Archaeologists believe they are on the turning point of throwing light on the life of William Shakespeare — by excavating (發掘) what may have been the playwright’s dust hole.
Experts have begun excavating the ruins of New Place, Shakespeare’s former home in Stratford-upon-Avon, which was destroyed 250 years ago. Although little remains of the property, the team, led by Birmingham Archaeology, believes it has identified a dust hole used by the 16th century poet.
Small pieces of pottery (陶瓷) and broken clay pipe have already been found from a muddy hole on the site, which they claim could yield some of the most significant discoveries about Shakespeare in decades. The dig focuses on three areas of the property, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 when he returned to his home town from London having achieved fame — including the so-called knot garden at the back of the building.
Dr Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which owns the site, said, “We do not know if the knot garden was an area used by Shakespeare — it may have been a yard simply used by his servants. But this could actually yield some fantastic results, especially if it was an area where rubbish was thrown or the dust hole was located.”
Kevin Colls, from Birmingham Archaeology, added, “Through documentary evidence we know Shakespeare lived at New Place but we have very little information regarding the layout (布局) of the house and gardens at this time. Through archaeological fieldwork, in particular the dig of structural remains and the recovery of artifacts, we hope to fill in the blanks.”
Until October, visitors will be able to watch archaeologists and volunteers at work as they excavate the remains of the house, which was knocked down in 1759. Experts hope to unearth evidence to support theories that Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous works at the property.
This excavation intends to ______.
A. know something about the playwright’s dust hole
B. search for some treasure in the dust hole
C. explore the life of William Shakespeare
D. find something that Shakespeare lost
New Place was destroyed in the ______ century.
A. 15th B. 16th C. 17th D. 18th
Small pieces of pottery and broken clay pipe on the site ______.
A. could show Shakespeare’s luxurious life
B. could lead to important discoveries about Shakespeare
C. could show us that Shakespeare lived at New Place
D. could prove when New Place was knocked down
What can we learn from the text?
A. Shakespeare used to live at New Place.
B. Shakespeare became famous after 1597.
C. Only his servants used the knot garden.
D. Dr Diana Owen owns Shakespeare’s property.
閱讀快車系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes (糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin (胰島素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones — a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(論壇) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善機構）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people —225 to date— who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000 — in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."
Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
A. He needs to go to the doctor every day.
B. He studies the leading cause of diabetes
C. He has a positive attitude to this disease.
D. He encourages diabetics by writing articles.
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
A. diabetics to communicate B. volunteers to find jobs
C. children to amuse themselves D. rock stars to share resources.
According to the text, Kody ______.
A. feel lonely because of his illness
B. benefits from diabeticrockstar.com
C. helps create the online kid’s forums
D. writes children’s stories online
What can we learn about Fight It?
A. It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties.
B. It organizes parties for volunteer once a year.
C. It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics.
D. It owns a well-known medical website.
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
A. works full-time in a diabetes charity
B. employs 22 people for his website
C. helps diabetics in his own way
D. ties to find a cure for diabetes
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September, 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker (面包師) in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery (面包房) into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect (建筑師), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among them the mew St Paul’s
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.
From the passage, we can learn that the fire began in ________.
A. a hotel B. the palace C. Pudding Lane D. Thames Street
The underlined word “family” in the second paragraph means ________.
A. wife and husband B. wife and children C. home D. children
It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ________.
A. many famous buildings were destroyed
B. some people lost their lives
C. the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
D. the King’s bakery was burned down
Why did the writer cite (引用) Samuel Pepys?
A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.
B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.
C. Because he wanted to give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.
D. Because he wanted to show that poor people suffered most.
How was the fire put out according to the text?
A. The King and his soldiers came to help.
B. Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down.
C. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.
D. People managed to get enough water from the river.
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His report was so exciting that it was interrupted by applause（掌聲）.
A. constantly B. constant C. seldom D. never
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Mrs. White was so ________ in her work that she didn’t notice a stranger enter the office.
A. absorbed B. adjusted C. focused D. centered
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Some people have called ________ the worst period ever for Pop Music.
A. 1990’s B. the 1990 C. the 1990’s D. 1990s
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It was in this house ______ he was born and grew up.
A. that B. where C. which D. when
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With her health ____________________, she had to quit the job she loved.
A. broken down B. broke down C. having broken down D to break down
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The teacher demanded that he __________ his homework at once.
| A. hand in | B. would turn in |
| C. turned in | D. should be turned |
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