小故事Passage3

Passage 3

　　Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

　　One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball (化妆舞会). He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

　　Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

　　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forget Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!(1998年真题)

　　1. The text is mainly about ____.

　　A. a strange man

　　B. an unusual party

　　C. how roller skating began

　　D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

　　2. People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he ____.

　　A. often gave others surprisesB. was a gifted musician

　　C. invented the roller skatesD. was full of imagination

　　3. Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to ____.

　　A. impress the party guestsB. arrive at the party sooner

　　C. test his inventionD. show his skill in walking on wheels

　　4. What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

　　A. The roller skates needed further improvement.

　　B. The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

　　C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

　　D. Merlin got himself into trouble.

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