2．In Paris，one freezing winter evening，I was having dinner with my friend，Mr．Dupin，the famous detective．We had just finished our meal，when there was a loud knocking at the door．
Dupin opened it．There stood Mr．Germain，the chief（警長）of the Paris Police．We welcomed him warmly，for he was an old acquaintance（熟人）whom we hadn't seen for a great time．
"I need your assistance，"said Germain．"I met a case（案件）that has been giving me a great deal of trouble．""It is very simple but very strange．Also，please keep this secret．If anyone found out that I told you this．I would certainly lose my job．"
"Well，then，"said the Chief，"I have learned that a very important letter has been stolen from the king．We are sure who stole it and that the letter is in his house．"
"But who would dare do such a thing？"I cried．
"The thief，"said Germain softly，"a man who darers do many dangerous things．He is one of the most powerful and important ministers in the government．He is Minister Damon．"
"A lot of times，while Minister Danton was out，a lot of well-trained police officers carefully searched the entire house，room by room．In fact，we examined everything in the house but found nothing．"…
A month later，Dupin asked Germain and me to his house．There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．We were both very surprised．
Dupin explained，"I know Minister Danton very well．He could not hide the letter in any of the usual hiding places．I realized that he might have left the letter out in the open，right under everyone's nose，where no one would search for it．"
"Then I visited him with my dark glasses on to help me observe（觀察）better．While we were chatting，a dirty，torn letter in the letter holder suddenly caught my eyes-unusual for the Minister，who is careful and neat．"
"I was sure it was the letter．"
"Then I purposely left my gloves behind so I could come back again．"
"The next morning，I hired a man to fire a gun on the street，while the Minister went to see what happened，I stole the letter by replacing it with a similar one，On it Dupin wrote these words：
Your plan was good，but mine was better．
As you can see，I took the letter．
----Based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe
42．The underlined word"assistance"in the third paragraph probably meansBhere．
A．hobby
B．help
C．habit
D．holiday
43．Who is the best at solving difficult cases according to the passage？C
A．The writer．
B．Mr．Germain．
C．Mr．Dupin．
D．Minister Danton．
44．Dupin did all the following things to help get the letter back EXCEPTD
A．wearing his dark glasses when visiting Danton's house
B．leaving his gloves purposely behind in Danton's house
C．hiring a man to fire a gun on the street the next morning
D．writing some words on the letter he put into the letter holder
45．From the passage we can infer thatA
A．Dupin and Danton are also acquaintances
B．Dupin and the writer are both detectives
C．Danton and the writer are new friends
D．Gennain and Danton are dangerous enemies．
分析 本文是一篇人物故事類短文．主要介紹了法國巴黎的一個著名的偵探杜賓先生．在警長因一個棘手的案子束手無策的時候，來求助杜賓先生，一個月以后，杜賓先生略施小計，把那封信從部長大人家里拿出來了．
解答 42．答案：B．詞義理解題．根據(jù)"I met a case（案件）that has been giving me a great deal of trouble．"以及"There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．"可知警長遇到了一個棘手的案子，解決不了．后來杜賓先生幫助他解決了問題，所以警長是來向杜賓先生求助的，所以"assistance"的意思是"help"，故選B．
43．答案：C．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)"In fact，we examined everything in the house but found nothing．"以及"A month later，Dupin asked Germain and me to his house．There he took out a letter and handed it to the Chief．"可知很多警察去都沒有找到那封信，杜賓先生卻找到了．所以杜賓先生是解決這個棘手案子的最佳人選．故選C．
44．答案：D．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)"I visited him with my dark glasses on to help me observe（觀察）better．"和"Then I purposely left my gloves behind so I could come back again．"以及"The next morning，I hired a man to fire a gun on the street"可知以上三條都是杜賓先生為了把信拿回所采取的方法；根據(jù)"On it Dupin wrote these words：Your plan was good，but mine was better．As you can see，I took the letter．"可知杜賓先生在給Danton的假信上寫了幾個字，"你的計劃很好，但是我的計劃更好，當(dāng)你看到這封信的時候，我已經(jīng)把信拿走了"可知這顯然不是杜賓先生為了得到那封信而做的事情，而是在把真信拿出來后故意寫上的，想讓Danton知道信已經(jīng)被拿走這件事．故選D．
45．答案：A．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)"I know Minister Danton very well．He could not hide the letter in any of the usual hiding places．"以及"While we were chatting，a dirty，torn letter in the letter holder suddenly caught my eyes-unusual for the Minister，who is careful and neat．"我對 Danton 部長很了解，他無法將這封信藏在任何通常的藏身之處．當(dāng)我們聊天的時候，一封臟的，撕開的信突然引起了我的注意，對于一直很仔細(xì)、整潔的部長來說，這是不同尋常的．因此可知杜賓先生和 Danton 部長也是老熟人，很了解部長．故選A．
點評 首先要仔細(xì)閱讀短文，掌握大意，結(jié)合具體的題目再讀短文，找出相關(guān)信息，就可以確定正確答案．
