2. The first English people living in the "green village" were fishermen.　　　　　　 F　　 T

1.The last paragraph of this passage is mainly about ____.

A. how sailors could tell time at sea

　 B. the war which broke out in England

　 C. the lost ships at sea

　 D. the work of two astronomers in England

8.What does the word lit mean in this passage?

A. made…clean　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. caused to begin burning

C. set fire to　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. had…repaired

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Words per minute ______

%Comprehension _______

Passage 33　

Greenwich

Greenwich is on the River Thames, five miles from the middle of London, and its history is 2,000 years old. The first English people were fishermen there, and they named the place Greenwich, meaning "green village." Later the English kings and queens lived at Greenwich in their beautiful palaces.

The name of the earliest palace was Placentia. Its windows were made of glass---the first in England. Henry VIII lived there. He knew that England must be strong at sea. So he started two big shipyards at Greenwich, and for 350 years the ships which were made there were the best in the world.

But trouble was coming to Greenwich. In 1694, a war started in England and for 11 years there was no king. The men who had worked for him at Placentia decided to live in the palace themselves. They sold all its beautiful things, and bought small pieces of the palace garden with money. Finally, the war ended and King Charles I came back. But Placentia was falling down. So King Charles built a new and bigger palace, which is now open to the public.

At this time, Charles was worried about losing so many of its ships at sea: their sailors did not know how to tell exactly where they were. So in 1675, Charles made John Flamsteed, the first astronomer in England, try to find the answer. Flamsteed worked in a new building on the high ground in Greenwich Park. From it, with telescope (望远镜) which he made himself, Flamsteed could look all round the sky. And he did, night after night, for 20 years. Carrying on Flamsteed's work l00 years later, an astronomer called Harrison finally made a clock which told the time at sea, and helped sailors to know where they were. You can see Harrison's clock, still working, in Greenwich's museum of the sea. Because of Flamsteed's work, every country in the world now tells its times by Greenwich time.

　　　　　　　　　　　　 Length 327

Total Reading Time ___

_____________________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions without referring to the reading:

7.The person would feel very worried when he found a red corn.　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

6.One was supposed to have good luck when he found a red corn.　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

5.Boys and girls liked corn husking because they liked the chance to dress up.　 T　　 F

2.At that time, people were so busy that they had little time to play.　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

s were harvested in late autumn.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

husking parties were held on farms during the day.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. It is about harvesting an important crop.

B. It is about Indians during Colonial days.

C. It is about dances held in colonial barns.

D. It is about how to husk corn.

8.What does the word taboos mean in Chinese in the first paragraph?

　 A. 规律　　　　　　　　 B. 禁忌　　　　　　　　　　 C. 法律　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. 习惯

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Words per minute ______

%Comprehension _______

Passage 32　　

Husking the Corn

In Colonial(殖民地的)days, farm families worked from sunrise to sunset and sometimes longer. People had little time for play. They did not have a chance to see other people as much as we do today. But sometimes they were able to turn hard work into good times and still visit with their neighbors.

In Virginia, Indian corn was an important crop. In late autumn after the weather had turned cold, the corn was ready to be harvested. Each ear had a cover of leaves called the husk(壳). The colonists pulled ears of corn from the dry stalks (茎) and stored the ears of corn. Later, they held a corn husking-party.

0n a clear night in November, neighboring families gathered to husk(剥……的壳)the corn. They lit lanterns　(灯笼) in a barn (谷仓)and piled the corn in high mounds(垛) on the floor. Then everyone went to work.

Most of the corn was yellow or white. But from time to time, a red ear was found. The person who found it was supposed to have good luck.

As people worked together, they enjoyed each other’s company. There was cider(苹果酒) to drink and cakes and cookies to eat. Corn husking was a favorite with boys and girls because they liked the chance to have a party.

　　　　　　　　　　　　 Length 216

Total Reading Time ___

_____________________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions without referring to the reading:

7.The Eskimos like land animals better than sea animals.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F