Winston Churchill is probably the most popular British prime minister ever. Having served as a soldier and politician, he is often considered among the greatest of Britons. While his heroic stand against the Nazis is well known, there are still a few facts about the popular politician that might surprise you.
His Cigars
The classic image of Winston Churchill includes a giant cigar stuck
between his lips. Churchill developed his love of cigars as a young man, when he traveled to Cuba. For the rest of his life, he smoked eight or nine cigars every day. However, he almost never took a puff (吸,抽), preferring to chew on the end until it went out, then relight it and start again. To prevent the cigar from becoming soggy(湿软的), Churchill invented the “bellybando,” a strip of brown paper which could be glued around the end.
At any given time, Churchill had 3,000 to 4,000 cigars in his house, mostly his favorite Romeo & Juliet brand. On one occasion, the president of Cuba presented Churchill with 2,400 top-quality cigars, although his security team insisted one cigar from each box be sent off and tested for poison. Perhaps the story that best shows his love of cigars occurred during World War II, when he had a special oxygen mask designed so that he could still smoke his cigar on a high-altitude flight.
His Black Dog
Throughout his life, Churchill probably suffered from depression , which he called his “black dog. ” At times, his depression was so severe that he didn’t like standing close to a passing train or looking at the ocean from a ship because he feared he would commit suicide.
When he was depressed, Churchill would almost spend a great deal of time in bed and lose his ability to concentrate. However, when not depressed, Churchill was full of energy, usually working and talking until the early hours of the morning. He often described how “all the colors come back into the picture”.
32. Why did Churchill’s security team insist on checking the cigars?
A. To test if they were safe for Churchill.
B. To see if they were of the best quality.
C. To make sure they were Churchill’s favorite.
D. To guarantee they were not out of date.
33. Which of the following best shows Churchill’s love of cigars?
A. He fell in love with cigars at a young age.
B. He smoked many cigars every day.
C. He invented the “bellybando”.
D. He had an oxygen mask specially designed for smoking.
34. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A. Churchill became energetic again.
B. Churchill remained depressed.
C. Churchill drew colorful pictures.
D. Churchill liked to talk about colors.
35. What is probably the best title of the passage?
A. Achievements of Churchill B. Anecdotes about Churchill
C. Personalities of Churchill D. Hobbies of Churchill