阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从1-25各题所给的四个选项中, 选出一个　　 最佳答案。

　　 　　    In the winter of 1903, Chicago had 1 terrible fire. It wasn't as　　 large as the fire in 1871, 2 575 people did die in it. The fire was 　　 3 the Iroquois Theater, 4 many people were watching the play "Mr.　　 Bluebird". 5 it was around Christmas, a lot of 　　 6 watching the play were children.　　 The fire 　　 7 so suddenly that many people 8 get out of the building　　 in time. 9 the fire, several people told strange stories about it.　　

　　 　　 　　 　　

　　 　　    This is one strange, but 10 story:　　

　　 　　 　　 　　

　　　　     Dorsha Hayes and her family 11 visit the big city. It was really　　 fun for them just 12 around and see 13 was going on in Chicago.　　

　　 　　 　　 　　

　　　　     Dorsha's father 14 the children to see "Mr. Bluebird". 15 was at the　　 Iroquois Theatre. This would be the first play Dorsha 16 in her life,　　 and she 17!　　

　　　　     Her father went out in the morning and 18 tickets for the whole　　 family. When he got back, they just had time to stop for 19 before　　 going to the theatre.　　

　　 　　 　　 　　

　　　　     "What's the play about? How big is the theatre?" The children were　　 both 20 at once. Their father wanted to go just as 21 as they did, but　　 their mother didn't 22. She just stared down at her 23 and ate almost　　 nothing.　　

　　 　　 　　 　　

　　　　     "What's the matter, dear?" Dorsha's father askeD.　　 　　Her mother 24 and said, "We can't go to that play today. I have a　　 strange feeling. I don't understand it 25, but I know we can't go."　　

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

1.	A.one	B.a	C.the other	D.another	[　　]
2.	A.and	B.but	C.when	D.however	[　　]
3.	A.on	B.in	C.at	D.over	[　　]
4.	A.where	B.so	C.while	D.that	[　　]
5.	A.For	B.The reason that	C.Because	D.Except that	[　　]
6.	A.people	B.players	C.the people	D.theatres	[　　]
7.	A.began	B.set out	C.had begun	D.started	[　　]
8.	A.couldn't	B.had time to	C.could	D.might	[　　]
9.	A.Finishing	B.Put down	C.Behind	D.After	[　　]
10.	A.true	B.funny	C.interesting	D.sad	[　　]
11.	A.had been to	B.had come to	C.had gone to	D.came to	[　　]
12.	A.to look	B.to work	C.to be shown	D.to walk	[　　]
13.	A.what	B.that	C.the thing	D.the fire	[　　]
14.	A.brought	B.had to bring	C.wanted to take	D.took	[　　]
15.	A.who	B.that	C.which	D.he	[　　]
16.	A.had ever seen	B.wanted to see	C.was brought to see	D.decided to see	[　　]

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

17.	A.couldn't	B.wouldn't	C.wouldn't wait	D.couldn't wait	[　　]
18.	A.had	B.got	C.wanted	D.took	[　　]
19.	A.breakfast	B.tea	C.lunch	D.supper	[　　]
20.	A.asking	B.asked	C.interesting	D.invited	[　　]
21.	A.early	B.much	C.long	D.often	[　　]
22.	A.go	B.want to go	C.talk	D.say	[　　]
23.	A.foot	B.table	C.husband	D.food	[　　]
24.	A.watched	B.laughed	C.looked up	D.cried	[　　]
25.	A.myself	B.either	C.at this moment	D.why	[　　]

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.

　　 The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker（面包师）in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery（面包房）into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

　 　By eight o’ clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Pauls and the Guildhall among them.

　　Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, write about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”

　　The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

　　After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among them the mew St Pauls.

　　The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

1.The fire began in_________ .

A. a hotel　　　　B. the palace　　　C. Pudding Lane　　　　D. Thames Street

2.The underlined word “family” in the second paragraph means_________ .

A. home　　     B. children　　   C. wife and husband　　  D. wife and children

3.Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?

A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.

B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.

C. To show that poor people suffered most.

D. To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.

4.How was the fire put out according to the text?

A. The soldiers came to help.

B. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.

C. People managed to get enough water from the river.

D. Houses standing in the path of the fire were destroyed according to the King’s order.

 

HK’s Family Affair

　The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.

　The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.

　“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.

　In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.

　Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.

　The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.

　The lineup（阵容）includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.

　In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.

　　For more information, please check:

　　www. hk. artsfestival. org

1.The press conference must have been held ________.

A．in Hong Kong	B．in Europe
C．in Beijing	D．in England

2.By means of“discount packages”you can pay ________.

A．nothing for the cost

B．less than the usual cost

C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket

D．for the festival ticket but not for hotel rooms

3.According to the text, we do NOT have any information about ________.

A．who will perform on stage	B．what programmes there will be
C．when the 32nd Art Festival will be held	D．which theatres will put on performances

4.The main purpose in writing this text is ________.

A．to make the 32nd Art Festival known	B．to announce the plan of the art festival
C．to introduce the cost of the art festival	D．to sell a service during the art festival

 

Geniuses amaze us，impress us and make us all a little jealous. How do they differ from the average person？Scientists are working hard to figure out that answer. Tune in to the National Geographic Channel to find out about the discoveries they’re making in the series My Brilliant Brain.

When Marc Yu was only two years old，he began to play the piano. After a year, he started learning pieces by Beethoven. Now he’s a world-famous concert pianist at age eight. He learns newer and more difficult pieces with ease and can identify any note he hears. He seems to be specially designed for music. In Born Genius, National Geographic looks at the science behind child prodigies （神童） to explain why some children seem to be born without limits.

Geniuses didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh. His came only after he nearly died from bleeding in his brain. After recovering, McHugh’s head was filled with new thoughts and picture. So, he began to express them in the form of poetry and art. Now, he’s a seemingly unstoppable creative machine. Suffers of brain injury have shown that great mental ability can sometimes come from damage or disease. Accidental Genius explores this puzzling relationship.

Can normal people be trained to be geniuses? Susan Polger has shown no sign of extraordinary intelligence. Yet, during her childhood, she studied thousands of chess patterns and learned to recognize them immediately. As a result, she was able to beat skilled adult players by age 10 and can now play up to five games at the same time without even seeing the boards. Make Me a Genius examines what is takes to turn an ordinary brain into that of a genius.

If becoming a genius were easy, we’d all be done. Yet, there is much more to super intelligence than simply being born lucky. Learn more about amazing brains this month on National Geographic’s My Brilliant Brain.

1. In paragraph 2, Marc Yu’s story tells us_________________.

A. a child prodigy can work easier than others.

B. a child prodigy is trained by family.

C. a child prodigy has an unbelievable listening skill.

D. a child prodigy always practise his skills.

2.In paragraph 3, the sentence “Geniuses didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh.” means that ______________.

A. Tommy McHugh could not be called a genius.

B. Tommy McHugh became a genius when he was young.

C. Tommy McHugh was a robot but not a real human being.

D. Tommy McHugh became a genius after a sudden accident.

3.The writer provides different examples to _____________.

A. show how people can be geniuses.     　B. show becoming a genius is easy.

C. show geniuses are common.            　D. show people know how to explain geniuses.

4.The passage may come from_________.

A. a report         B. a novel      　C. a TV program       　　D. a newspaper

 

　　Lucky is the man who has no “skeleton in his closet”. When a man has done something in his life that he is ashamed of, that he wants to hide, he is said to have a “skeleton in his closet”. Some people may have more than one skeleton.

　　As we have noted many times, it is hard to find out how these expressions begin. Sometimes, we get some hard facts. But more often we have to depend on guesswork. And that is true of this phrase, which came from England.

　　Before 1932, English law did not permit a doctor to cut open a dead human body for scientific examination, unless it was the corpse(尸体) of an executed(处决) criminal.

　　But when it became legal, more and more doctors demanded skeletons for a more scientific study of medicine. It was helping in the advance of modern medicine. The demand had become so strong that men began to rob tombs and sell skeletons to doctors at high prices.

　　We are told that a doctor would usually buy just one skeleton for scientific study. It became very important in his work. But he had to keep it hidden because most people objected to keeping such a thing. As a rule, the doctor would keep his skeleton in some dark corner where it could not be seen, or hide it in a closet.

　　After a time, people began to suspect(怀疑) every doctor of hiding a skeleton in the closet. From this suspicion, the phrase “a skeleton in the closet” took on a broader, more general meaning to describe anything that a man wanted to keep others from discovering. It could be proof of a criminal act, or something much less serious. Well, that is one theory.

　　One writer, however, believes that the phrase might have come from something that really happened. It is his guess that a hidden closet in some old English country home may have turned up a real skeleton, clear proof of some old family shame or crime. Well, one man’s guess is as good as another. But this sounds like a story by the great French novelist, Balzac.

　　Baizac tells us of a man who suspected his wife of having a lover. The husband comes home by surprise. But she hears him and quickly hides her lover in the closet of her bedroom. He enters her room and asks her if she is hiding her lover. He says he will not open the door to the closet if she promises him there is no one there; He will believe her. She answers firmly that she is not hiding anyone in the closet.

　　The husband then begins to build a solid brick wall against the closet. His wife watches, knowing that her lover will never come out alive. But she will not change her story and admit her guilt.   

1. Which of the following situations is suitable for using the phrase “skeleton in the closet” ?

　　A. You have stolen something precious and don’t want it discovered.

　　B. You are a doctor and have to keep a skeleton for research.

　　C. If you have cut open a dead human body for scientific examination you should keep the skeleton secret.

　　D. You have done a crime or done something foolish, but you want to keep other from discovering it.

2. From the text we know that there are _______ theories about how the phrase “skeleton in the closet” came into being.

　　A. one 　　　　　      B. two 　　　　　      C. three 　　　　D. four

3. In Chinese the world “skeleton” means _______.

　　A. 尸体 　　　　　B. 标本 　　　　　C. 收藏 　　　　D. 骷髅

4. Which of the following is right according to the text?

　    A. In the 20th century, doctors realized the importance of anatomy(解剖) in the development of medicine.

　　B. The doctors of the ancient times liked to collect as many skeleton as possible.

　　C. The thieves stole skeletons from tombs in order to help the doctors.

　　D. It was legal that corpses of anybody were cut open for scientific examination in history.

5. From the story Balzac told we know that the wife’s lover must have become _______.

A. a corpse 　　　　B. a phrase 　　　　C. a skeleton 　　　D. a secret