Until 1954 it was thought that no man could run one mile in less than four minutes. As years 31 , the record came closer and closer to four minutes and Roger Bannister, a young English 32 , began to believe he might 33 this almost magic barrier.
It was a cold afternoon on May 6th, 1954, when Bannister knew he had a 34 chance. Bannister had been 35 hard and was very fit, but the weather conditions were a real 36 to him. Describing the 37 later, Bannister said,” On the way to the track the wind blew strongly. As I 38 for the start I glanced at the flag. It moved 39 now. This was the moment when I made my decision.”
“The gun fired. My legs 40 to meet no resistance, as if I was 41 forward by some unknown force. The noise from the faithful 42 gave me greater strength. I felt the 43 of a lifetimes had come.”
“I was driven on by a 44 of fear and pride. My body had long since used up all its energy 45 it went on running just the same. This was the critical moment when my legs were strong enough to carry me over the last few yards as they 46 could have done in previous years. When I leapt at（冲向）the 47 tape, I fell, almost 48 .
“I knew I had done it, even before I 49 the time. The announcement came. ‘Result of the one mile…Time, three minutes…’the test was 50 in the noise of excitement.”
A．passed along B．passed down C．went by D．went over
A．coach B．athlete C．captain D．judge
A．defeat B．move C．beat D．break
A．real B．lucky C．serious D．false
A．competing B．training C．fighting D．attending
A．eagerness B．pleasure C．relief D．worry
A．accident B．event C．issue D．topic
A．did up B．made up C．put up D．lined up
A．safely B．heavily C．thinly D．gently
A．seemed B．used C．happened D．had
A．dragged B．drawn C．pulled D．pushed
A．mass B．residents C．crowd D．team
A．moment B．period C．while D．date
A．concentration B．collection C．combination D．classification
A．so B．but C．or D．as
A．never B．ever C．even D．still
A．starting B．lasting C．finishing D．running
A．unconcerned B．unconscious C．unknown D．unnoticed
A．offered B．told C．announced D．heard
A．stuck B．involved C．lost D．spread
It was an early morning in summer. In the streets, sleepy-eyed people were moving quickly, heading towards their ___1___. This was the beginning of another ___2___ day in New York City. ___3___this day was to be different.
Waiting ___4___ the crowded streets, on top of a ___5___ 110 stories high, was Philippe Petit. This daring Frenchman was about to ___6___ a tightrope(绷索) between the two towers of the World Trade Center.
Philippe took his first ___7___ with great care. The wire held. Now he was ___8___ he could do ___9__ only a balancing pole. Philippe walked his way across, a ___10___ of 131 feet.
Soon the rush-hour ___11___ began to notice. What a ___12___! There, 1350 feet above the street, a ___13___ figure was walking on air.
Philippe made seven ___14___, back and forth(来回). He wasn’t satisfied with just ___15___. At times he would turn, sit down, and ___16___ go on his knees. Once, he had the astonishing ___17___ to lie down on the thin thread. And thousands of ___18___ watchers stared with their hearts beating fast.
After the forty-five-minute ___19___, Philippe was taken to the police station. He was asked ___20___ he did it. Philippe shrugged(耸肩) and said, “When I see two tall buildings, I walk.”
1. A. job B. homes C. buses D. offices
2. A. working B. hot C. same D. ordinary
3. A. And B. So C. But D. Thus
4. A. for B. in C. by D. above
5. A. roof B. position C. wall D. building
6. A. throw B. walk C. climb D. fix
7. A. act B. landing C. step D. trip
8. A. sure B. uncertain C. glad D. nervous
9. A. Through B. Against C. With D. On
10. A. distance B. height C. space D. rope
11. A. streets B. crowds C. passengers D. city
12. A. height B. pleasure C. wonder D. danger
13. A. great B. strange C. public D. tiny
14. A. experiment B. circles C. trips D. movements
15. A. walking B. staying C. acting D. showing
16. A. almost B. even C. often D. rather
17. A. spirit B. result C. strength D. courage
18. A. patient B. terrified C. pleased D. enjoyable
19. A. show B. trick C. try D. program
20. A. how B. why C. whether D. when
Jenlins was a jeweller, who had made a large diamond(钻石) ring worth 57,000 pounds for the Silkstone Jewellery Shop. When it was ready, he made a copy of it which looked ___1___ like the first one but was worth only 2,000 pounds. This he took to the shop, which ___2___ it without a question.
Jenkins gave the much more ___3___ ring to his wife for her fortieth birthday. Then, the husband and wife ___4___ to Paris for a weekend. As to the ___5___ ring, the shop sold it for 60,000 pounds.
Six months later the buyer ___6___ it back to Silkstone’s office. “It’s a faulty(有瑕疵的) diamond,” he said. “It isn’t worth the high ___7___ I paid.” Then he told them the ___8___. His wife’s car had caught fire in an ___9___. She had escaped(幸免), ___10___ the ring had fallen off and been damaged(损坏) in the great ___11___ of the fire.
The shop had to ___12___. They knew that no fire on earth can ___13___ damage a perfect diamond. Someone had taken the ___14___ diamond and put a faulty one in its place. The question was: who ___15___ it?
A picture of the ring appeared in the ___16___. A reader thought he ___17___ the ring. The next day, another picture appeared in the papers which ___18___ a famous dancer walking out to a plane for Paris. Behind the dancer there was a woman ___19___ a large diamond ring. “Do you know the ___20___ with the lovely diamond ring?” the papers asked their readers. Several months later, Jenkins was sentenced to seven years in prison.
1. A. only B. surely C. nearly D. exactly
2. A. accepted B. received C. refused D. rejected
3. A. real B. modern C. worthy D. valuable
4. A. flew B. drove C. sailed D. bicycled
5. A. first B. second C. last D. next
6. A. sold B. posted C. brought D. returned
7. A. cost B. money C. price D. value
8. A. facts B. matters C. questions D. results
9. A. affair B. accident C. incident D. experience
11. A. pile B. heat C. power D. pressure
12. A. think B. agree C. permit D. promise
13. A. almost B. even C. just D. ever
14. A. real B. pure C. right D. exact
15. A. copied B. made C. stole D. did
16. A. notices B. magazines C. newspapers D. programmes
17. A. saw B. knew C. found D. recognized
18. A. showed B. drew C. printed D. carried
19. A. carrying B. dressing C. wearing D. holding
20. A. dancer B. woman C. reader D. jeweler
The lecture on smoking was over at last. As we boys were rushing towards the playground, Jim slipped by the table. The watch, which Mrs Smith had ___1___ on the table as she started her lecture, disappeared.
We were ___2___ to go back for class again when the headmaster called us ___3___ and said, I’ve got a little ___4___ for you boys. Mrs Smith has just lost her watch on the playground. This kind of thing has happened ___5___, she says ---- it just ___6___ off her wrist(手腕). So, look around for it, will you? ___7___ if you’re clever enough to find it. Let’s ___8___ it clear the boy who does ___9___ will get a useful reward(奖赏).
At once we started looking for the watch. Everybody wished to be the ___10___ one. Suddenly, Jim stopped and bent down as if to ___11___ something. And ___12___ he was in front of Mrs Smith, all smiles, ___13___ the watch to her.
Mrs Smith, however, didn’t seem at all ___14___.In fact, she looked angry. She took the watch without ___15___ a “Thank you”.
Jim got ___16___ a large piece of paper from the headmaster, who ___17___ him to write a composition ___18___ the dangers of smoking. What could ___19___ Jim write about? He hadn’t listened to the lecture and had nothing to say on the ___20___.
1. A. seen B. dropped C. fond D. laid
2. A. about B. able C. sorry D. sure
3. A. forward B. together C. straight D. out
4. A. fun B. trick C. job D. prize
5. A. before B. now C. here D. there
6. A. goes B. throws C. slips D. falls
7. A. Say B. See C. Guess D. Check
8. A. get B. put C. make D. keep
9. A. this B. such C. that D. so
10. A. lucky B. quick C. early D. worthy
11. A. put down B. give away C. find out D. pick up
12. A. the following moment B. the next moment
C. for a moment D. just a moment
13. A. handing out B. turning in C. giving up D. sending back
14. A. pleased B. hurt C. interested D. worried
15. A. just B. ever C. even D. almost
16. A. her punishment B. her prize C. his job D. his reward
17. A. had B. made C. told D. helped
18. A. of B. on C. in D. at
19. A. poor B. nervous C. quick D. good
20. A. lecture B. point C. matter D. subject
It was a cold winter’s afternoon, Robert stopped for a moment as he crossed the bridge and looked down at the river below. There were hardly any ___1___ on the river. ___2___ the bridge, however, almost directly below, ___3___ was a small canoe(独木舟), with a boy in it. He was ___4___ wearing many clothes, Robert ___5___. He shivered(打了个寒颤) and walked on.
___6___ he heard a cry. “Help! Help!” The cry ___7___ from the river. Robert looked down. The boy was ___8___ the water and his canoe was ___9___ away, “Help! Help!” he called again.
Robert was a good ___10___. Taking off his clothes, he ___11___ into the river. The ___12___ water made him tremble all over, ___13___ in a few seconds he reached the ___14___. “Don’t be afraid,” he said and started to swim towards the river bank, ___15___ the boy with him. But at that ___16___ he noticed a large motor boat under the bridge. There were several people on the boat, all___17___in his direction. Robert ___18___ to swim towards the boat.
“Give me a hand,” he shouted ___19___ he got near the boat. He ___20___ up into a row of faces. “It’s funny,” he thought. “They look so ___21___.” Silently they helped the boy into the boat and ___22___ him in a blanket. But they did not move to ___23___ Robert.
“Aren’t you going to pull me ___24___ too?” Robert asked.
“You!” said one of the men. Robert noticed that he was standing next to a large ___25___. “You! Why, we were making a film and you spoiled(破坏) a whole afternoon’s work! You can stay in the water.”
1. A. fish B. boats C. waves D. sounds
2. A. From B. Towards C. Near D. Beyond
3. A. there B. it C. where D. that
4. A. then B. also C. only D. not
5. A. noticed B. saw C. guessed D. said
6. A. Till then B. Just then C. Far away D. From there
7. A. happened B. went C. arrived D. came
8. A. on B. within C. in D. under
9. A. running B. floating C. flowing D. pulling
10. A. swimmer B. guard C. soldier D. sportsman
11. A. threw B. looked C. dived D. turned
12. A. deep B. cool C. dirty D. cold
13. A. but B. so C. and D. or
14. A. canoe B. bank C. boy D. bridge
15. A. pushing B. dragging C. holding D. catching
16. A. place B. period C. second D. moment
17. A. seeing B. smiling C. looking D. shouting
18. A. decided B. went C. agreed D. promised
19. A. while B. till C. for D. as
20. A. turned B. looked C. hurried D. stood
21. A. nervous B. afraid C. excited D. angry
22. A. wrapped B. left C. placed D. threw
23. A. save B. thank C. help D. wrap
24. A. on B. out C. away D. off
25. A. boat B. blanket C. camera D. screen
While my father was an officer of the British army in South Africa, we lived in a ___1___ house. One ___2___ my father and sister and I were sitting together. He was ___3___ the window. I suddenly ___4___ that he was turning very pale. I sat ___5___, for I did not want to __6__ my sick sister. Soon father said in a ___7___ voice, “Kate and Joan, a friend of mine is ___8___ here to see me this evening, and I wish to be ___9___ him. Will you go up to your own room?” We ___10___, went to our room and closed the door.
Soon I heard a ___11___ like that of a door burst in, and then a climb of feet. They were hurrying ___12___ the narrow stairs. Fearing that there was ___13___ near, I seized the pistol(手枪) on the table. Then I heard my father cry out, "For God’s sake(快!), child, ___14___ the door. " I did so. To my horror(恐怖), I saw, ___15___ my father’s shoulder, a gorilla(大猩猩), the worst enemy of the soldier in ___16___. He was ___17___ my father. I raised the pistol and fired. The animal fell backwards with ___18___ loud cry. Father took the ___19___ smoking pistol from my hand, and fired another shot, which ___20___ the gorilla.
It happened that father had ___21___ us upstairs because he thought he would be able to ___22___ the door ––– which was twenty feet away –––___23___ the animal reached it. However, the gorilla was too ___24___ for him; and this was the cause of the ___25___ flight(逃跑) up the stairs.
1. A. two-storeyed B. two storeyed C. two-storeys D. two storeys
2. A. o’clock B. night C. evening D. time
3. A. towards B. opposite C. inside D. behind
4. A. knew B. learned C. felt D. noticed
5. A. still B. lonely C. sadly D. unhappily
6. A. hurt B. frighten C. lose D. trouble
7. A. loud B. sad C. calm D. pleasant
8. A. moving B. staying C. running D. coming
9. A. friendly to B. alone with C. helpful to D. careful with
10. A. promised B. trembled C. obeyed D. replied
11. A. sound B. cry C. voice D. shout
12. A. to B. down C. through D. up
13. A. some difficulty B. a thief C. some danger D. an accident
14. A. open B. close C. pull D. draw
15. A. on B. above C. over D. from
16. A. South America B. Africa C. South Asia D. Europe
17. A. aiming at B. marching towards C. shooting at D. running after
18. A. an exciting B. a calm C. an angry D. a natural
19. A. still B. yet C. even D. already
20. A. hit B. murdered C. frightened D. killed
21. A. taken B. sent C. driven D. forced
22. A. push B. lock C. guard D. defend
23. A. until B. when C. before D. though
24. A. quick B. huge C. heavy D. stupid
25. A. anxious B. fearless C. excited D. hurried