—What does Tom study?

—He studies_________science of_________sound.

A.the;/                  B./;/                     C./;the                   D.the;the

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.

He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new 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 school teacher. 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 two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. 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 “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.

1.“the talk of the town” means _________ .

2.What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?

3.Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?

4. It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .

5.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

Miss Gogers taught physics in a New York school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how successful she had been in her explanation. She said to them,“Now I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone and at the same time you were 75 feet away, listening to me from across the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?”

　Tom at once answered,“Your brother. Because electricity travaels faster than sound waves.”“That’s every good,”Miss Gogers answered; but then one of the girls raised her hand, and Miss Gogers said.“Yes, Kate.”

　“I disagree,”Kate said.“Your brother would hear you earlier because when it’s 11 o’clock here it’s only 8 o’clock in Los Angeles.”

1.Miss Gogers was teaching her class_________.

A.how to telephone 　    B.about electricity 　 C.about time zone 　  D.about sound

2.Miss Gogers raised this question because she wanted to know whether______.

　A.it was easy to phone to Los Angeles

　B.her student could hear her from 75 feet away

　C.her students had a good command of her lesson about sound

　D.sound waves were slower than electricity

3.Tom thought that electricity was _________.

　A.slower than sound waves   　B.faster than sound waves

　C.not so fast as sound waves  　D.as fast as sound waves

4.Kate thought Tom was wrong because _______.

　A.clocks in Los Angeles showed a different time from those in New York

　B.electricity was slower than sound waves

　C.Tom was not good at physics at all

　D.Tom’s answer had nothing to do with sound waves

5.Whose answer do you think is correct according to the law of physics?

　A. Tom’s 　     　B. Kate’s 　　C. Bath A and B 　　D. Neither A nor B

—Are you going to Tom’s birthday party?

—_________.I might have to work.

A. It depends       B. Thank you       C. Sound great          D. Don’t mention it