A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever.”
“And，ladies and gentlemen,” the man continued，“I'm not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle. Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle. Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever.”
Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it?”
Then another person cried，“Yes，you look as if you're at least sixty years old．
“Thank you，sir，thank you,” the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.”
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man. One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by, “Is that true？”he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？”
“Don't ask me,” the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.”
1.What did the man sell at first at the fair？
A．a cure for colds
B．bottles
C．a cure for old age
D．a medicine that made people live forever
2.How much did the man charge for the cure for old age？
A．one dollar a bottle
B．twenty-five dollars a bottle
C．ten dollars a bottle
D．fifty dollars a bottle
3.What does the word “assistant” mean in this passage？
A．仆人 B．朋友 C．同伴 D．助手
4.What does this passage really mean？
A．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive．
B．The man is not honest，and neither is his assistant．
C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy．
D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever．
My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling 16 , but I always knew he was 17 . He never criticized us, but used 18 to bring out our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I 19 as a child I said something 20 about somebody, and my father said, “ 21 time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best 22 people, I would get the best 23 . From then on I’ve always tried to 24 the principle in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s also always been very 25 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was 26 a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a 27 ：stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision, 28 any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad 29 me to go into law. And I’ve 30 regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist, 31 I didn’t pursue my 32 . You know what you want. Go fulfill it.”
As 33 turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national 34 for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad 35 me.
1.A. biologist B. manager C. lawyer D. gardener
2.A. strict B. honest C. special D. learned
3.A. praise B. courage C. power D. warmth
4.A. think B. imagine C. remember D. guess
5.A. unnecessary B. unkind C. unimportant D. unusual
6.A. Another B. Some C. Any D. Other
7.A. on B. in C. at D. about
8.A. in case B. by turns C. by chance D. in return
9.A. revise B. set C. review D. follow
10.A. understanding B. experienced C. serious D. demanding
11.A. taking up B. making up C. picking up D. keeping up
12.A. suggestion B. decision C. notice D. choice
13.A. and B. as C. even if D. as if
14.A. helped B. allowed C. persuaded D. suggested
15.A. always B. never C. seldom D. almost
16.A. rather B. but C. for D. therefore
17.A. promise B. task C. belief D. dream
18.A. this B. he C. it D. that
19.A. newspaper B. magazine C. program D. project
20.A. controlled B. comforted C. reminded D. raise
–Did you manage to contact professor Li?
--Well, yes, _________.
A. particularly B. lately C. really D. eventually
–You’re coughing badly, Martin. Why not give up smoking?
--Give up smoking? Easier said than done, Amy. Once you _________ the habit of smoking, it is very had for you to _________.
A. keep up; break it away
B. take up; drop it out
C. pick up; get rid of it
D. build up; do away with it
It is said that the people of Shandong Province are the most __________in helping others.
A. general B. generous C. gentle D. positive
Everything __________into consideration, the plan seems to be practical.
A. takes B. took C. taken D. to be taken
