68. According to the researchers, the origin of the event was 　　　　.

　 A. an east wind

　 B. a severe drought

C. some burning fuel

D. low barometric pressure

67. What can we infer about the event in New England on May 19, 1780?

　 A. Prayers remained silent and attentive.

　 B. Night birds no longer came out to sing.

　 C. People’s ears became sharper than usual.

　 D. Midday meals were served by candlelight.

66. New Englanders crowded into churches because they were frightened by 　　　　.

A. the pink color of the sun

　 B. the darkened sky at daytime

　 C. the Last Judgment on Friday

　 D. the American War of Independence

65. We can infer from the text that the author’s husband was 　　　　.

A. a doctor　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a researcher

C. a teacher　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. a sailor　　　

C

At dawn on Friday, May 19, 1780, farmers in New England stopped to wonder at the pink color of the sun. By noon the sky had darkened to midnight blackness, causing Americans, still in the painful struggle of a prolonged war of independence, to light candles and tremble at thoughts of the Last Judgment. As the birds quieted and no storm accompanied the darkness, men and women crowded into churches, where one minister commented that “The people were very attentive.” John Greenleaf Whittier later wrote that “Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp . . .”

A recent study of researchers, led by Richard Guyette from the University of Missouri’s Tree Ring Laboratory, has shown that vast forest fires in the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario and elsewhere in Canada brought this event upon New England. The scientists have discovered “fire scars” on the rings for that year, left when the heat of a wildfire has killed a part of a tree’s cambium (形成层). Evidence collected also points to a drought that year. An easterly wind and low barometric pressure (低气压) helped force smoke into the upper atmosphere. “The record fits pretty close,” says Guyette. “We had the right fuel, the drought. The conditions were all there.”

Lacking the ability to communicate quickly over long distances, Americans in 1780 remained in the dark about the event, which had disappeared by the next day. Over the next several months, the papers carried heated debates about what brought the darkness. Some were the voices of angry prediction, such as one Massachusetts farmer who wrote, “Oh! Backsliding New-England, attend now to the things which belong to your peace before they are forever hid from your eyes.” Others gave different answers. One stated that a “flaming star” had passed between the earth and the sun. Ash, argued another commentator. The debate, carried on throughout New England, where there were no scientific journals or academies yet, reflected an unfolding culture of scientific enquiry already sweeping the Western world, a revolution nearly as influential as the war for independence from the English.

New Englanders would not soon forget that dark day; it lived on in folklore, poems, and sermons for generations.

64. How does the author feel about her stay in China?

A. Unbearable.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Unbelievable.

C. Unfortunate.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Unforgettable.

63. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refers to 　　　　.

A. a small rabbit　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. an ever lasting effort

C. the new insulin　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the human guinea pig

62. As a diabetic, the author could still live normally in 1941 because 　　　　.

A. she was able to buy enough insulin　　　　　　

B. she received good medical treatment

C. she was looked after by her husband

D. she was helped by people of different races

61. What can we know about the author?

A. She visited China before twenty.

B. She was given an unhappy home.

C. She got married in Czechoslovakia.

D. She could hardly tolerate her parents.

60. What is the main purpose of the author?

A. To attract more visitors.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. To tell traveling experiences.

C. To sell information on line. 　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　 D. To introduce historical places.

B

I believe that it is important to be brought up with a firm belief in the good. I was fortunate in this respect. My parents not only gave me a happy home, but they had me study half a dozen foreign languages and made it possible for me to travel in other countries. This made me more tolerant and helped me to bridge many difficulties in later life.

Soon after I got married, my husband and I left our native Czechoslovakia and went to live in Shanghai, China. Here was a really international city. People of all races and beliefs lived and worked together.

In Shanghai, in 1941, when I was only twenty years old, the doctors discovered that I had diabetes. It was a terrible shock, because diabetes is incurable. But it can be controlled by insulin (胰岛素). Although this drug was not manufactured in China, there were enough stocks of imported insulin available. This enabled me to continue a normal, happy life.

　　 Then bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese occupied Shanghai. The import of insulin was cut off. Before long, there was not enough for the diabetics. I was on a starvation diet to keep my insulin requirements as low as possible. Many diabetics had already died, and the situation became desperate. In spite of all this, I never stopped believing that with the help of my husband’s love and care, I would survive.

　　 I continued to teach in Chinese schools. My faith and my husband’s never-ending efforts to get the manufacture of insulin started gave me courage. In his small laboratory the production of insulin was attempted. I served as the human guinea pig(实验品)on which it was tested. I’ll never forget the day when my husband gave me the first injection of the new insulin, which had worked on rabbits. It helped! Can you imagine our happiness and relief?

I received the greatest strength from the deep love and complete understanding between my husband and me. And next to that was the kindness and help of many, many friends of many nationalities. To me, the experience of living in Shanghai during the special times was unforgettable.

After the Second World War, my husband and I sailed to the Untied States, which is also known as a melt pot. Wherever we live, I believe, with faith and love, love between families and friends from different nationalities, we can make it our cherished home.

59. A common feature of Mauritius and Cyprus is that they are 　　　　.

　 A. old　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. romantic

　 C. rich　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. mysterious