C

　　Most great inventors often met with much trouble in their work. Before they could succeed, they had to overcome thousands of difficulties which were put in their way. The following is one of such examples.

　　George Stephenson (1781~1848), a famous British inventor, made the first train in 1825, using a steam engine. When he was experimenting with the engine on the train, he met with troubles from the government, the newspapers and the gentlemen in the country. They said that the noise and the smoke would kill cows, horses and sheep, that the engine would burst or that the hot coals from it would set fire to their houses. People believed what they said. George Stephenson told the people that train could go on samll rails, could pull carriages full of goods and passengers and that there was no great danger to them. It was a very difficult matter for him to make them believe. However, after some time, he was able to do it, and the first train that was driven by Stephenson himself proved what he had said. On the train there was a new steam engine. It was invented by him, and was proved a complete success. The first day when the train ran on the rails, people along the way heard the noise of the train in the distance, and saw it running quickly to them.

　　They thought it was a genie. They ran quickly back home for fear and closed their doors tightly. They did not dare to come out until it had passed. A week later an old woman still said that her hen had been so frightened that it hadn’t laid any eggs for three days.

　　( )59. The story tells us something about _________.

　　A. the life of George Stephenson

　　B. the invention of the train

　　C. the trouble of Stephenson in his invention

　　D. the use of the engine on the train

　　( )60. Troubles came from ________ during the experiment with the engine on the train.

　　A. the government B. the newspapers

　　C. the gentlemen in the country D. Not only A and B, but also C

　　( )61. People along the way were _______ when the first train ran on the rails.

　　A. greatly frightened B. very happy

　　C. running quickly to it D. proud of the invention

　　( )62. People ran quickly back home because they thought _______.

　　A. a genie was coming B. the train would kill them

　　C. the train would set fire to their houses D. the smoke would choke them

　　D

　　King Albert of the Belgians was born in 1875. In his youth he studied engineering and was especially interested in ships and planes. One of his favorite sports was mountain climbing, and it was as a result of falling while out climbing that he died in 1934. He was 59.

　　He is best remembered by the Belgians for his leadership during World War I, which broke out in 1914, only five years after he came into power. Belgium was officially a neutral country at the start of the war, but because the Germans could more easily attack France by crossing Belgium, they did not care about Belgium’s neutrality, and invaded it soon after the beginning of war. Albert realized that his small country had no chance of stopping the German army, but decided that rather than just surrender, the Belgian army should fight. Although almost the whole of their country was conquered, the Belgians, led by their king, continued to fight against the Germans throughout the full four years of the war. King Albert’s wife, Queen Elizabeth, also did her best for the country, working in an army hospital. There she did all kinds of work, from sweeping dirty floors to dressing the wounds of wounded soldiers.

　　( )63. When the war broke out, King Albert was ________.

　　A. sure of victory and decided to fight on

　　B. not sure of victory and decided to fight on

　　C. certain of defeat and yet decided to fight on

　　D. not certain of victory and so decided not to fight on

　　( )64. King Albert’s wife ________.

　　A. was a doctor before she got married

　　B. worked as a nurse after the war

　　C. was willing to work at anything for her country

　　D. was too proud to do dirty work

　　( )65. King Albert died ________.

　　A. in a battle B. in an accident

　　C. in an army hospital D. in the war against Germany