Thanks to the huge success of Harry Potter, many teenagers dream about living in an ancient castle. These dreams may include beautiful silk dresses, delicious food, servants and of course, magic. However, real life in an English castle was not easy. With thick stonewalls and high towers, castles were built for defence(防御). So they were not good places to live in. In medieval times, castles must have been noisy and smelly places. Horses, cattle, chickens and sheep walked free, blacksmiths did ironwork, soldiers practised sword (剑) fights, and children of all ages played around them. Castles did not have central heating; the only heat came from the fireplace. Even in summer the castle was cool. People living in the castles had to use blankets to keep warm while at work.
Life during the Middle Ages began at sunrise. Servants lit the fire, swept the floor and cooked the morning meal. The mid-morning meal was the main meal of the day and often included three or four courses (一道菜). After dinner, everyone continued his or her work. The owner of the castle, the lord, sometimes took his guests hunting or shooting. His wife, the lady, spent much of the day watching the maids (女仆) work, as well as people working in the kitchen. She also kept an eye on the weavers and embroiderers who made clothes for the family. Supper was simple and eaten late, just before bedtime.
You may find some old magic books in a castle as Harry Potter once did. Read them before you go to bed, because when you fall asleep the magic of castle life may appear before your eyes.
【小题1】 For what purpose were the castles built in England?

The owner of the shop asked his assistant to ____ the pears that can be thrown away.

We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it is an ingredient in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers.
Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say “Ugh!” and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.
The word “chocolate” comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.
When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.
In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.
Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and of course an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.
【小题1】It was ______that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.

Was Princess Diana murdered? The verdict（判决）is no according to an inquiry（调查）held into the cause of her death over the last six months.
The big question was whether the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend Dodi A1 Fayed in a deadly car crash in 1997 had been accidental, or whether there was some kind of conspiracy（阴谋）to have them killed.
Dodi’s father Mohamed A1 Fayed, owner of London’s world-famous department store Harrods, has insisted for the last decade that the pair were murdered by spies of the British state who did not want them to marry. But his theories now look to have been blown out of the water.  The court found that Princess Diana and her boyfriend were not murdered but killed due to the “gross, carelessness” of her driver and the paparazzi（偷拍的摄影记者）. Her driver was drunk at the time of the crash and the paparazzi had been running after their car.
So is this the end of the Diana story? British taxpayers may hope so. The inquiry has cost them about ￡10m（140m RMB）. “Thank God it’s over”, was the headline in The Guardian newspaper. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was time to “draw a line” under the death of the Princess. But Mohamed AI Fayed has refused to accept the judgment. He says the result will come as a “blow” to millions of his supporters around the world, and has not ruled out starting another investigation.
Whatever happens, next, the special place Princess Diana has in the hearts of people around the world is not likely to be forgotten.
1. According to the text, the inquiry focuses on _______.
A. what caused the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend   B. who were the paparazzi
C. how much British taxpayers paid for the case       D. whether the driver was drunk then.
2. By saying the underlined “his theories now look to have been blown out of the water”, the author means that ________.
A. Mohamed lacks confidence in the case   B. Mohamed feels disappointed at the result
C. Mohamed’s idea seems to be believable  D. Mohamed’s idea possibly proves to be wrong
3. Similar to The Guardian newspaper, UK Prime Minister ________.
A. felt sorry for the deadly car crash       B. questioned the purpose of Dodi’s father
C. stood for the court’s judgment         D. blamed the paparazzi for their bad behavior

Jimmy was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught physics in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to and owner of a hotel and began to work there.
One day the young man fell to ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(病房) for me, please.”
“Can’t anybody help you?”
“No, madam,” answered Jimmy. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”
“Well, then,” Jimmy said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”
1.  Jimmy’s parents died           .
A. in an accident   B. in a war   C. in an earthquake   D. from a disease
2.  Jimmy and his sister escaped from the earthquake because          .
A. they played outside        B. they were in a safe place
C. their parents saved them    D. the aunt saved them
3.  The sister and brother lived a hard life because         .
A. they lost all                    B. they were too young
C. they were hurt in the earthquake    D. they had to look after themselves
4.  Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Jimmy.
B. Jimmy’s sister became a nun because of her illness.
C. The nurse would post Jimmy’s bill to God.
D. Jimmy had a rich brother-in-law.