1 / 19 句0 词已学
【阅读理解】Reading: The Bell That Would Not Die
The first time Elena Voss heard the chapel bell crack, she was standing in the rain with a clipboard, counting heads.
Forty-three attendees, a fraction of the 1,200 who had subscribed to the restoration fund.
The bell gave a sound like a spoon against a chipped mug, then nothing.
'That's it,' said Tomás Riera, the 61-year-old foundryman who had cast it. 'She's exhausted.'
Elena, a 34-year-old solicitor from Valencia, had spent two years chasing this moment.
Now the bell hung silent above her, an artefact that had rung every Sunday since 1802, and she felt the old excitement curdle into something closer to panic.
Questions
1. What was Elena doing when she first heard the bell crack?
A. She was counting the people who had come to the chapel. B. She was arguing with Tomás about the restoration. C. She was examining a brass specimen from her grandmother's house. D. She was writing in her journal about the project.
2. Which word in the passage is closest in meaning to 'curdle' as used in the final sentence?
A. thicken B. warm C. sour D. vanish
3. How much money did Elena personally contribute to the final casting of the bell?
A. 8,400 euros B. 12,000 euros C. 47,000 euros D. 9,000 euros
4. What can be inferred about Elena's feelings when she heard the bell ring in June?
A. She regretted spending her house deposit. B. She was completely satisfied with the result. C. She was unsure whether her effort had been worthwhile. D. She felt certain that she had saved the bell forever.
5. What is the best title for this passage?
A. The Council's Victory B. How to Restore a Chapel C. The Foundryman's Secret Formula D. A Bell's Brief Return