The Gate without a Latch(插销)
1 THERE was a farmer, who had a little gate, which opened from his yard into a field. This little gate wanted a latch, and therefore could not be fastened.
2When he passed through the gate, he was very careful to pull it after him; but other people were not always so mindful. Even with all his care, the wind would often blow it open again after he had closed it.
3The result was, that the gate was generally either flapping backwards and forwards in the wind, or standing wide open.
4In this way the poultry were always getting out; and the sheep and lambs were always getting in. It took up half the children’s time to run after the chickens and drive them back into the yard, and to send the sheep and the lambs back into the field.
5 The farmer’s wife was always telling him that he ought to get the latch mended; but he used to say that it would cost six pence, and that it was not worthwhile. He said that the children might as well be driving the sheep and the poultry in and out of the yard and the field as be doing nothing. So the gate remained without the latch.
6One day a fat pig got out of its sty, pushed open the gate, ran into the field, and thence wandered into a thick wood. The pig was soon missed and a hue-and-cry was raised after it.
7The farmer was in the act of tying up a horse in the stable; but he left it, to run after the pig.
8His wife was ironing some clothes in the kitchen; and she left her work, to follow her husband.
9The daughter was stirring some broth (肉汤) over the fire; and she left it, to run after her mother.
10The farmer’s sons and his man joined in the chase after the pig; and away they all went, men and women, to the wood.
11But the man, making more haste(忙乱) than good speed, sprained his ankle in jumping over a fence. The farmer and his sons were obliged to give up chasing the pig, to carry the man back to the house. The good woman and her daughter also returned to assist the poor man who was hurt.
12When they got back to the house, they found that the broth had boiled over, that the dinner was spoiled，and that two shirts, which had been hanging before the fire, were burned and utterly ruined.
13The farmer scolded his wife and the girl, for being so careless as not to take the shirts and the broth from the fire before they left the kitchen.
14He then went to his stable, where he found that the horse, which he had left loose, had kicked a fine colt and broken its leg. The servant was kept in the house for a fortnight, by the hurt to his ankle.
15Thus, besides the injury done to the farmer’s man, the farmer lost two weeks’ work from his servant, a fine colt, a fat pig, and his two best shirts, to say nothing of the loss of his dinner—all for the want of a six-penny latch!
16In this way were two good old proverbs proved: “For want of a nail the wheel comes off.” “Safe bind, safe find.”
Questions 1 to 5. Judge if the following statements agree with the information given in the passage. Choose A for TRUE if the statements agree with it; choose B for FALSE if the statements don’t agree with it; choose C for NOT GIVEN if the information the statements carry is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.
Questions 6 to 9. Match the following words with their meanings in the passage. Note that there are four choices more than you need.
1. The farmer’s children took care of the animals after school.
2. All the family went to look for the missing pig.
3. The farmer hurt his ankle in jumping over a fence.
4. The farmer blamed his daughter for ruining his shirts.
5. The farmer suffered a great loss for saving six penny.
6. want
7. poultry
8. raise
9. spoil
10. What can be learned from this story?
| A．It’s never too late to mend. | B．No man can do two things at once. |
| C．Well begun is half done. | D．Pre-measure prevents future troubles. |
Rock climbing requires not only physical strength, but also complete mental concentration. So it is not an easy sport. But this may not be true for 20-year-old Sasha diGuilian. This fearless girl who has been dominating the sport ever since she entered this field is just getting warmed up.
The youngster who is also studying for a creative writing degree at Columbia University says that she began climbing even before she could walk. As a baby, she constantly escaped from her bed and led her friends to the nearest rocks or hills. Then at the age of seven she attended brother’s birthday party at a local rock climbing gym and found her gift for it.
Soon after, she joined the local center in her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia and began climbing— first once a week, then twice and soon, almost every day. At the age of nine, she won her first climbing competition by participating in an event that she hadn’t even been aware of, until she went to the gym for her normal climbing routine. Her competitive nature and love for the sport immediately reached the peak and she began training seriously, but this time outside the gym—climbing real mountains.
As a youngster, she dominated the Junior Continental Championships from 2004 to 2010. Then she went on to catch the Pan American Championship and the US National Championship as soon as she was old enough. And in 2011, at just 18 years old, she was crowned(加冕)Female Overall World Champion in Arco, Italy in her first attempt.
Sasha diGuilian is also the youngest woman who has completed the 5.14d graded climb in which climbers must climb rocks that are vertical. The 5.14d graded climb is regarded as the most difficult climb and it is something that even the most experienced climbers are a little afraid to take on, because a small slip could result in a severe injury or even death.
1. What does the underlined word “dominating” (Paragraph 1) mean?
(1 word)
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2. Where and when did Sasha diGuilian find she had the talent for rock climbing? (No more than 12 words)
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3. What made Sasha diGuilian begin training seriously to climb real mountains? (No more than 10 words)
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4. Why is the 5.14d graded climb considered the most difficult climb?
(No more than 7 words)
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5. Please explain how you are inspired by Sasha diGuilian.(No more than25 words)
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