Witchcraft(巫术)was not made a capital offence in Britain until 1563 though it was disapproved by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484. From 1484 until around 1750, some 200,000 witches(女巫)were burnt or hanged in Western Europe.

Most supposed witches were usually old women, and always poor. Any who were unfortunate enough to be an old woman with broken teeth, sunken cheeks and sockets and a hairy lip were assumed to possess the “Evil Eye”. It was more the case if they also had a cat. Many unfortunate women were taken away on this sort of evidence and hanged.

Witch fever held East Anglia for 14 terrible months between 1645—1646. A man called Matthew Hopkins, an unsuccessful lawyer, contributed a lot! He became known as the “Witchfinder General”. He had 68 people put to death in Bury St. Edmunds alone, and 19 hanged at Chelmsfor in a single day. After Chelmsford he set off for other countries. Much of Matthew Hopkins theories of telling a witch were based on Devil’s Marks. He took a small mark to be a Devil’s Mark and he used his “needle” to see if these marks were insensitive to pain. His “needle” was basically a trick so the unfortunate women never felt any pain.

There were other tests for witches. Mary Sutton of Bedford was put to the swimming test. With her thumbs tied to opposite big toes she was thrown into the river. If she floated she was guilty; if she sank, innocent. Poor Mary floated!

Though many of the acts againsts witchcraft were put to an end in 1736, witch hunting still went on. In 1863, a suspected male witch was drowned in a pond in Headingham, Essex and 1945 the body of an elderly farm laborer was found near the village of Meon Hill in Warwickshire. His throat had been cut and his body was pinned to the earth. The murder remains unsolved; however, the man was said, locally, to be a male witch. It seems that belief in witchcraft has not entirely died out.

1.A female witch was often found to be ________

A. a young lady B. a lucky woman

C. an ugly woman D. a blind girl

2.Matthew Hopkins can be best described as __________

A. kind and smart B. tricky and merciless

C. successful and nice D. famous and fortunate

3.Why did people throw Mary into the river?

A. To take her life.

B. To tell if she was a witch

C. To test her swimming skills.

D. To prove that she was guilty

4.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. Witches are still badly treated all over the world.

B. Witches were terribly treated in the European history.

C. Some people still have been using magic in daily lives.

D. There have always been people believing in witchcraft

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby.They found out that it was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael ________to his sister in Mommy’s tummy(肚子).He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed ________for Karen until the labor pains came.Soon it was every five minutes ...every minute.But something serious ________during delivery.Finally, Michael’s little sister was born.But she was in serious ________ .With siren(警报) howling in the night, the ambulance________the infant(婴儿) to the Intensive Care unit at St.Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The days passed by.The little girl got________ .The doctors told the parents, "There is very little hope."Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery (墓地) about a burial plot.They had ________a special room in their home for the new baby — now they planned a funeral(葬礼).

After two weeks in Intensive Care, it looked as if a funeral would come ________the week was over.Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, “I want to sing to her,” he saiD. Kids were never ________ in Intensive Care.But Karen made up her mind to take Michael ________they liked it or not.If he didn’t see his sister now, he may never see her alive.

She________ him in an oversized suit and ________him into ICU.He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse ________him as a child, “Get that kid out of here now!” The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually________ lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, saying in a ________tone of voice, “He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!” Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside. He gazed at the tiny baby ________the battle to live.And he began to sing.________the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…”

________the baby girl responded. The pulse rate began to________down and became steady.

“Keep on singing, Michael.” encouraged Karen.“You never know, dear, how much I love you.Please don’t take my sunshine away…”As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's breath became as smooth as a kitten’s purr.

“Keep on singing, Michael.” “The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping…” Michael’s little sister relaxed as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.

Funeral plans were________.The next day — the very next day — the little girl was well enough to go home!

The medical staff just called it a miracle.Karen called it a miracle of God’s love!

1.A. sang B. talked C. played D. whispered

2.A. quietly B. toughly C. normally D. hopefully

3.A. rose B. raised C. arose D. aroused

4.A. condition B. place C. situation D. position

5.A. took B. rushed C. carried D. sent

6.A. worse B. better C. conscious D. awake

7.A. made up B. fixed up C. built up D. set up

8.A. until B. when C. after D. before

9.A. asked B. admitted C. allowed D. acknowledged

10.A. no matter B. even if C. whether D. as if

11.A. dressed B. put C. wore D. fit

12.A. forced B. marched C. hid D. followed

13.A. required B. replied C. recognized D. regarded

14.A. mild-mannered B. well-managed C. warm-hearted D. cold-blooded

15.A. tough B. strong C. hard D. firm

16.A. lost B. losing C. lose D. having lost

17.A. In B. On C. At D. With

18.A. Finally B. Patiently C. Instantly D. Interestingly

19.A. quiet B. calm C. slow D. fast

20.A. changed B. prepared C. abandoned D. switched

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