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阅读理解
The Gunpowder Plot was conspiracy(阴谋)to kill King James I, as well as the members of the House of Lords and Commons at the re-opening of Parliament．It was designed by a group of Catholics in protest against the anti-Catholic laws that were being introduced by the king．
Robert Catesby was the leader of the group．It was he and his cousin, Thomas Wintour, and two other friends, Thomas Percy and John Wright, who formed the center of the group．They were joined by nine more men; among them was Guy Fawkes, from the city of York in the north of England．
Fawkes found a store room directly under the House of Lords and rented it out under the false name of John Johnson．The conspirators stored thirty-six barrels of gunpowder there, and Fawkes, who was an explosives expert, was to light the fuses(引信)on 5th November 1605．
The plot failed because one of the conspirators, Francis Tresham, sent a letter to his relative, who was a member of the House of Lords．The letter warned him not to attend the opening ceremony of Parliament．The letter was passed on to the authorities, who took action．
Guy Fawkes was found in the cellar on the night of 4th November with the thirty-six barrels and a number of fuses．He was imprisoned and ill-treated, eventually giving away the names of the conspirators．
Soldiers of the king surrounded Holbeach House, in the Midlands, where they knew the conspirators to be hiding．In the fight that followed, four of them were shot dead, including Catesby and Percy, who were actually killed by the same bullet．The others were imprisoned and hanged along with Guy Fawkes on 31st January 1606．
These days, on 5th November, children all over Britain celebrate Guy Fawkes Night by building huge bonfires and lighting fireworks．It's a family tradition and an occasion to eat potatoes baked by the flames．There is always a 'guy' on top of the fire, a model of Guy Fawkes, dressed in the clothes of the 17th century．
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