17．The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2September 1666．In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city，where most of the houses were wooden and close together．One hundred thousand 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 in 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 Paul's and the Guildhall among them．
Samuel Pepys，the famous writer，wrote 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 new St Paul's．
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．
21．The underlined word"family"in the second paragraph meansB．
A．home
B．children
C．wife and husband
D．wife and children
22．It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact thatC．
A．some people lost their lives
B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
C．many famous buildings were destroyed
D．the King's bakery was burned down
23．Why did the writer cite（引用） Samuel Pepys？D
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．
24．How was the fire put out according to the text？D
A．The king and his 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 direction of the fire were pulled down．
25．Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread of the big fire？B
（a）There was a strong wind．
（b）The streets were very narrow．
（c）Many houses were made of wood．
（d）There was not enough water in the city．
（e）People did not discover the fire earlier．
A．（a）and（b）
B．（a），（b）and（c）
C．（a），（b），（c）and（d）
D．（a），（b），（c）（d）and（e）
分析 这篇短文中作者主要介绍了1666年发生在英国伦敦的大火，火灾的严重性在历史上是极其罕见的，给人的启迪是深刻的．
解答 21．答案 B 词义猜测题．根据短文第二段中的The baker，with hiswife and family，was able to get out through a window in the roof．可知其中的family应该指的是孩子，故选B．
22．答案 C 细节理解题．根据短文第三段The fire destroyed manywell-known buildings，old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them．可知，本句暗示着伦敦的许多著名建筑在大火中都被烧毁了；故选C．
23．答案 D 推理判断题．根据短文第四段内容可知，作者引用Samuel Pepys的描述是为了向读者描绘一个清晰、形象的大火场景；故选D．．
24．答案 D 细节理解题．根据短文第五段Thefire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds ofbuildings in the path of the fire．可知，在大火沿途的建筑被推倒而且没有可烧的东西后大火才最终得以平息；故选D．
25．答案 B 该题是细节考查题．通读全文可得出大火的原因，第一段中的where most of the houses were wooden and close together，可推出（c）第二段中的A strong wind blew the firefrom the bakery（面包房）into asmall hotel next door，可推出（a）第六段中的After thefire，Christopher Wren，the architect（建筑师），wanted a citywith wider streets and fine new houses of stone，可推出（b）The streets were very narrow．故答案为B
点评 故事类文章是英语高考中常考的一种文体．所谓故事类，顾名思义就是以叙事为主要内容的文章．一个故事，有开头，发展和结尾，层次非常清晰，语言通俗易懂，事情的来龙去脉完整地展现在试卷上．故事类阅读通常出现在高考阅读理解中的第一篇或第二篇，且文章难度和题目的难度不会太大．文章内容通常也都比较贴近学生的生活和社会背景．
