19．Hundreds of years ago，a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland．The Scots，a brave people，loved their country very much．They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland，but there were too many Romans．It looked as if the Romans would win．
One night，the leader of Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill．"We will rest here tonight，my men，"he said．"Tomorrow we will fight one more battle．We must win or we will die．"
They were all very tired，so they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep．There were four guards on duty，but they，too，were very tired，and one by one，also fell asleep．
The Romans were not asleep．Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill．Slowly they climbed up the hillside，taking care not to make a sound．Closer and closer they came to the sleeping Scots．They were almost at the top．A few minutes more，the war would be over．Suddenly，one of them put his foot on a thistle（蓟）．He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots．In a moment，they were on their feet and ready for battle．The fighting was hard but it did not last long．The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved their country．
The thistle is not a beautiful plant．It has sharp needles all over it．Few people like it．But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower．
21．Hundreds of years ago there was a war betweenB．
A．Roman army and North England
B．Roman army and the Scots
C．England and Scots
D．a brave people and the Scots
22．"We must win or we will die．"What the leader of the Scots said meansD．
A．they were sure to win
B．they couldn't escape from death
C．they would win and then they would die
D．they must try hard to win，otherwise they would be killed
23．The Romans climbed up the hill quietly becauseA．
A．they didn't want to wake the Scots
B．they wanted to reach the top
C．they wanted to catch the four guards first
D．they were afraid of the sharp needles of the thistle
24．What's the main idea of the passage？D
A．The thistle is a beautiful plant
B．The people of Scotland like the thistle
C．The Romans are a brave people
D．The thistle helped the Scots win the battle．
分析 本文讲述了几百年前，在苏格兰人民抵御罗马军队的入侵的战斗中，一种叫蓟的植物在关键时刻帮助苏格兰人击败了罗马军队，拯救了苏格兰．
解答 21．B细节理解题．Hundreds of years ago，a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland．数百年前，一支罗马军队从英国北上，向苏格兰开战．所以答案选B．
22．D．推理判断题．根据句子They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland，but there were too many Romans．It looked as if the Romans would win．他们努力地把敌人赶出苏格兰，但是罗马人太多了，看来罗马人会赢．可以推断出他们处境艰难，他们必须奋战，否则只有死路一条，所以答案选D．
23．A细节理解题．根据句子 taking care not to make a sound．Closer and closer they came to the sleeping Scots．小心别发出声音，他们越来越接近沉睡的苏格兰人．可以看出他们不想弄醒苏格兰人，所以答案选A．
24．D 主旨大意题．本文讲述了几百年前，在苏格兰人民抵御罗马军队的入侵的战斗中，一种叫蓟的植物在关键时刻帮助苏格兰人击败了罗马军队，拯救了苏格兰．所以答案选D．
点评 文章有些长，会影响学生的阅读，但故事却十分有趣．整体文章难度中等．学生在阅读中要不断积累词汇，切不可想当然，如be on one's feet，是站起来的意思，而非光脚的意思．
