2．In Paris，one freezing winter evening，I was having dinner with my friend，Mr．Dupin，the famous detective．We had just finished our meal，when there was a loud knocking at the door．
Dupin opened it．There stood Mr．Germain，the chief（警长）of the Paris Police．We welcomed him warmly，for he was an old acquaintance（熟人）whom we hadn't seen for a great time．
"I need your assistance，"said Germain．"I met a case（案件）that has been giving me a great deal of trouble．""It is very simple but very strange．Also，please keep this secret．If anyone found out that I told you this．I would certainly lose my job．"
"Well，then，"said the Chief，"I have learned that a very important letter has been stolen from the king．We are sure who stole it and that the letter is in his house．"
"But who would dare do such a thing？"I cried．
"The thief，"said Germain softly，"a man who darers do many dangerous things．He is one of the most powerful and important ministers in the government．He is Minister Damon．"
"A lot of times，while Minister Danton was out，a lot of well-trained police officers carefully searched the entire house，room by room．In fact，we examined everything in the house but found nothing．"…
A month later，Dupin asked Germain and me to his house．There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．We were both very surprised．
Dupin explained，"I know Minister Danton very well．He could not hide the letter in any of the usual hiding places．I realized that he might have left the letter out in the open，right under everyone's nose，where no one would search for it．"
"Then I visited him with my dark glasses on to help me observe（观察）better．While we were chatting，a dirty，torn letter in the letter holder suddenly caught my eyes-unusual for the Minister，who is careful and neat．"
"I was sure it was the letter．"
"Then I purposely left my gloves behind so I could come back again．"
"The next morning，I hired a man to fire a gun on the street，while the Minister went to see what happened，I stole the letter by replacing it with a similar one，On it Dupin wrote these words：
Your plan was good，but mine was better．
As you can see，I took the letter．
----Based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe
42．The underlined word"assistance"in the third paragraph probably meansBhere．
A．hobby
B．help
C．habit
D．holiday
43．Who is the best at solving difficult cases according to the passage？C
A．The writer．
B．Mr．Germain．
C．Mr．Dupin．
D．Minister Danton．
44．Dupin did all the following things to help get the letter back EXCEPTD
A．wearing his dark glasses when visiting Danton's house
B．leaving his gloves purposely behind in Danton's house
C．hiring a man to fire a gun on the street the next morning
D．writing some words on the letter he put into the letter holder
45．From the passage we can infer thatA
A．Dupin and Danton are also acquaintances
B．Dupin and the writer are both detectives
C．Danton and the writer are new friends
D．Gennain and Danton are dangerous enemies．
分析 本文是一篇人物故事类短文．主要介绍了法国巴黎的一个著名的侦探杜宾先生．在警长因一个棘手的案子束手无策的时候，来求助杜宾先生，一个月以后，杜宾先生略施小计，把那封信从部长大人家里拿出来了．
解答 42．答案：B．词义理解题．根据"I met a case（案件）that has been giving me a great deal of trouble．"以及"There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．"可知警长遇到了一个棘手的案子，解决不了．后来杜宾先生帮助他解决了问题，所以警长是来向杜宾先生求助的，所以"assistance"的意思是"help"，故选B．
43．答案：C．细节理解题．根据"In fact，we examined everything in the house but found nothing．"以及"A month later，Dupin asked Germain and me to his house．There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．"可知很多警察去都没有找到那封信，杜宾先生却找到了．所以杜宾先生是解决这个棘手案子的最佳人选．故选C．
44．答案：D．细节理解题．根据"I visited him with my dark glasses on to help me observe（观察）better．"和"Then I purposely left my gloves behind so I could come back again．"以及"The next morning，I hired a man to fire a gun on the street"可知以上三条都是杜宾先生为了把信拿回所采取的方法；根据"On it Dupin wrote these words：Your plan was good，but mine was better．As you can see，I took the letter．"可知杜宾先生在给Danton的假信上写了几个字，"你的计划很好，但是我的计划更好，当你看到这封信的时候，我已经把信拿走了"可知这显然不是杜宾先生为了得到那封信而做的事情，而是在把真信拿出来后故意写上的，想让Danton知道信已经被拿走这件事．故选D．
45．答案：A．细节理解题．根据"I know Minister Danton very well．He could not hide the letter in any of the usual hiding places．"以及"While we were chatting，a dirty，torn letter in the letter holder suddenly caught my eyes-unusual for the Minister，who is careful and neat．"我对 Danton 部长很了解，他无法将这封信藏在任何通常的藏身之处．当我们聊天的时候，一封脏的，撕开的信突然引起了我的注意，对于一直很仔细、整洁的部长来说，这是不同寻常的．因此可知杜宾先生和 Danton 部长也是老熟人，很了解部长．故选A．
点评 首先要仔细阅读短文，掌握大意，结合具体的题目再读短文，找出相关信息，就可以确定正确答案．
