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On the day of a big event, many people came to Big Bend Mountain to watch.John Henry and the
salesman stood side by side.Even early in the day, the sun was burning hot.
The competition began.John Henry kissed his hammer and started working.At first, the
steampowered drill worked two times faster than he did.Then, he started working with a hammer in
each hand.He worked faster and faster.In the mountain, the heat and dust were so thick that most men
would have had trouble breathing.The crowd shouted as clouds of dust came from inside the mountain.
The salesman was afraid when he heard what sounded like the mountain breaking.However, it was
only the sound of John Henry at work.Polly Ann and her son cheered when the machine was pulled
from thetunnelof the mountain.It had broken down.Polly Ann urged John Henry to come out.But he
kept working, faster and faster.He dug deep into the darkness, hitting the steel so hard that his body
began to fail him.He became weak, and his heart burst.
John Henry fell to the ground.There was a terrible silence.Polly Ann did not move because she knew
what had happened.John Henry's blood spilled over the ground.But he still held one of the hammers."I
beat them, " he said.His wife cried out, "Don't go, John Henry." "Bring me a cool drink of water, " he
said.Then he took his last breath.
His friends carried his body from the mountain.They buried him near the house where he was born.
Crowds went there after they heard about John Henry's death.
Soon, the steam drill and other machines replaced the steeldrivers.Many laborers left their families to
look for work.They took the only jobs they could find.As they worked, some sang about John Henry.

1. What does the big event mentioned in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. John Henry's work on a machine.
B. A competition between John Henry and a salesman.
C. John Henry's work with his hammer and the steel.
D. A competition between John Henry and a drill.

2.The underlined word "tunnel" in Paragraph 3 probably  means"   __".
A. flat ground
B. big rock
C. underground passage
D. hard metal

3.What happened to John Henry when he fell to the  ground?
A. He was tired and had to have a rest.
B. He had heart trouble and was dying.
C. He was thirsty and wanted to drink some water.
D. He was injured slightly and was bleeding.

4.What do we know about John Henry?
A. He won the competition finally.
B. He was buried under the mountain.
C. He loved his work very much.
D. He said nothing before his death.

5.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Humans can never beat machines.
B. John Henry was regarded as a hero.
C. Laborers hated machines very much.
D. It was easy for laborers to find work.

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