My mother, Marisol Torres, came with her family to
Australia in the early 1960s. Then my parents’ marriage ended and Mum began the
study of precious stones. Her interest in opals (猫眼石)
took her to the New South Wales remote town of Lightning Ridge. There were no
luxuries (奢华的享受), but she was closer to nature and had a
chance to find black opals and make some money.
My mother was beautiful with dark hair and brown eyes,
but she was also quiet and shy. Early in the Ridge years, she kept to herself,
but later, she started going to the neighbourhood centre to make friends.
It was her dream to mine, but her get-rich-quick
thinking was unrealistic. She was cheated and she was never very successful.
But she kept a sense of humour and a charming smile.
Then, just as friendships began to blossom, she was
diagnosed with cancer and had to return south for treatment. She had the
intention of cooking Spanish food as special treat for her Ridge friends, but
died too soon. In her honour, my aunt, Marisa, and I fulfilled her desire when
we visited the Ridge in March last year.
People who mine the Ridge come from a cross section of
society, from lawyers to travels. Looks don’t mean much: it can be hard to tell
who is millionaire and who is poor. Opals attracted Sebastian and Hanna
Deisenberger to Lightning Ridge. They planned a two-year stay, but became
permanent residents.
Then there’s Neil Schellnegger, 45, who moved to the
area with his parents when he was a child. He lives with his son, Luke. Luke is
a shy 19-year-old boy who enjoys helping his dad. They haven’t had much luck
over the past couple of years, but their passion for opals conquers
disappointment. They love the peaceful lifestyle.
Danny Hatcher, 38, is a second-generation miner and
president of the Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association. He is an optimistic man,
driven by the desire to find the perfect opal. “It’s magic,” he explains. “Once
you start opal mining you don’t want to do anything else… There is always the
potential for finding a million dollars. Nothing beats it.”
It’s a place where dreams --- spiritual or material
--- can be fulfilled; a place, for one last bet in life.
1.What made the author’s mother go to Lightning Ridge?
A.The luxurious
life there. B.Her new
marriage there.
C.Her interest
in opals. D.Her passion
for nature. .
2.After the author’s mother died, she fulfilled her
desire by __________.
A.treating her
mother’s Ridge friends with Spanish food
B.writing a
biography about her whole life
C.decorating
her house in Lightning Ridge
D.finding a lot
of black opals in Lightning Ridge
3.We know from the passage that _________.
A.the rich and
the poor can be distinguished by their looks
B.Luke is a
successful miner, just like his father
C.Sebastian is
planning to leave Lightning Ridge
D.Danny Hatcher’s parents were miners in Lightning Ridge
4.Lightning Ridge is a place where dreams can be
fulfilled because __________.
A.there are
precious stones and life is peaceful
B.there are
people from all walks of life
C.there are
rich people who can help poor people
D.there is a
lot of gold hidden in the ground
5.What is the author’s purpose of giving Neil
Schellnegger and Danny Hatcher as examples?
A.To show the
magic power of opal mining.
B.To tell
people it isn’t always hard to mine opals.
C.To warn people
not to take up this kind of job.
D.To persuade
people to look for more resources for the country.