As an English teacher, I’ve been lucky enough to
travel to many countries all over the world. I’ve seen people celebrate everything
from the arrival of new babies to the delivery of new cars. I’ve attended
weddings, parties and religious celebrations in countries such as Argentina and
Japan, and I’ve noticed that gold---the metal or the colour of it---is always
part of cultural events, traditions and celebrations.
It makes me wonder: Why do people love gold?
For some people, gold seems to be a status(地位)symbol. Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so
much that he even bought a shirt made of gold at a cost of $250,000. I’m not
sure I’d spend so much money on a shirt, would you? But Datta Phuge has his
reason .He explains,“ Some people want to own an Audi or a Mercedes. I choose
gold.”
For other people, gold is an investment(投资). The price of gold generally increases over time and
in European markets, it reached even $1,500 per ounce in 2011.
And for many people, a family heirloom(传家宝)brings together status and investment. My mother has a
gold bracelet(手镯)that was given to her by her grandmother
who, in turn, inherited it from her own grandmother. It’s quite a heavy piece
and probably worth quite a lot of money. But its mental value is greater than
its value in dollars. It’s a beautiful object that holds many family memories.
When the time comes, my mum will give the bracelet to me, and one day, I’ll
pass it on to the younger generation.
Therefore, status and investment are good reasons to
value gold. However, I think that the real reason why people love gold is that
it can be made into beautiful objects. Think about Tutankhamen’s death mask.
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?
People love gold because it holds their minds, their
imaginations and, above all, their hearts.
1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that______.
A. the author has traveled to many
countries
B. people celebrate almost everything
C. there are many ways to use
gold
D. people all over the world love gold
2.Datta Phuge bought a shirt made of gold
because________.
A. gold is a status symbol to
him B. he loves this
kind of shirt
C. people there love gold so
much D. he is a successful businessman
3.According to the passage, in Europe,gold could
be________per ounce in 2010.
A.
1,550B.1,500 C. 1,450D.1,600
4.The gold bracelet is the heirloom for the author’s
family mainly because______.
A. it’s worth a lot of money B.
it brings status and investment
C. it’s a beautiful
object D.
it holds family memories
5.In the author’s opinion, the real reason why people
love gold is that________.
A. it is a status symbol to some
people
B. it can be made into beautiful objects
C. it can be passed on to the younger generation
D. it can bring people a lot of money