第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的      A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

James climbed easily over the garden wall. He had made no noise. He looked around him. After a moment he came up to the window of Mr. Strong’s house.

   James had been a thief once. But that was before he had come to live in the little town of Brampton. Now he was a shopkeeper. He had had the shop in Brampton for ten years. And nobody knew that he had once been a thief. Tonight was the first time in ten years.

   James had not wanted to steal from Mr. Strong. But he needed money because a man he once met in prison came to this town. He knew that James had been a thief. He said that he would tell the people in Brampton about it. James was afraid, so he gave him money. Then the man wanted more money. James could not pay him. Now he was in real trouble, and he became a thief again.

   It was easy to get into the house. He found the room where all the valuable things were kept. James filled his pockets with all those things. Soon he had more than enough.

   He was leaving when he heard a sound behind him. He turned quickly. The door was open, and Mr. Strong himself was standing in front of him.

56. What was James in Brampton?

    A. A thief                                    B. A storekeeper         

C. A prisoner                                D. A gardener

57. James had a shop in Brampton for ten years, but before that ________.

   A. he had ever been a shop assistant                    

   B. he had been a thief and put in prison

   C. he borrowed a lot of money from Mr. Strong

   D. he and Mr. Strong had been together in prison

58. Who found out his personal secret?

   A. A person he didn’t know                           B. Mr. Strong

   C. A former prisoner                                   D. A prison policeman

59. After he got enough valuable things, _________.

   A. he got away in time                                  B. he left as quickly as possible

   C. he was put in prison                                 D. he was noticed 

                                  B 

Say goodbye to Pavarotti:

The Farewell World Tour of the world’s most popular tenor(男高音歌手) Lucaiano Pavarotti will include China and the Beijing concert will be on at the Capital Gymnasium on December 8-10. It will give Chinese audiences a chance to join fans around the world in saying a final goodbye to one of the greatest tenors of all time.