Question

“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.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.C

5.D

【解析】

本文属于记叙文，讲述作者通过eBay网站卖自己的废旧物品，这些物品大多都找到了自己的新主人，作者借此延续那些物品的故事。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段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.可知，我手里拿的布娃娃看起来吓人，站立的时候，眼睛闭着，躺着的时候，眼睛睁开着，故选C。

2.词义猜测题。根据defect后面括号里面内容i.e., “Only a miracle could save this doll”可知，这个玩偶不可能被修复，可知作者陈述了其缺点，故选A。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段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.可知，很难说服一个澳大利亚的买家买爱尔兰的纪念钟，因为跨国购物，很麻烦，以及常识可知，跨国主要涉及运输，故选D。

4.细节理解题。根据第五段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.可知，买家抱怨旧收音机里面的电线是脏的，作者本着高兴考虑，给买家退款了，故选C。

5.细节理解题。根据最后一段So I find it satisfying that a new owner, discovered via eBay, will continue the story in his or her own way.可知，作者通过eBay网站寻找自己废旧物品的买家，通过这种方式延续那些物品的故事，故选D。