Jeremy Fox, a retired businessman in a small city in England, recently bought an old farmhouse with a yard and a small field, about five miles out of the town. There he planned to lead a simple life with his wife, Amelia.

  It was while clearing out the old barn on the far side of the yard that he made an interesting discovery. In a corner, under some old sacks, he found some large fragments(碎片)of an antique bowl. Out of curiosity, he took them into the kitchen and, much to the anger of his wife, washed the mud off them. That evening he spread newspapers over the kitchen table and carefully study the fragments together. However, two pieces were found missing.

  Two days later, having pulled down the barn, Mr. Fox was digging over the ground in preparation for the installation(安装)of a greenhouse, when he discovered the two missing pieces. When he had stuck them in position, the bowl looked so fine that Amelia agreed to its being placed on a table in the living room, in front of the window.

  “We might have something a bit special here, ” he said to his wife. A few days later, Jeremy took several photographs of the bowl, which he sent off to Sotheby's in London.

  Unexpectedly, Sotheby's was extremely interested in the bowl and sent an expert to inspect it. It turned out that it was a Chinese Ming fish bowl, dating back to around 1 500, and might be expected to get a five-figure sum at an auction.

  A week later still more unexpectedly, two police officers called and told the Foxes the bowl was stolen property.

  So the bowl never reached the auction room, and Mr. Fox never received the five-figure sum that had been mentioned. However, he framed one of the photographs he had taken and hung it on the wall.

(1)At first Mrs. Fox seemed to be ________.

[  ]

A.greatly annoyed at Mr. Fox's enthusiasm

B.very much interested in the discovery

C.uncertain of Mr. Fox's enthusiasm

D.curious about Mr. Fox's findings

(2)Most likely“Sotheby's”was ________.

[  ]

A.an antique shop
B.a friend of Mr. Fox's
C.an artist
D.a china store

(3)According to the expert, the bowl could be sold at the price of ________.

[  ]

A.five thousand pounds

B.less than ten thousand pounds

C.one thousand, five hundred and ninety pounds

D.at least ten thousand pounds

(4)Which of the following is NOT true?

[  ]

A.Most probably Sotheby's purchased the bowl in the end.

B.It turned out that Mr. Fox got neither the money nor the bowl.

C.Mr. Fox preferred country life to city life after his retirement.

D.Mr. Fox was fond of gardening.


A school in Nanjing plans to order Korean-style school uniforms (校服) for students, but parents were against the move, believing that the new uniforms looked too good and would encourage early romances among the students.
Parents: “My daughter was so excited about the Korean-style uniform, saying it’s her dream to wear a miniskirt to school every day,” a mom said. “My daughter also called her classmates to talk about how handsome the boys looked in the uniforms! If the students wear such beautiful uniforms, how can they concentrate on their studies?”
School: We had to stop the plan because many parents were strongly against it. Some parents thought it was just a way for the school to make money, and others thought the new uniforms would take students’ attention away from their studies.
Students: The students were very disappointed about the school’s final decision. They thought the sportswear uniforms made them look dull. They said the Korean uniforms had many advantages such as raising interest in class and lifting confidence.
As for concerns about romance, the students believe that love is love and has no relationship to the uniforms.
The Department of Education: The schools can choose their own styles. Either sportswear or other uniforms are OK. Currently, most middle and elementary schools in Nanjing have sportswear uniforms.
Expert: Fashionable school uniforms can increase students’ interest in learning.
Parents don’t need to worry too much about early romances. Today’s primary and middle school students have strong personalities and their appreciation of beauty is rapidly forming. A fashionable uniform can develop their sense of belonging to the school and reduce their resistance(反抗) to the school’s management.
But we don’t have to follow Korean or Japanese styles. We should design our own Chinese style uniforms.
1.Students think the new uniforms will________.
    A. make them have good taste in fashion        B. make them feel confident
    C. make them feel proud of their school        D. reduce their fear of teachers
3.The opinion of the expert is to________.
   A. forbid the students to wear fashionable uniforms
B. encourage the students to wear sportswear uniforms
C. design uniforms in a Chinese style
D. wear new uniforms in a foreign style
3.We can infer from the passage that_________.
A. school uniforms are mostly blue or black
B. few students are willing to wear school uniforms
    C. school uniforms are a waste of money
D. schools are encouraged to choose their own uniforms

Brian knew he had been drinking more and more, but he was convinced that he'd return to more moderate drinking when he wasn't so pressured at work, and that "a few too many drinks now and then" wasn't a major problem.

"My wife and father were on me to stop drinking, but you know how critical and protective family can be," said Brian. "So I blew them off."

It wasn't until his friend Jack spoke up that Brian started to think differently. "That really hit home, because I wouldn’t expect a friend to confront me with something that personal unless it was very important," said Brian. "Jack said he was really concerned about me. He pointed out that my personality changed after I had a few beers--that I became belligerent(寻衅的). For a normally easy-going guy, that was a dramatic change in behavior."

Jack could see that Brian's numerous drinking binges(放纵) were causing problems. Brian was frequently calling into work sick and falling behind in his work, and his marriage was seriously on the ropes. Brian was teetering(摇摇欲坠) on the edge of disaster. "I didn't want to see a good life and a good friendship ruined," said Jack, "so I approached Brian, shared my honest observations with him, and suggested that he seek help."  

After a couple days of soul searching, though still reluctant, Brian took Jack's suggestion and was assessed by an addiction professional. The expert recommended that Brian check into a treatment center, and one day later Brian did so.

Many people fear taking the path that Jack took. Speaking up to a friend who may have a problem with alcohol or other drugs can be a tricky undertaking.

Yet it's true that a concerned friend can do a lot. Most people don't recognize they have a substance abuse problem and most don't seek help for a problem until someone close to them intervenes(干预).

1.What happened to Brian according to the passage?

A. He suffered from an illness called alcohol addiction.

B. He changed so much that he was deserted by his family.

C. He became morally corrupted drinking too much all day.

D. He drank a little more than normal to escape the pressure.

2.What does “that” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?

A. Brian’s drinking binges.                 B. Jack’s talk with Brian.

C. Wife and father’s intervention.           D. Brian’s different thoughts.

3. Brian could accept Jack’s suggestions mainly because ____________.

A. he found his friend was very critical and protective

B. Jack’s suggestions were professional and persuasive

C. Jack and Brian’s family had different opinions

D. he knew his friend wouldn’t easily intervene his personal affair

4. Brian’s alcohol abuse brought him many problems EXCEPT ____________.

A. his refusal to listen to his family    B. his bad temper and aggressiveness

C. his failure to do his work well            D. his marriage problems

5. The writer narrates Brian’s story in order to ____________.

A. tell us the bad results of alcohol addiction     

B. warn us not to fall into the habit of drinking

C. show friends have real power to intervene  

D. prove a friend in need is a friend indeed

 

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