“Mom, what is that?” asked my son. “The Bride of Chucky?”
The old doll I was holding was pretty scary. Her glass eyes were especially horrible, closing when she stood upright and flying open when she lay flat. Once she had been loved, but she had been stored in an attic (阁楼) for decades, where the extremes of heat and cold can be hard on a girl’s looks. Throw her in the waste bin? Maybe. But first, let’s check eBay.
I clicked, supplied the required information about condition, including defects (i.e., “Only a miracle could save this doll”), and uploaded its photos. I sold it for $5.
The buyer was happy: “As described!” he wrote on my feedback page. “Super seller!” The doll found a home and, I hope, a new life. Maybe she was used to repair other dolls. Perhaps those strange eyes got fixed and once again can inspire a child’s love. It’s a win-win, if you ask me.
I also sold lots of other stuff. None of them brought in a lot of money, though I have been surprised at the occasional bidding war, like, for example, the one over an old swimsuit that would have made Brigitte Bardot look bad. And some customers, let’s face it, are strange. Recently I had a hard time convincing an Australian would-be buyer of an Irish souvenir bell that I don’t shop internationally; it’s just too much trouble. He could have flown to Ireland and bought his own bell for the price he was willing to pay. Another time, a buyer complained that the electric wire on an old radio was dirty. Really? Dirty? The wire was black. But I aim to please, so I offered a refund.
So why bother with the dealing and small profits? Because I don’t like abandoning the past. All these treasures once had stories. They meant something. But the people who gave them that meaning are gone, and I simply cannot rescue everything. I can’t even sew. So I find it satisfying that a new owner, discovered via eBay, will continue the story in his or her own way.
1.What was the doll like?
A. It was lovely.
B. It was beautiful.
C. It looked frightening.
D. It was pretty ordinary.
2.Which can best replace the underlined word “defects” in Paragraph 3?
A. Faults.
B. Virtues.
C. Pictures.
D. Requirements.
3.Why did the author refuse to sell the Australian the bell?
A. She thought he was strange.
B. His bid was not high enough.
C. Someone else had already bought it.
D. Delivering it to him was troublesome.
4.After receiving the complaint about the radio, the author ______.
A. felt deeply sorry
B. explained patiently
C. returned the money
D. apologized immediately
5.Why does the author sell used stuff via eBay?
A. She needs money badly.
B. She is an environmentalist.
C. She is interested in marketing.
D. She wants their stories to be continued.
The final results of Best-Ever Teen Fiction vote are in. While it’s no surprise to see Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series on top, this year’s list also highlights some writers we weren’t as familiar with. For example, John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, appears five times in the top 100.
Summer, like youth, passes quickly. But the books we read when we’re young can stay with us for a lifetime. The following are the top 4 on the list. Enjoy.
1. Harry Potter series
The Harry Potter books make up the popular series written by J. K. Rowing. The series includes seven books. The books concern a wizard (魔法师) called Harry Potter and his journey through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The stories tell of him over coming dangerous obstacles to defeat the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who killed his parents when Harry was 15 months old.
2. The Hunger Games series
In the ruins of a future North America, a young girl is picked to leave her poor district and travel to Capitol for a battle to the death in the cruel Hunger Games. But for Katniss Everdeen, the main character in this series by Suzanne Collins, winning the Games only puts her deeper in danger as the strict social order of Panem begins to unravel (瓦解).
3. To Kill a Mockingbird
Author Harper Lee explores racial tensions in the fictional “tired old town” of Maycomb, Ala., through the eyes of 6-year-old Scout Finch. As her lawyer father, Atticus, defends a black man accused of a crime, Scout and her friends learn about the unjust treatment of African-Americans – and their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley.
4. The fault in Our Stars
Hazel Grace, a teenage girl, has got all sorts of cancer inside her body, and her lungs aren’t working very well. She knows she is dying and doesn’t live in hope any more. When a man named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
1.What do we know about John Green?
A. One of his novels tops the list.
B. Many of his novels are very popular.
C. He is the favorite writer of many teens.
D. He was a well-known writer long before the vote.
2.Who is the author of The Hunger Games series?
A. Harper Lee.
B. John Green.
C. J.K. Rowling.
D. Suzanne Collins.
3.What is To Kill a Mockingbird mainly about?
A. Lifelong friendships.
B. Racial discrimination.
C. A man working as a lawyer.
D. A little girl’s difficult childhood.
4.Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars ______.
A. is very optimistic
B. writes a great story
C. makes many mistakes
D. is changed by Augustus.
5.In which part of a newspaper can we find the text probably?
A. Sports.
B. News.
C. Literature.
D. Entertainment.
One day, while I was walking to work, I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning. On the way, I ______ a stranger and presented the bunch to him with a smile card. ______ by the sense of joy, I felt from giving flowers to another person, and may be ______ his day, I wanted to do it again.
When I got to my office, I had the ______ of anonymously(匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace. The impersonal(无人情味的) ______ of the building where I work makes me ______. It just feels a little boring sometimes, ______ it’s a nice building with great light. I ______ lots of people might feel the same way, so why not put a little ______ there, and throw in an inspirational quote while I’m at it? ______, who doesn’t like flowers?
So, for the past month, I’ve been putting flowers in a little cup on the sink in the ______. Each week, I ______ the flowers and the quote. It always feels ______ for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances ______ in the direction of his dreams, he will meet with a ______ unexpected in common hours.” and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always ______ on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything, I figured, it at least makes me ______ each time I visit the bathroom.
Then today, when I walked in, I ______ new flowers in the cup, and a quote that someone else had written！It said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi.
The little act ______ that at the end of the day, we’re all just people with hearts, ______ the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.
I did a little dance and I am smiling wide for the rest of the day!
1.A. picked out B. came across C. called up D. pointed at
2.A. Struck B. Informed C. Surprised D. Honored
3.A. calming B. determining C. reflecting D. brightening
4.A. belief B. way C. idea D. aim
5.A. design B. atmosphere C. decoration D. regulation
6.A. uncomfortable B. impolite C. impatient D. unconscious
7.A. when B. unless C. because D. though
8.A. concluded B. considered C. doubted D. expected
9.A. mystery B. adventure C. beauty D. courage
10.A. More or less B. After all C. At most D. In no case
11.A. kitchen B. office C. bathroom D. dinning-hall
12.A. count B. check C. clean D. change
13.A. refreshing B. interesting C. satisfying D. puzzling
14.A. confidently B. surprisingly C. quickly D. effectively
15.A. prize B. truth C. success D. shock
16.A. holds B. attaches C. remains D. focuses
17.A. strong B. happy C. exciting D. shocked
18.A. noticed B. found C. enjoyed D. put
19.A. introduces B. warns C. suggests D. reminds
20.A. regardless of B. in terms of C. in addition to D. instead of
The suggestion came from the chairman ______ the new rule ______.
A. what; was developed B. that; was developed
C. what; be developed D. that; be developed
-- I prefer a computer made in your company, but I may need some more information about the product.
-- ______.
A. Thank you B. It’s a pleasure
C. You are welcome D. At your service
With the development of science, more new technology ______ to the fields of IT.
A. has introduced B. is being introduced
C. is introduced D. was introduced
