When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(發起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小題1】“Talk of the town” means .
| A．it was in the newspaper |
| B．people spread bad rumors about it |
| C．it was the most popular happenings |
| D．it was discussed in a city meeting |
| A．It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
| B．People gave it too much of their attention. |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous. |
| D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because .| A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing |
| B．it made Tom look taller |
| C．the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted |
D．the difference between them would make Tom look even  smaller |
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
| B．People are always disappointed during war time. |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
| D．People should be married when they are small children. |
科目：高中英語 來源：福建省廈門雙十中學2010屆高三熱身考試（英語） 題型：完型填空
完形填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
When Winston Churchill was a young man, his father concluded that Churchill was “unfit for a career in law or politics” because he did so badly in school.
When Charles Darwin was getting ready to 36 on his five-year expedition on The Beagle, his father was extremely 37 . he thought his son was falling into a life of sin and idleness.
George Washington’s mother was a complaining, 38 woman by all accounts. She thought little of Washington’s achievements and didn’t 39 at either of his presidential inaugurations（就職典禮）. She was always complaining that her 40 overlooked her and she was especially angry when her son George ran off to 41 the army for the American Revolution. She 42 believed it was his duty to stay home and take care of her.
In his youth, the 43 Leonard Bernstein, one of the most talented and successful composers in American history, was continually pressured by his father to give up his 44 and do something worthwhile, like help out in his family’s beauty-supply business. After Leonard became 45 , his father was asked about that, and he answered, “Well, how was I supposed to know he was the Leonard Bernstein?”
People may criticize you or make fun of your ideas or actively try to 46 you. Often their efforts are only attempts to protect you from 47 . But obviously failure is only a possibility if you stop. If you keep 48 , a “failure” is just another learning 49 . Besides, giving up on a heartfelt goal is worse than failing. “Many people die”, said Wendell Holmes, “ 50 their music still in them.” That’s true tragedy.
So listen 51 to the worries and criticisms of your friends and family, and do your best to put their 52 at ease, but then carry on. Listen last to your own heart. You 53 yourself better than anyone on earth. Make sure your song is 54 .
Listen to your own heart. Don’t let your music 55 with you.
36．A．set sail B．take charge C．set free D．take off
37．A．excited B．pleased C．disappointed D．affected
38．A．self-centered B．self-confident C．kind-hearted D．cold-blooded
39．A．show off B．show up C．pick out D．pick up
40．A．parents B．neighbors C．students D．children
41．A．fight B．beat C．command D．attend
42．A．foolishly B．secretly C．bravely D．honestly
43．A．late B．latter C．former D．later
44．A．strength B．music C．wealth D．faith
45．A．proud B．steady C．independent D．famous
46．A． advise B．suggest C．stop D．keep
47．A．success B．failure C．poison D．laziness
48．A．stopping B．starting C．going D．coming
49．A．method B．experiment C．schedule D．experience
50．A．with B．beyond C．without D．during
51．A．politely B．rudely C．thoroughly D．roughly
52．A．homes B．minds C．businesses D．efforts
53．A．trust B．believe C．know D．doubt
54．A．finished B．completed C．written D．sung
55．A．live B．die C．sound D．play
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011屆廣東省深圳高級中學高三上學期期中測試英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小題1】“the talk of the town” means _________ .
| A．they were in the newspaper |
| B．people spread mean rumors about them |
| C．they were the most popular things happening |
| D．they were discussed in a city meeting |
| A．People gave it too much of their attention. |
| B．It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous. |
| D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
| A．He became a billionaire at twenty-five. |
| B．He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age. |
| C．He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon. |
| D．He married a school teacher. |
| A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing |
| B．it made Tom feel taller |
| C．the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted |
| D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller |
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
| B．People are always disappointed during wartime. |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
| D．People should be married even if they are small. |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2013年全國普通高等學校招生統一考試英語（北京卷帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔隊) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小報) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed
Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
【小題1】It can be learned from the passage that stars today___.
| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
| A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
| C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
| A．Availability of modern media. | B．Inadequate social recognition. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. | D．Huge population of fans. |
| A．Sincere. | B．Sceptical. | C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年兩省一市四校聯考第四次高考模擬考試（英語） 題型：閱讀理解
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored (發起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
56. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Charles’ parents supported him and performed together with him.
B. Charles was found and hired by the famous showman.
C. Charles put lots of advertisements to arouse interest.
D. Charles’ success was largely due to Mr. Barnum’s help.
57. Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by an eight-foot-tall person probably because ______________.
A. the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing
B. it made Tom look taller
C. the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D. the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
58. The underlined words “talk of the town” in the second paragraph from the bottom means ______________.
A. it was in the newspaper B. people spread bad rumors about it
C. it was the most popular topic D. it was discussed in a city meeting
59. What does the author think about Tom’s wedding?
A. It helped people cheer up in a dark time. B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous. D. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
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