When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barmum. Mr Barmum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up（激起）great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barmum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony（庆典）and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade（浅淡）, communities throughout the country sponsored（主持）“Tom Thumb”weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremonies for fun.
73．“The talk of the town”means_______.
A．it was in the newspaper
B．people spread mean rumors（谣言）about it
C．it was the most popular thing happening
D．it was discussed in a city meeting
74．What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?
A．People gave it too much of their attention.
B．It helped people cheer up in a dark time.
C．It was funny and ridiculous（荒谬可笑的）.
D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
75．Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?
A．He became a billionaire at twenty-five.
B．He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.
C．He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.
D．He married a school teacher.
76．Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because_____.
A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing
B．it made Tom feel taller
C．the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller