An Englishman named PhilShaw invented extreme ironing in 1997 because he was bored doing ironing at home.

　 Extreme ironing is a special kind of outdoor sport. It combines (使结合) danger and excitement with practical ironing.

　 Who does extreme ironing? People all over the world who like danger do it. There are about l,000 people around the world who do extreme ironing. There are extreme ironing clubs and groups in Britain, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States. You don't have to have any special qualifications (资格证明)to do it. In fact, anyone can do it. However, it is better to start ironing in your back yard before you start to iron on top of a mountain.

　 There are, of course, some rules in extreme ironing. The ironing must be outdoor. You must take an iron, an ironing board, and something that you actually iron to get the wrinkles out. Outdoors includes faraway and unusual places, such as on top of a mountain, while skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, or under water. There are no limits. The more unusual the better. However, you should plan carefully because weather conditions can suddenly change on mountains, for example. You should not do extreme ironing on your own.

　 What kind of things should you have? You must have a real iron. Travel irons are acceptable. You must not use plastic or toy irons. The clothes you iron must be at least the size of a hand towel. It shouldn't be just a handkerchief. The board doesn't have to be fullsize board, but that is preferred. It must be one metre long and thirty centimeters wide and have legs. You must also have proof of ironing that is either a photo or a video, and it should show a recognizable landmark. Be aware that people have already ironed near the top of Everest, the highest mountain in the world, and in the Blue Hole in Egypt, one of the most dangerous places to dive. However, there are still many records to break. Iron on!

53. Where did Phil Shaw usually do ironing before 1997?

　 A. At home.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. On top of a mountain.

　 C. In faraway places.　 　　　　　 D. In ironing clubs and groups.

54. Which is the best advice for beginners to do extreme ironing?

　 A. Doing extreme ironing alone.

　 B. Beginning ironing in their back yards.

　 C. Starting ironing on top of a mountain.

D. Joining extreme ironing clubs or groups first.

55. What must you do in extreme ironing?

　 A. Iron outdoor.　 　　　　　　　　　 B. Iron in good weather.

　 C. Dive in the Blue Hole.　 　　　 D. Ski near a mountain.

56. How do extreme ironers feel when they do the sport?

　 A. They feel bored with extreme ironing.

　 B. They feel very frightened near the top of Everest.

　 C. They feel excited although it is dangerous.

　 D. They feel lonely in the places far away from their homes.

完形填空

　　Long, long ago, a donkey （驴） fell in a dry well. The animal cried for hours as the farmer tried to think out what to do. Finally, the farmer thought the animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, so he decided not to try to save the donkey.

　　The farmer invited his neighbors to 1 him. They began to shovel （铲） dirt into the well. The donkey cried harder. Then a few shovelfuls later, he quieted down. The farmer looked 2 the well, and was surprised by what he saw.

　　While every shovelful of dirt hit his 3 , the donkey would shake（抖）it off and take a step up on the new layer （层）of dirt. 4 the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, the donkey would shake it off and take another step up.

　　Soon the donkey stepped up out of the well and ran away, to the 5 of all the neighbors.

　　The 6 we get from this story is that if life shovels some dirt on us, we must get out of the well and not let it cover us. We must learn to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our 7 is a stepping-sone（石头）. We can get out of the deepest well by never 8 !

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