题目内容
How foolish the emperor was ________ what the cheats said.
- A.believing
- B.believed
- C.to believe
- D.to be believed
Willy, a merchant, returned home to his own country from a faraway continent, where he had succeeded making a small fortune by hard work. He found on arriving at the port that all his relatives were having a large party.
He was in such a happy mood and in the joy of the moment, he did not even bother changing his grey flannel(法兰绒)suit which had become a little worn during the trip home.
When he entered the brilliantly lit room, his relatives and friends gave him a rather cold welcome because they had noticed his modest suit and immediately imagined that he had come back a poor man.
A young man who happened to be accompanying him was quite irritated at this and said to Willy, “What a wonderful reception you have received from these people. They have not even the intention of shaking your hand after all these years that you have been away from home.”
“Just wait and see!” whispered Willy, “They will soon change their looks!” Saying this he slipped a precious ring on his finger. All of a sudden the faces of all those present lit up and immediately Willy was surrounded by so many people that he didn’t know what to do. A man shook his hand, a cousin threw his arms around him, and he had so many invitations from the people present that he thought he would be unable to make any other appointments for several years.
“Has this beautiful, precious ring of yours the power of magic people?” asked the young man.
“Oh, no!” replied Willy, “They see in this glittering diamond ring something that makes them think I am rich, and, unfortunately, they place wealth above everything else.”
"What blind people!" exclaimed the young man. “It is not the ring that has drawn them to you but their desire for riches. Is it possible to appreciate more a piece of yellow metal surrounded by little stones than the goodness of my Lord? And indeed how foolish are people who place their trust in riches rather than in virtues(美德)!”
【小题1】 In what way did Willy go to attend the party held by his relatives and friends?
A.In such a modest mood. | B.In travel-soiled clothes. |
C.Wearing a precious jewel. | D.Without being accompanied. |
A.excited | B.pleased | C.angry | D.envious |
A.give up all the physical wealth | B.appreciate more jewelry than goodness |
C.observe carefully when judging a person | D.avoid being blinded by the desire for wealth |
A.The Diamond Ring | B.The Welcome Party |
C.The Modest Clothes | D.The Joyful Crowd |
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration(登记)card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes (漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
【小题1】 The underlined words in this passage means to “______”.
A.be ready to help others | B.make good use of one’s friends |
C.be a little ahead of others | D.gain something at other’s expense |
A.While taking a taxi in Finland, you can get off without first paying your fare. |
B.In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you’re living in the hotel. |
C.The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to registration of their working hours. |
D.The workers are always honest with their working hours. |
A.the Finnish society is of very high moral (道德) level |
B.there are many loopholes in everyday life in Finland |
C.in Finland, most taxi drivers will not charge you anything |
D.everyone in Finland is like a gentleman, for they have faith in themselves |
A.Life in Finland | B.A Society with “Foolish” People |
C.What a Life | D.Honest accounts of the Finns |