Comprehension 理解
Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible．Use one complete sentence for each answer.
1 Give two reasons why it was easy for Alfred the Great to penetrate the Danish camp.
2 Explain briefly how Alfred defeated the Danes.
Vocabulary 词汇
Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: disguised (1.1); thither (1.7); slack (1.7); security precautions (1.8); proceeds (1.8); trivial (1.11); harried (1.14); assailed (1.15); skirmishes (1.16); unique (1.17).
The paragraph 段落
A Suggest a suitable title for this passage.
B Which of the following statements are correct:
1 In Alfred's time it was easy for a minstrel to gain access to an enemy camp.
2 Guthrum was the place where the Danish invaders had their camp.
3 Alfred defeated the Danes because he had a large army.
4 During the English attack, the Danes found it difficult to obtain food．
C The following sentences have been taken from the second paragraph (11．5-12)．Arrange them in their correct order．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
1 He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual.
2 These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went.
3 There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft.
4 While Alfred's little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the commander of the Danish invaders.
5 They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions.
Key structures 关键句型
A Note how we can use a lot of in place of many (of) and much (of):
Instead of saying: Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth．(1.3)
We can say: Alfred had learned a lot of their ballads in his youth.
Write these sentences again using much (of) or many (of) in place of a lot of:
1 There were a lot of people present at the reception.
2 I haven't got a lot of books.
3 I haven't brought a lot of luggage with me.
4 A lot of the machinery in this factory is out of date.
5 A lot of the shops in this area close on Wednesday afternoon.
B Put the words in parentheses in their correct position in these sentences．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
1 He noticed that discipline was slack．(at once) (1.7)
2 They lived on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions．(well) (11.8-9)
3 But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were fit for prolonged battle．(no longer) (11.12-13)
C Note how as well as can be used to mean in addition to:
There they collected women as well as food and drink．(1.9)
Write two senteces using as well as in the same way.
D Compare these two sentences:
Instead of saying: Their commissariat had no organization．(1.13)
We can say: Their commissariat hadn't any organization.
Supply suitable compounds with no or any in the following:
1 ____ called while you were out.
2 Did you go ____last night?
3 Haven't you got ____to do?
4 He said he knew ____about it.
5 I don't know ____by that name.
E Give the correct form of the verbs in parentheses．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred not ____(risk) open battle but ____(harry) the enemy．He ____(be) constantly on the move, ____(draw) the Danes after him．His patrols ____(halt) the raiding parties: hunger ____(assail) the Danish army．Now Alfred ____(begin) a long series of skirmishes----and within a month the Danes ____(surrender)．(11.14-17)
Special difficulties 难点
A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference:
1 wandering (11.1-2) ---- wondering
I love wandering around second-hand bookshops.
I'm wondering if we've made a mistake here.
2 learned (1.3) ---- taught
I learned to knit when I was eight.
Who taught you how to knit?
3 noticed (l.7) ---- remarked
She noticed that several students seemed restless that morning.
He remarked, ‘You look beautiful today.’
4 conquerors (1.8) ---- winners
Military victories were celebrated by parading the defeated chiefs and princes in the streets of Rome, in a display of submission to their conquerors.
The Oxford team were the winners in last year's Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
5 force (1.11) ---- strength
The captain called together a small force of hand-picked men．(= a group under orders)
The door was opened by force．(= the use of strength)
You need a great deal of strength to be a weight lifter．(=the quality of being strong)
But force and strength are often interchangeable when followed by‘of the’:
The force/the strength of the wind was so great that the roof was blown off.
B Explain the meaning of the verbs and expressions in italics:
1 These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham…(11.6-7)
2 Have you settled your account yet?
3 They settled in Australia before the war.
4 It's time we settled this question.
5 He settled all his property on his wife.
C Note this compound with self:
The Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors．(11.7-8)
Write sentences using the following:
self-assurance; self-denial; self-governing; self-centred．
D Explain the words and expressions in italics:
1 The Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle．(11.12-13)
2 Does that coat fit you?
3 I can't fit all these clothes into this suitcase.
4 He may win the race today．He's extremely fit and in good form.
5 He wrote that book in a sudden fit of energy.
6 It's a good idea, but it doesn't fit in with our plans.
Multiple choice questions 多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension 理解
1 Why was it easy for Alfred the Great to visit the Danish camp disguised as a minstrel?
a．Because no one would recognize him.
b．Because he had learned many Danish ballads in his youth.
c．Because minstrels were able to travel freely in those days.
d．Because no one would refuse hospitality to a king.
2 At the Chippenham camp, King Alfred took special note of the fact that ____.
a．the camp was easy to penetrate
b．the Danish commander, Guthrum, had a lot of confidence
c．winter was setting in
d．the Danes were unprepared for war
3 From what he had seen, Alfred concluded that ____.
a．he would have to stay in the Danish camp for a week
b．his small army was not necessarily a disadvantage
c．the Danes would be dangerous in a prolonged battle
d．the Danes could survive indefinitely on irregular raids
4 One of the factors that led to the Danish surrender was that ____.
a．the Danes could no longer depend on irregular raids to obtain food
b．King Alfred engaged in open battle
c．this was a unique epic of royal espionage
d．they surrendered within a month
Structure 句型
5 Minstrels were not men ____ in battle．(1.2)
a．who fight
b．to fight
c．fighting
d．they fight
6 The Danes collected women ____food and drink．(1.9)
a．also
b．both
c．in addition to
d．moreover
7 Alfred stayed in the camp a week before ____to Athelney.
a．returning
b．to return
c．to returning
d．return
8 So,____ with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle．(1.14)
a．he was faced
b．on being faced
c．he faced
d．in the face
Vocabulary 词汇
9 Alfred was disguised so no one ____ him．(1.1)
a．recognized
b．understood
c．knew
d．met
10 Alfred____ at once that discipline was slack．(1.7)
a．regarded
b．remarked
c．saw
d．attended
11 The force there ____was trivial compared with the Danish horde．(11.11-12)
a．gathered
b．picked up
c．constituted
d．picked
12 His patrols ____the raiding parties．(1.15)
a．attacked
b．prevented
c．held back
d．put an end to