On Nov.18th, 1908, three men went up in a balloon. They started early in London. The headman was Auguste Gaudron, and the other two men were Tannar and Maitland. They had a big balloon and they were ready for a long way.

Soon they heard the sea. They were carrying the usual rope, and it was hanging down from the basket of the balloon. At the end of the rope they had tied a metal box. This could hold water, or it could be empty. So they were able to use the box to change the weight of the balloon. The three people were also carrying some bags of sand.

After the sun rose, the balloon went higher. It went up to 3,000 metres, and the air was very cold. The water in the balloon became ice. Snow fell past the men's basket, and they could see more snow on the ground. The men tried to throw out some more sand; but it was hard. They tried to break the icy sand with their knives, but it was not easy. The work was slow and they were still falling, so they had to drop some whole bags of sand. One of them fell on an icy lake and made a black hole in the ice.

　　At last they pulled the box into the basket. It was still snowing; so they climbed to get away from the snow. They rose to 5,100 metres! Everything became icy. They were very cold and  they decided to land. They came down in Poland　heavily but safely. They had travelled 1,797 kilometres from London!

1.Where did they start their travel on Nov.18th, 1908?

2.What was the metal box used for?

3. Why did they have to drop some whole bags of sand during the travel?

4. How long did they travel in the end?

5.

What do you think of the three people and their travel? (请自拟一句话作答)

What are you going to do if you are in a burning house？ How will you escape？ Do you know how to save yourself？ Please read the following passage.

   Escaping a fire is a serious matter. Knowing what to do during a fire can save you life. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone in the family， such as stairways and fire escapes， but not lifts.

　　From the lower floors of the buildings， escaping through windows is possible， learn the best way of leaving by windows with the least chance of serious injury.

　　The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person， hanging by the finger-tips will have a drop of about six feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course， it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building.

　　Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed. Or smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may leaked（渗） into the room.

　　On a second or third floor， the best windows for escape are those that open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement（水泥） might end in injury. Bushes（灌木丛） and grass can help to break a fall.

1.It is important to _______.

A. put out the fire in the burning house     B. know the ways to escape the fire

C. jump off a burning house                       D. keep the door closed

2.It is possible to escape through the windows _______.

A. if there are some bushes on the ground        

B. if you are strong enough

C. if you live on a lower floor                  

D. If you have a long rope

3.Which of the following escaping way is NOT right？ _______.

A. You can escape though stairways.       

B. You can choose fire escapes.

C. Escape from the windows that open onto a roof.     

D. Use a lift to come down at once.

4.Open the window so that _______ if the building is on fire.

A. you can get fresh air                           B. you can call for help

C. you can easily jump off                        D. you can be seen first

5.The best title of the passage is _______.

A. Escaping from the Windows       

B. Save Yourself in the Burning House

C. Knowledge on Fire                    

D. Waiting for Help

What are you going to do if you are in a burning house？ How will you escape？ Do you know how to save yourself？ Please read the following passage.
Escaping a fire is a serious matter. Knowing what to do during a fire can save you life. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone in the family， such as stairways and fire escapes， but not lifts.
　　From the lower floors of the buildings， escaping through windows is possible， learn the best way of leaving by windows with the least chance of serious injury.
　　The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person， hanging by the finger-tips will have a drop of about six feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course， it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building.
　　Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed. Or smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may leaked（渗） into the room.
　　On a second or third floor， the best windows for escape are those that open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement（水泥） might end in injury. Bushes（灌木丛） and grass can help to break a fall.
【小题1】It is important to _______.

I work very hard because I don’t want to 　　　 my parents.