, will try, try again, __55__ I succeed.”
And this he did.

Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician（魔术师）, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction(互动) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧).
“It is actually thinking, rather than one’s manipulation(操作)skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing(吸引人的),”Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur（业余的） magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent(体面的)job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine（升华） his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians(路人), policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
【小题1】Why do people love to watch magic?

1. Great changes _______(take) place in our country in the past thirty years.

2. Peter prefers to stay at home watching TV rather than _______(go) there alone.

3. Now that the headmaster _______(approve) the plan, we can carry it out now.

4. In some countries, missing a bus means _______(wait) for another half an hour.

5. _______(chat) on line took him a lot of time, which led to his failure in the exam.

6. The law requires that everyone _______(have) his car checked at least once a year. 

7. _______(achieve) success, you should concentrate on what you are doing.

8. It’s a pity that I missed _______(see) the film which was on at the cinema last week.  

9. When I entered, the teacher, along with her lovely students, _______(dance) to the music.

10. Susan couldn’t tolerate _______(work) for twelve hours a day and decided to change her job.

根据所给的中文提示完成句子（共7小题15空；每空1分，满分15分）

86. 他与弟弟携手将车子拉了出来。

He ________                     his brother and pulled the car out.

87. 他的计划成功了吗？

Did his plan _________ _________? 

88. 因为考试不及格，他情绪一直很低落。

He has been very much ___________ _____________ by his failure in the examination.

89. 只有在你告诉我之后，我才意识到我犯了错误。

Only after you told me ____________ ______________ realize that I had made a mistake.

90. 那些老照片勾起我对童年时代的美好回忆。

The old photos ____________ _____________ happy memories of my childhood.

91. 我们不顾恶劣的天气继续旅行。

We carried on our travel                 the terrible weather.

92. 据报道，这次地震为四川有史以来最强烈的一次。

The earthquake is _________ ____________ be the strongest ever in Sichuan.

Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of million at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

Witnessing(见证) something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship.

“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s performing skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.

Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.

Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese Literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passers-by, policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.

1.The story is about__________.

A．why people love magic

B．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician

C．how fashionable magic is

D．what magic tricks are

2.People love to watch magic because_______.

A．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

B．it arouses their curiosity

C．they can’t figure out the secret of magic

D．it is a centuries-old art

3.Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A．He was interested in magic when he was little

B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.

C．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.

D．He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

4.What does the underline word “seasoned” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．experienced       B．freshman          C．amateur(业余的)    D．unskillful

5.Liu Qian improved his performing skills by _____.

A．learning from David Copperfield

B．learning magic in a university

C．performing in public on streets

D．joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest