Now I had not thought that I would have to go down into the pit with the snakes in order to 　　1    them, so I was wearing the wrong sort of clothes. I 　　2   this to my friend, and he very

3   lent me his trousers and shoes, which were quite thick and strong. So, as I could think of no more excuses, they tied the    4   round my waist and started to　　 5   me into the pit.

Just before I landed at the bottom I 　　6   up and told my friends to stop lowering me: I wanted to　　 7  the ground that I was going to land on, to make sure there were mo snakes on the    8   . The area being clear, I shouted to them to lower away,　　 9   at that moment two things happened.

First, the light went out; secondly, one of the shoes which I had 　　10   from my friend and which were too large for me, came off. So there was I standing at the    11 of a ten-foot-deep pit, with no light and one shoe on one foot, surrounded by seven or eight deadly Gaboon snakes. I had never been more    12   . I had to wait in the dark, without daring to move,　　 13 my friend pulled the lamp out, relit it and lowered it into the pit again.

With plenty of    14   and both shoes on, I felt much    15   ,and set about the task of catching the snakes. This was really    16   enough.

I had a forked stick in my hand, and with this I came near each reptile, pinned it down with the fork and then    17   it up by the bank of the neck, and put it into my snake bag, what I was busy catching one snake, another might move round    19   me and I might step back on it. However, It all passed off without　　 20   , and at the end of half an hour I had caught eight of the Gaboon snakes.

1．A. watch　　   B. kill　　   C. catch　　    D. research

2．A. expressed　　 B. explained　　   C .said　　   D. showed

3．A. quickly　　   B. eagerly　　　　  C. kindly　　　　  D. easily

4．A. lamp　　　　 B. fork　　　　　　 C. trousers　　　　 D. rope

5．A. sent　　　　   B. drop　　　　　　 C. lower　　　　   D. put

6．A. looked　　　　 B. gave　　　　   C. took　　　　   D. made

7．A. examine　　    B. check　　　　    C. find　　　　    D. search

8．A. pit　　　　    B. water　　　　　　  C. earth　　　　　　    D. way

9．A. yet　　　　    B. and　　　　    C. however　　　　  D. therefore

10．A. lent　　　　  B. borrowed  　　   C. received　　　　   D. bought

11．A. edge　　　　  B. bottom　　　　   C. side　　　　　　 D. middle

12．A. excited　　    B. encouraged　　    C. frightened　　    D. surprised

13．A. when　　　　  B. till　　　　    C. so　　　　　　  D. while

14．A. strength　　　　 B. help　　　　   C. rest　　　　    D. light

15．A. braver　　    B. prouder　　　　  C. brighter　　　　  D. stronger

16．A. safe　　　　  B. funny　　　　  C. simple　　　　  D. difficult

17．A. brought　　   B. picked　　　　  C. set   　　　　   D. took

18．A. watch　　　　 B. read　　　　    C. turn　　　　    D. take

19．A. at　　　　    B. near　　　　   C. before　　　　    D. behind

20．A. accident　　   B. effort　　　　   C. care　　　　　　  D. problem

3   lent me his trousers and shoes, which were quite thick and strong. So, as I could think of no more excuses, they tied the    4   round my waist and started to　　 5   me into the pit.

Just before I landed at the bottom I 　　6   up and told my friends to stop lowering me: I wanted to　　 7  the ground that I was going to land on, to make sure there were mo snakes on the    8   . The area being clear, I shouted to them to lower away,　　 9   at that moment two things happened.

First, the light went out; secondly, one of the shoes which I had 　　10   from my friend and which were too large for me, came off. So there was I standing at the    11 of a ten-foot-deep pit, with no light and one shoe on one foot, surrounded by seven or eight deadly Gaboon snakes. I had never been more    12   . I had to wait in the dark, without daring to move,　　 13 my friend pulled the lamp out, relit it and lowered it into the pit again.

With plenty of    14   and both shoes on, I felt much    15   ,and set about the task of catching the snakes. This was really    16   enough.

I had a forked stick in my hand, and with this I came near each reptile, pinned it down with the fork and then    17   it up by the bank of the neck, and put it into my snake bag, what I was busy catching one snake, another might move round    19   me and I might step back on it. However, It all passed off without　　 20   , and at the end of half an hour I had caught eight of the Gaboon snakes.

1．A. watch　　   B. kill　　   C. catch　　    D. research

2．A. expressed　　 B. explained　　   C .said　　   D. showed

3．A. quickly　　   B. eagerly　　　　  C. kindly　　　　  D. easily

4．A. lamp　　　　 B. fork　　　　　　 C. trousers　　　　 D. rope

5．A. sent　　　　   B. drop　　　　　　 C. lower　　　　   D. put

6．A. looked　　　　 B. gave　　　　   C. took　　　　   D. made

7．A. examine　　    B. check　　　　    C. find　　　　    D. search

8．A. pit　　　　    B. water　　　　　　  C. earth　　　　　　    D. way

9．A. yet　　　　    B. and　　　　    C. however　　　　  D. therefore

10．A. lent　　　　  B. borrowed  　　   C. received
?

　　　　   D. bought

11．A. edge　　　　  B. bottom　　　　   C. side　　　　　　 D. middle

12．A. excited　　    B. encouraged　　    C. frightened　　    D. surprised

13．A. when　　　　  B. till　　　　    C. so　　　　　　  D. while

14．A. strength　　　　 B. help　　　　   C. rest　　　　    D. light

15．A. braver　　    B. prouder　　　　  C. brighter　　　　  D. stronger

16．A. safe　　　　  B. funny　　　　  C. simple　　　　  D. difficult

17．A. brought　　   B. picked　　　　  C. set   　　　　   D. took

18．A. watch　　　　 B. read　　　　    C. turn　　　　    D. take

19．A. at　　　　    B. near　　　　   C. before　　　　    D. behind

20．A. accident　　   B. effort　　　　   C. care　　　　　　  D. problem

_____ is the population of your country?

　 A. How 　 B. what  C. How many 　 D. How many

Put the books back ________ they belong after you have finished them.

　　A. where　　　　　　　　　　　　B. to where

　　C. to which　　　　　　　　　　　D. to the place

2.26-meter-tall Yao Ming made his NBA debut (初次登台) on October 23, 2002 and got 6 points for the Houston Rockets in the game. The next day, he got 13 points (得分)in another game.

Most people think that Yao Ming is a born basketball player. But Yao said, “When you watch it on TV, it looks very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really not so easy.” He said that joining the Houston Rockets was a new start and a new challenge. “I hope that through very hard work I can make everyone happy and help the Rockets win more games,” he said.

Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can understand each other. They don't think there is a language problem. While Yao Ming faces this new challenge（挑战）, the people of Houston have shown great interest in him and they hope Yao Ming will bring new energy (活力) to the Rockets. The team has started having lessons to learn more about China, and many people who work for the Rockets have learned to speak some Chinese.

Yao Ming got 13 points on October _____, 2002.

　A. 22　　　 　B.23　　　　C.24　　　　D.26

Yao Ming said that _____.

A. playing in the NBA was difficult   

B. it was hard to watch NBA games on TV

C. he was an NBA star　　 　　      

D. it was boring to play basketball

From the passage we can know that Yao Ming ________.

A. will work hard for his team　  

B. made the highest score in his first NBA game

C. can't understand his teammates 

D. teaches the Rockets workers Chinese himself

The passage is probably ______.

　A. an advertisement　  B. a notice   C. a news report　   D. an instruction