II．阅读理解。认真阅读下列两篇短文，根据短文的内容从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案，并填在答题纸相应的位置上。错选、多选或未选均无分。（本大题共10小题，每小题2分，共20分）
Passage 1
Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented a cottage in the country, although he rarely spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it, many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked, making the whole house damp.
On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories which our uncle had to tell of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting tales.
He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.
“It sounds as if the roof has fallen in!” exclaimed my uncle, with a loud laugh.
When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, we could see nothing at first because of the thick clouds of dust which filled the room. When the dust began to clear, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had collapsed, falling right on to the pillow of my bed. I was glad that I had stayed up late to listen to my uncle’s stories, otherwise I should certainly have been seriously injured, perhaps killed.
That night we all slept on the floor to the sitting room downstairs, not wishing to risk our lives by sleeping under a roof which might at any moment collapse on our heads. We left for London the very next morning and my uncle gave up his cottage in the country. This was not the kind of adventure he cared for either!
21. The uncle seldom spent much time in the country cottage because ______.
A. the roof of the cottage was falling B. the cottage was in a bad condition
C. he was used to living abroad D. there was no furniture in it
22. The word “crash” (Line 2, Paragraph 3) most probably refers to ______.
A. a cry of terror B. a sudden ring
C. a sound of storm D. a sudden noise
23. When they opened the bedroom door, they could see nothing at first because ______.
A. it was completely dark inside B. dust was blown into their eyes
C. something strange blinded them D. there was too much dust in the air
24. The narrator felt glad that he had stayed up late because ______.
A. he did not miss the exciting stories B. he spent more time with his uncle
C. he had a lucky escape D. he saw a strange sight
25. Which of the following can best describe the narrator’s uncle?
A. Adventurous and good at storytelling. B. Humorous and good at making jokes.
C. Good-tempered and sensible. D. Hospitable and wealthy.
