Long ago in ancient Greece, a writer named Strabo told about a mystery cave that stood next to the Temple of Apollo. People went into the cave and were never seen again. Only the temple priests were able to enter and return. When they came out, their faces had turned red.

　　Professor Sheldon Aaronson of Queens College, New York, believes that he has solved the mystery. Near the cave, hot springs produce gases that are poisonous. He thinks these dangerous gases may have gotten into the cave.

　　What about the priests? How did they escape? The professor thinks they held their breath while in the cave. That is why their faces became red.

　　Today there are bars across the entrance to the cave to prevent anyone from entering.

　　1. The best title is .

　　(A) A Mystery Cave (B) Red Faces

　　(C) Ancient Greece (D) Strabo

　　2. People who were not priests entered the cave and .

　　(A) saw cave drawings

　　(B) never returned

　　(C) found gold

　　(D) got sick

　　3. Today the cave .

　　(A) is a restaurant

　　(B) is a tourist hotel

　　(C) has bars across it

　　(D) has healthy air

　　4. The story suggests that today the cave is .

　　(A) beautiful (B) still dangerous

　　(C) dark and damp (D) very safe

　　5. The underlined word “poisonous" in Paragraph 2 means .

　　(A) watery (B) deadly

　　(C) white (D) healthy

　　语言积累

　　Strabo n.斯特拉博(古希腊地理学家和历史学家)

　　mystery n.神秘的事物，不能理解的事物

　　The Temple of Apollo太阳神庙，阿波罗神庙

　　hot spring温泉

　　hold one's breath屏住呼吸

　　bar n. 栅栏

　　damp a.潮湿

参考答案

　　1-5 ABCBB