A total of 17 paintings worth between 10 and 15 million euros were stolen at a museum in northern Italy, local officials said on Friday.

Three armed men with masked faces broke into the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona on Thursday night, a local newspaper reported. Located inside a castle which was built in 1354 ,the Castelvecchio Museum is one of the most important museums in the northern city.

The stolen paintings included masterworks from Andrea Mantegna, Jacopo Tintoretto, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacopo Bellini, Hans de Jode and other world-famous artists. The group controlled the only private security guard who was there and the cashier, and then forced the guard to accompany them to the rooms where they stole the paintings.

Verona Mayor Flavio Tosi, who stayed at the scene until late in the night, said that surely someone sent them, because they acted professionally, and knew what they were looking for. The paintings stolen, he added, basically  were the most valuable works on display. An investigation was opened into the theft.

The museum displays a very important collection of Italian and European art in 29 rooms including early Christian finds, Lombard gold work, sculptures from the 10th to the 14th century, medieval arms  and armor, and paintings from the 14th to the 18th century.

The museumi's director, Paola Marini, called herself shocked by the theft. The experienced art historian, who is about to leave her post after over 20years, was receiving an award in a nearby restaurant when she was informed of what had happened.

The theft came just a day after two stolen paintings recently recovered by Italian heritage police were displayed in Rome during a ceremony attended by President Sergio Mattarella and Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.

【小题1】Where does the article probably come from?

A．A journal.	B．A newspaper.
C．A magazine.	D．A storybook.

【小题2】What do we know about the Castelvecchio Museum?

A．It was used as a castle.

B．It is built in 1354.

C．It is in the north of Italy.

D．It was the most important museum in Italy.

【小题3】What do we know from the passage?

A．The stolen paintings are never on display.

B．The cashier asked the stealers to do it.

C．The security guard was killed.

D．The stealers were sent to do it.

【小题4】From the passage, we can know that Paola Marini  .

A．was charged with the theft

B．was about to leave the museum when the theft happened

C．was holding a meeting outside when the theft took place

D．has been in charge of the museum for many years

Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception.
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk.
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle(喧闹) of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.
My heart skipped a beat. “Moon River” was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note.
Then the radio announcer came on. “Here’s one we haven’t heard in a while,” and an unfamiliar song began. I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves. “Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower…”
【小题1】The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons Except that ________.

A．it was too cold and quiet

B．she could only sing one song in the small farm

C．there was nothing more that could make her excited

D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat

【小题2】From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.

A．left the small farm with Lord

B．passed away four years ago

C．left for Lord to live her own way

D．preferred to be with Lord

【小题3】What does the underlined word refer to?

A．shouted	B．comforted
C．recalled	D．sighed

【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．Mom’s music	B．Cherish(珍惜) life
C．My happy childhood	D．Our small farmhouse

   Summertime has always been my absolute favorite time of the year. When I was in school，I just lived for the long summer holidays when I could play with my friends and my sister all day at our ease. Everyone has different associations with summer. For some，they think of the smell of freshly cut grass，for some it's lying on a beach reading a book and for others it might be the taste of lemonade or ice cream. I am so happy to be spending this summer with my family and childhood friends here in the Highlands of Scotland after a year away in France.

One of my favorite things to do in summer is go to see the Highlands. These events happen all across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland over the summer and are a great chance for friends and families to get together and support the local community. A Highland Games event is a big gathering with food stalls（货摊），fair games for children and sports competitions. Many of the sports are very specific to Scottish tradition such as "caber toss". This is a competition in which the competitors attempt to lift a full-length tree log and throw it into the air. The oldest Highland Games of Scotland are now an iconic（象征性的）part of the Scottish summer.

Summer just would not be complete for me without my favorite fruit-strawberries. Here in the Highlands，strawberries are grown as one of the best-sellers over the summer months and one thing I love to do on a warm summer afternoon is to pick some strawberries to eat with cream at the end of the day. If you come here，I think you will fall in love with them.

【小题1】Why did the author treasure summertime as a child?

A．It was a long hot holiday for him.

B．He could see his brother every day.

C．He was able to feel quite relaxed.

D．It was the best time to live a life.

【小题2】What can we learn according to the first paragraph?

A．The author was born and raised in France.

B．The author spent one year out of his country.

C．The author moved to Scotland with his family.

D．The author devoted much time to reading books.

【小题3】What will you see at a Highland Games event?

A．People giving a hand to those in need.

B．Kinds of delicious food and happy children.

C．A cultural display of Scottish tradition.

D．Some extreme sports competitions.

【小题4】Why does the author refer to strawberries?

A．To show he only takes interest in this fruit.

B．To prove the Highlands is best for summer.

C．To attract readers to buy strawberries.

D．To suggest strawberries are the best fruit.

语法填空

On February 20, 2003, a fire broke out at the Station Club on Rhode Island. It 【小题1】 (kill) 100 people — mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. But as in any disaster （突难）, heroes were ready 【小题2】 (help).

One of those heroes is a man named James Paolucci. He is the owner of the Cowesett Inn（旅馆）, 【小题3】 is a comfortable place across from the station. On 【小题4】 (hear) the news that the club was on fire, James decided to do something to offer help. The inn turned 【小题5】 a hospital immediately. The injured got 【小题6】 (medicine) attention there, and Rhode Island officials held 【小题7】 (meeting) there. What’s more, the injured people’s family，firefighters, nurses stayed there.

James, efforts 【小题8】 (think) highly of by Governor Don Carcieri. In an article of the Kent County Daily Times, Carcieri stated, “The Cowesett Inn 【小题9】 (certain) helped the lifesaving work a lot that night. ”

James and 【小题10】 inn were all heroes in Rhode Island’s biggest disaster, and they saved a lot of lives.

We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed that this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck. At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: “Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won’t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won’t last.” After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: “Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck.”
The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van. In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes(刹车) and the gas pedal (油门). Holly was unhurt physically but when we reached her, she was crying and saying: “Oh, Dad, I’m sorry. I know how much you love this truck.” I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes were wet and she said: “That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad’s car and ran into a tree that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home, my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me.”
Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of the night. I remember how sad Holly was on the night she crashed our truck, and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know that I love her a thousand times more than any piece of property.
【小题1】What caused the crash?

A．The brakes weren’t working.

B．The car got a flat tire and Holly lost control.

C．Holly was drinking a soft drink while driving.

D．Holly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

【小题2】What happened to the author’s friend after she ruined her dad’s car?

A．She lost the courage to drive.

B．Her father was violent toward her.

C．Her father kicked her out of the house.

D．She suffered physical pain for a long time

【小题3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The author regretted sending his daughter to the store.

B．Holly was allowed to drive because she was older than her brother.

C．Seeing the crash, the author was sorry for the damage to his beloved truck.

D．The author made it clear that he loved his daughter more than his truck.

【小题4】What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．The friend was seriously wounded

B．The wound recovered after 40 years.

C．The friend was deeply hurt by her father.

D．Parents shouldn’t beat their children.

【小题5】The purpose of writing the passage is to show us ________.

A．love is more important than possessions

B．parents should never let a teenager drive

C．it is useless blaming someone after an accident

D．we should always forgive others’ mistakes