阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D) 中，选出最佳选项。

Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of (1) ______ is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the (2) ______ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his (3) ______. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he (4) ______ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without (5) ______. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter (6) ______ what happened to Persephone, she became so (7) ______ that she caused all plants to (8) ______ People were in (9) ______ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow (10) ______ her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her. (11) ______, still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone's (12) ______. She could go back to her mother if she had not (13) ______ anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter (14) ______ it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate (石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus (15) ______ this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her (16) ______, but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. And so it (17) ______ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore (18) ______ not let the crops grow. That is (19) ______ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is (20) ______, it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.

1.A. periods             B. seasons         C. time                 D. age

2.A. winner         B. ruler                C. advisor         D. fighter

3.A. wife            B. lover                C. partner         D. daughter

4.A. forbid         B. forgive         C. admit                D. accept

5.A. arrangement         B. warning         C. reason           D. permission

6.A. let out             B. worked out       C. thought out     D. found out

7.A. excited             B. tired                C. angry                D. serious

8.A. grow fast       B. start growing        C. stop growing         D. grow slowly

9.A. danger         B. hope                 C. turn                 D. case

10.A. since         B. until                C. after                D. when

11.A. Persephone         B. Zeus                 C. Demeter         D. Hades

12.A. return             B. change           C. marriage             D. journey

13.A. stolen             B. found            C. eaten                D. heard

14.A. understood         B. refused         C. doubted         D. accepted

15.A. discovered         B. studied         C. forgot           D. prepared

16.A. daughter       B. mother           C. god             D. ruler

17.A. works         B. remains         C. happens         D. starts

18.A. should             B. can             C. dare                 D. will

19.A. where         B. because         C. why             D. how

20.A. nice           B. friendly             C. fresh                D. happy

Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings．The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of   1   is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest．She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much．Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the   2   of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his 3  ．Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he  4   it．Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without 5 ．When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld．When Demeter  6   what happened to Persephone, she became so  7   that she caused all plants to   8  ．People were in   9   of starving．But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow 10   her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her． 11  , still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone's   12  ．She could go back to her mother if she had not   13 anything while she was in the underworld．Demeter   14   it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate （石榴） seeds in the underworld．When Zeus   15 this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her   16  , but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld．And so it   17 that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore   18   not let the crops grow．That is   19   we have winter when plants do not grow．When Persephone returns, Demeter is   20  , it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.

1．A．periods                 B．time                    C．seasons               D．age

2．A．winner                  B．ruler                    C．advisor                D．fighter

3．A．wife                     B．lover                   C．partner                D．daughter

4．A．accept                  B．forgive            C．admit           D．forbid  

5．A．arrangement          B．warning           C．permission       D．reason 

6．A．let out                   B．worked out          C．thought out         D．found out

7．A．excited                  B．angry              C．tired                    D．serious

8．A．grow fast              B．start growing       C．stop growing       D grow slowly

9．A．danger                  B．hope                   C．turn                    D．case

10．A．since                   B．until                    C．after                   D．when

11．A．Persephone        B．Zeus                   C．Demeter              D．Hades

12．A．return                 B．change                C．marriage              D．journey

13．A．stolen                  B．found                  C．eaten                   D．heard

14．A．understood          B．refused                C．doubted               D．accepted

15．A．discovered           B．studied                C．forgot                 D．prepared

16．A．daughter              B．mother                C．god                     D．ruler

17．A．works                 B．remains               C．happens              D．starts

18．A．should                 B．can                     C．dare                    D．will

19．A．where                 B．because               C．why                    D．how

20．A．happy                 B．friendly               C．fresh                   D．nice

六. Cloze test.

   Some myths are stories used since ancient times , to explain the causes of natural phenomena. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of ___1_____I about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone , whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld , fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the ___2_____ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his _____3____. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he ___4______ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without ____5____. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter ____ 6 ___ what happened to Persephone, she became so ___7____ that she caused all plants to _____8___. People were in_____9____ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow____10______ . her daughter , Persephone, was returned to her. ____11______,  still not  wanting  to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone’s ____12___.  She could go back to her mother if she had not ___13_____ anything while she was in the underworld Demeter ___14_____it, underworld. When Zeus_____15____ this , he decided that Persephone could spend part of the year with her ____16_____. But he added that since she had eaten the seeds , she had to spend part of the year in the underworld.; And so it __17____ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and ___18_____ not let the crops grow. That is ___19_____ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is ____20_______. It becomes spring , and plants begin to grow again.

1. A. periods             B. seasons       C. time         D. age

2. A. winner             B. ruler         C. advisor      D. fighter

3. A. wife             B. lover         C. partner        D. daughter

4. A. forbid              B. forgive       C. admit        D. accept

5. A. arrangement      B. warning      C. reason       D. permission

6. A. let out          B. worked out  C. thought out          D. found out

7. A. excited         B. tired        C. angry              D. serious

8. A. grow fast         B. start growing C. stop growing        D. grow slowly

9. A. danger           B. hope        C. turn              D. case

 10. A. since                B. until        C. after              D. when

11. A. Persephone       B. Zeus        C. Demeter           D. Hades

12. A. return         B. change      C. marriage          D. journey

13. A. stolen         B. found       C. eaten             D. heard

14. A. understood     B. refused      C. doubted        D. accepted

15. A. discovered       B. studied      C. forgot          D. prepared

16. A. daughter       B. mother      C. god              D. ruler

17. A. works                B. remains     C. happens            D. starts

18. A. should                B. can         C. dare              D. will

19. A. where           B. because     C. why            D. how

20. A. nice             B. friendly      C. fresh         D. happy

Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of   21   is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the   22   of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his   23  . Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he   24   it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without   25  . When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter   26   what happened to Persephone, she became so   27   that she caused all plants to   28  . People were in   29   of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow   30   her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her.   31  , still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone's   32  . She could go back to her mother if she had not   33   anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter   34   it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate (石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus   35   this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her   36  , but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. And so it   37   that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore   38   not let the crops grow. That is   39   we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is   40  , it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.

A. periods           B. time                C. seasons                D. age

A. winner           B. ruler               C. advisor                D. fighter

A. wife               B. lover               C. partner                      D. daughter

A. accept         B. forgive            C. admit             D. forbid      

A. arrangement    B. warning           C. permission         D. reason      

A. let out            B. worked out         C. thought out         D. found out

A. excited           B. angry                    C. tired                  D. serious

A. grow fast        B. start growing         C. stop growing         D grow slowly

A. danger            B. hope                     C. turn                      D. case

A. since         B. until                  C. after                     D. when

A. Persephone  B. Zeus                        C. Demeter                   D. Hades

A. return           B. change                         C. marriage            D. journey

A. stolen           B. found                    C. eaten                     D. heard

A. understood    B. refused                     C. doubted                    D. accepted

A. discovered    B. studied                     C. forgot                   D. prepared

A. daughter              B. mother                         C. god                          D. ruler

A. works           B. remains                    C. happens                    D. starts

A. should          B. can                          C. dare                         D. will

A. where           B. because                    C. why                         D. how

A. happy           B. friendly                    C. fresh                  D. nice