Having returned from her round trip (往返旅程), the angry woman stood outside the ticket office of the station. “The railway owes (应给予) me￡12,” she said to Harry Jenks, the young man working at the office, “you sold me a ticket for May 22nd, but there was no ship from Jersey that night. So my daughter and I had to stay in a hotel. It cost me ￡12.”
Harry was worried. He remembered selling the woman a return ticket. “Come into the office, madam,” he said politely, “I’ll just check the Jersey timetable for May 22nd.”
The woman and her little girl followed him inside. She was quite right, as Harry soon discovered. There was no sailing on May 22nd. How could he have made such a careless mistake? He shouldn’t have sold her a ticket for that day. Wondering what to do, he smiled at the child. “You look sunburnt,” he said to her. “Did you have a nice holiday in Jersey?”
“Yes,” She answered, shyly. “The beach was lovely. And I can swim too!”
“That’s fine,” said Harry. “My little girl can’t swim a bit yet. Of course, she’s only three…”
“I’m four,” the child said proudly. “I’ll be four and a half.” Harry turned to the mother. “I remember your ticket, madam,” he said. “But you didn’t get one for your daughter, did you?”
“Err, well…” the woman looked at the child. “I mean… she hasn’t started school yet. She’s only four.”
“A four-year-old child must have a ticket, madam. A child’s return ticket to Jersey costs… let me see…￡13.50. So if the railway pays your hotel, you will owe ￡1.50. The law is the law, but since the fault was mine…”
The woman stood up, took the child’s hand and left the office.
1.The woman was angry because__________.
A. she couldn’t use the ticket for her round trip
B. she had to return home a day earlier than she had planned
C. she spent more money than she had expected
D. Harry had sold her a ticket to Jersey where there was no sailing
2.Harry started talking to the little girl________.
A. because he was in difficulty and did not know what to do
B. because he had a little girl about the same age as this girl
C. because he wanted to be friendly to the little girl who looked so nice
D. when he suddenly realized that he could find a way out from the little girl
3.The woman left the office without saying anything because _______.
A. she wanted to go home and get money for the child’s ticket
B. she was so angry that she didn’t want to have anything more to do with the young man
C. she was moved by Harry’s kindness
D. she knew she would have to pay the railway if she insisted
How can a small stamp be worth ＄16,800?
Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on a two-penny stamp has made it worth a million and a half times its face value.
Do you think it impossible? Well, it is true. And this is how it happened.
The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the former British colony (前英国殖民地) of M auritius (毛里求斯岛), a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to London. Mauritius was about to become the fourth country in the world to put out stamps.
Before the order was filled and the stamps arrived from England, a big dance was planned by the commander-in-chief (总司令) of all the armed forces on the island. The dance would be held in his house and letters of invitation would be sent to all the important people in Mauritius. Stamps were badly needed to post the letters. Therefore, an islander, who was a good printer, was told to copy the pattern of the stamps. He carelessly put the words “Post Office” instead of “Post Paid”, two words seen on stamps at that time, on the several hundred that he printed.
Today, there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left--- fourteen One-penny Reds and twelve Two-penny Blues. Because there are so few Two-Penny Blues and because of their age, collectors have paid as much as ＄16,800 for one of them.
1.When a mistake is made in the printing of the stamp, the stamp___________.
A. will be thrown away
B. increases in value
C. is not worth buying
D. is worth no more than its face value
2.Why did Mauritius print some stamps too? Because__________.
A. London stamps were not well printed
B. London would not print them
C. invitations to a big dance had to be posted quickly
D. Mauritius had a very good printer
3.“Post Paid” means___________.
A. the same as “Post Office”
B. the Post Office is the place to buy stamps
C. money has been paid for the stamp
D. the letter must be posted
When you sit down with your family to eat a meal, do you ever wonder when and where the of using chopsticks (筷子) began?
People say that the first chopsticks were used in China 5,000 years ago. The practice became widespread in Korea, Vietnam and Japan. Today they are a symbol of culture.
Of Asian co untries, Japan highlights the importance of chopsticks a day to celebrate them. August 4 is as Chopsticks Day in Japan.
The different traditions of Asia lead to different kinds of chopsticks. For example the Japanese use sharp chopsticks they eat a lot of fish. Sharp chopsticks are good for picking the fish from the bones.
Chopsticks are made from different kinds of material. Bamboo chopsticks are because the material is easy to break apart and doesn’t burn easily. People also use wood and bone for chopsticks. Some rich people had theirs from valuable metals. Many emperors used silver chopsticks, for it was believed that they would turn if there was poison in the food.
There are also many table manners with chopsticks. For instance, never stick your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl or tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. People believe this is impolite to the host.
1.A. advantageB. traditionC. instru ction D. time
2.A. European B. AmericanC. Asian D. Chinese
3.A. with B. through C. on D. over
4.A. picked B. made C. used D. set
5.A. homing B. producingC. cooking D. gardening
6.A. because B. so C. once D. unless
7.A. usual B. commonC. general D. strong
8.A. to make B. making C. made D. being made
9.A. black B. gray C. dark D. red
10.A. popular B. filled C. compared D. connected
---What hot weather! Would you mind opening the windows?
---________
A.No.I won’t do it. B. Yes, please.
C.Yes,I’ll do it. D. No.Not at all.
Batteship is________film I have ever watched.I have never watched________one.
A.the most exciting; a more exciting
B. the most excited; a more excited
C. the most exciting;the more exciting
D. the most excited; the more excited
You________such clothes because you are still a student.
A.aren’t allowed to wearing B. aren’t allowed to wear
C. aren’t allowed wearing D. don’t allow to wear
