Once a man named Grand found a box of old papers in a room at the top of his house. He burned most of them, because he didn’t like old things very much, But one of these papers was an old letter. At the bottom(底部) of the letter was the name of a well-known writer. “When this letter was written,” said Grant, “no one knew about the writer. But now everyone knows him. Some people like to buy letters like this. I may be able to get much money for the letter if I sell it to the right man.”
But there were a lot of dirty marks all over the letter.
“It doesn’t look nice,” he thought. “No one wants to buy a letter if it’s dirty. I’ll have to clean it.”
So he took a piece of cloth and some water and cleaned the letter. He worked hard and gave a lot of care. At last the letter looked better. And he was very pleased with his work.
“Now it looks nice,” he said to himself. “I’ll be able to sell it for a lot of money.”
He took the letter to a shop in London where old papers of this kind were bought and sold.
“I want to sell this letter,” Grant said to the man in the shop. “It was written by a well-known writer. You know about these things. How much will you give me for it?”
The man looked at him for a long time.
“I will give you two pounds for it,” he said at last.
“Only two pounds!” said Grant. “But people pay ten pounds for a letter like this. And just look! I’ve even cleaned it to make it look nice.”
“I can see that,” said the man. “That’s the trouble. People who buy old papers like them to be dirty.”
1.Which of the following is not right?
A. Grant found a box of old letters. B. Grant didn’t like old things very much.
C. Grant didn’t burn the old letter. D. The letter was written by a famous writer.
2.Grant didn’t burn the letter because______.
A. it was written by his father B. he thought he could get much money by selling it
C. he wanted to keep it forever D. he wanted to give it to the government
3.In order to sell it, Grant decided to _____ first.
A. make advertisement(广告)in the newspapers B. show it to others around him
C. clean it to make it look nice D. take it to an archeologist(考古学家)
4.Grant didn’t sell the letter at a good price because_______.
A. it was not an old letter B. few people knew about the writer
C. it had been cleaned D. the man didn’t like it
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the 36 _, the couple went to the front desk hoping to 37 for the night.
“Could you 38 give us a room here?” the husband asked.
The clerk, a 39 man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and 40 that there were three conventions(大会) in town.
“All of our 41 are taken,” the clerk said. “But I can’t send a 42 couple like you 43 into the rain at 1 o’clock in the morning. Would you please be 44 to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite（套房）, but it will be good enough to make you 45 for the night.”
The couple said no politely.
“Don’t 46 me. It is just fine with me,” the clerk told them.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, “You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel. Maybe someday I’ll build 47 for you.” The three of them had a good 48 .
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten it 49 he received a letter from the old man. It recalled(使回忆) that stormy night and contained a round-trip（双程的） 50 to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit. The old man met him in New York, and 51 him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.
He then pointed to a great new 52 there, a palace of reddish stone. “That,” said the old man, “is the hotel I have just built for you to 53_ .”
“You must be 54 ,” the young man said.
“I am sure I am not,” said the old man, the name of 55 was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk, George C. Boldt became its first manager.
1.A. rain B. anger C. snow D. hunger
2. A. leave B. go C. stay D. look
3. A. surely B. possibly C. really D. freely
4. A. lazy B. bored C. nervous D. friendly
5. A. shouted B. explained C. believed D. agreed
6. A. hotels B. desks C. streets D. rooms
7. A. nice B. famous C. rich D. common
8.A. beyond B. off C. out D. under
9. A. kind B. glad C. good D. generous
10. A. enjoyable B. helpful C. grateful D. comfortable
11.A. worry about B. take care of C. make use of D. come up with
12. A. one B. it C. them D. those
13.A. sleep B. meal C. laugh D. walk
14. A. after B. before C. while D. when
15. A. ticket B. bill C. check D. questionnaire
16. A. made B. told C. treated D. led
17. A. building B. car C. bedroom D. place
18. A. live B. sell C. manage D. rent
19. A. lying B. joking C. dreaming D. cheating
20. A. whose B. which C. whom D. who
--Do you think that we should prepare for our exam in advance?
-- Of course. _________.
A. Actions speak louder than words B. Better late than never
C. A good beginning is half done D. The early bird catches the worm(虫)
Each player tried his best to ______ the game.
A. hit B. win C. beat D. strike
It is believed _________ anything we can’t get always seems better than ________ we have owned.
A. what; that B. what; what C. that; hat D. that; what
________ really enjoyable, ____________ us a valuable lesson.
A. Not only the film was; but also it gave B. Not only was the film; but also it gave
C. Not only the film was; but did it also give D. Not only was the film; but did it also give
