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

He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a 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(激起)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. Barmum 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(庆典)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(浅淡), communities throughout the country sponsored(主持)“Tom Thumb”weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremonies for fun.

 

73.“The talk of the town”means_______.

     A.it was in the newspaper

B.people spread mean rumors(谣言)about it

C.it was the most popular thing happening

D.it was discussed in a city meeting

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

      A.People gave it too much of their attention.

B.It helped people cheer up in a dark time.

C.It was funny and ridiculous(荒谬可笑的).

D.Tom and Lavinia were stupid.

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

       A.He became a billionaire at twenty-five.

B.He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.

C.He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.

D.He married a school teacher.

76.Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because_____.

       A.the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing

B.it made Tom feel taller

C.the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted

D.the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller

Main Holiday Islands

Channel Islands

The two main islands, Jersey and Quernsey, are remarkable in that they present a combination of enjoyment and peace and quiet. Neither island is very big(only ten miles long)and so all parts of these coasts are easily reached from the main centres―St Helier and St Peter Port. In both these towns, and particularly in Jersey’s St Helier, are concentrated(集中)the amusements of really big resorts(休养胜地). The nearness of France gives a continental atmosphere; the weather is far better than that in England. The other three islands, Jethou, Herm, and Sark, are small and quiet.

Isles of Scilly

The islands are really small and quiet; the weather is warm but windy. The islands are excellent for those who enjoy exploring small inlets(水湾), creeks and bays on foot, or even better, in a boat.

Isle of Wight

The island is 24 miles across and therefore quite large. The scenery is good and varied. The resorts are neither overlarge nor showy, the crowds seeming content with entertaining but quieter holidays.

The island has the best sunshine record in Britain.

Isle of Man

An island with a unique atmosphere―in some indefinable(难以描述的)way it is different from England, Scotland or Wales. Thirty miles long, with good roads and good public transport, the mountains, hills and glens(幽谷)are easily reached. Douglas is a major British resort and other resorts are lively.

 

69.Which of the following has good transport?

       A.Herm.                                                 B.The Isle of Man.

C.The Isle of Wight.                                D.Jersey.

70.If you want to be fairly sure you will have a lot of sun on holiday, which island will you choose?

       A.The Channel Islands.                            B.The Isle of Man.

C.The Isle of Wight.                                D.The Isles of Scilly.

71.If you were having a holiday on Jersey, where would you go for amusement?

      A.Douglas.                 B.Sark.                      C.St Helier.                 D.St Peter Port.

72.In which way are the Channel Islands different from all the other islands as holiday places?

       A.The coasts are easily reached from other islands.

B.There are more islands there.

C.There is some French food.

D.Its nearness of France.

In the Western world in-laws(姻亲)usually don’t get along well with each other or with a new spouse(配偶). Perhaps they have a problem in understanding that their wonderful child has now grown up and got married. Maybe they don’t like the spouse their child picked. Or maybe they just don’t think that anyone will ever be good enough for their own “baby”.

So what can the newly married people do?

First of all, go for a long honeymoon. This will give you two things. First, it will give you time to get close to your new partner. Now you must stay with him or her just as you said on your wedding day. Second, it will give the in-laws time to cool down after the exciting wedding. Enjoy your honeymoon! When you return, it will be time to start dealing with the rest of the family.

After you get back from your honeymoon, move to another place. Do whatever you need to do. Change your job. Start a new career, and so on. If you stay near your home or move into a house just down the street from either family, you’ll get in trouble. Trust me!

You also need to start making new family traditions. You don’t have to make your mum’s apple pie for Thanksgiving. You don’t have to go to both families on Christmas Eve! Relax. You don’t have to have both soon-to-be grandmothers with you when you are giving birth! Don’t give in to in-law pressure.

Finally, talk with other new spouses. They will encourage you and give you support for the never-ending and ongoing reality of having in-laws.

 

65.What is Paragraph One mainly about?

     A.In-laws don’t like their daughter-in-law or son-in-law.

B.In-laws misunderstand their wonderful child.

C.There is always trouble between in-laws or a new couple in the western world.

D.In-laws think their own child better than his or her spouse.

66.Why should newly married spouses go for a honeymoon?

     A.To find a chance to enjoy their time alone.

B.To realize what they said on their wedding day.

C.To allow in-laws time to enjoy themselves after the wedding.

D.To begin to deal with the rest of the family.

67.In the writer’s opinion, how does a new spouse make new family traditions?

     A.To start a family life independent of in-laws.

B.To stay with in-laws.

C.Not to cook apple pie for parents.

D.To spend festivals with parents in-law.

68.From the passage, we can infer that ______.

      A.following in-laws is a good idea

B.distance helps to deal with in-laws

C.new spouses mustn’t stay near their house

D.new spouses shouldn’t do anything for their in-laws

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING

When thinking about quitting…

List all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times. Decide surely that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative(消极的)thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons in addition to your health and duties to others. For example, think all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting―perhaps a special day like your birthday, or a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date seriously, and don’t let anything change it. Begin to prepare yourself physically: start a modest(适度的)exercise, drink more water, get plenty of rest.

Immediately after quitting…

The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is forbidden, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc. Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks, which remind you of cigarette smoking. Start a conversation with someone instead of asking for a match for a cigarette. If you miss the sensation(感觉)of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else―a pencil, a pen, or a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try toothpicks or a fake(假的)cigarette.

 

61.Which of the following statements is best supported by the author?

     A.When you want a cigarette, try to forget it by starting a conversation with someone.

B.Try to drink wine, coffee, and other drinks instead of a cigarette.

C.If you miss the sensation of having a cigarette in your mouth, play with a pen.

D.Every night before going to bed, repeat the reasons 10 times.

62.From the passage, we know smokers _______.

     A.spend a lot of time breaking the habit of smoking

B.have to stop to smoke from time to time

C.had better quit smoking during their holiday

D.start a modest exercise every day

63.The author suggests _______ immediately after quitting.

     A.all kinds of drinks be avoided

B.drinking water and fruit juice

C.trying low-tar(低焦油)cigarettes

D.spending as much free time as possible in public places

64.If the article is in a newspaper, which section is it in?

   A.Sports.                     B.News.                    C.Health.                    D.Culture.

In 1998 I had an experience that had a deep and lasting effect on me. Eric and I were eating lunch at a local soup and salad place,  41  I noticed a woman cleaning the tables nearby. She looked very sad and  42 , as if she’d just been severely  43  by her boss or had gotten some bad news.

Eric and I didn’t have a lot of money at the time― 44  eating this cheap meal was a stretch(滥用)of our budget(预算)―but as we were  45  up to leave, I walked up to this woman,  46  her a $5 bill and said, “I know the work you do is probably not  47 , but I want you to know that we think you’re doing a great job.”

The woman’s facial  48  changed quickly, from sadness to real  49 . She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Thank you very much.” She did her best to  50  back tears but with only partial success. I don’t  51  what else she said to me, but I’ll always remember the look on her face. At that moment we were really connected―human being to human being. I  52 whether it was the $5 that mattered to her―in fact it was the  53  that someone treated her as a real person. Eric and I were both deeply moved by the  54 .

Doing that small service  55  this woman made me forget my own worries. At least temporarily I entered a higher  56  of consciousness, shooting right up to the state of joy. I didn’t  57  that state for long, but I had a  58  experience that made me a different person.

That  59  taught me that even when I’m not in a great place myself, I still have the capacity to have a  60  effect on someone else. I don’t have to do anything unusual―30 seconds to offer a kind word to a stranger is all it takes.

 

41.A.while

B.when

C.since

D.before

42.A.yellow

B.green

C.blue

D.red

43.A.praised

 B.questioned

C.punished

D.encouraged

44.A.even

B.yet

C.still

D.just

45.A.looking

B.sitting

C.going

D.getting

46.A.carried

B.handed

C.sent

D.took

47.A.realized

B.impressed

C.moved

D.appreciated

48.A.expression

B.smile

C.satisfaction

D.disappointment

49.A.independence

B.anger

C.appreciation

D.satisfaction

50.A.hold

B.put

C.pull

D.bring

51.A.mind

B.recall

C.understand

D.consider

52.A.believe

B.think

C.doubt

D.hope

53.A.theory

B.fact

C.expectation

D.dream

54.A.view

B.scenery

C.scene

D.beauty

55.A.with

B.in

C.for

D.on

56.A.case

B.state

C.shape

D.relation

57.A.store

B.hide

C.keep

D.protect

58.A.powerful

B.shameful

C.meaningless

D.careless

59.A.experience

B.question

C.accident

D.matter

60.A.wrong

B.negative

C.positive

D.weak

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