My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time.”Grandma, you are an antique(古董),”she said. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique."
I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster's Dictionary and read the definition(定义)to Jenny.I explained, "An antique is not only old, it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,"I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. "They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old."
"I'm only 67,"I renunded Jenny.
We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from rone aunt to another and finally to our family. "It's very old,"I told Jenny.“I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."
There was a picture on the wall purchased at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. "Now that's an antique," I boasted. "Over 100 years old." Of course it was marked up and scratched and not in very good condition. "Sometimes age does that," I told Jenny. "But the marks are good marks. They show living, being around. That's something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become." It was important that I believed this for my own self-esteem.
Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn't buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They'd been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They'd lasted through years and years. They could have been tossed away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.
For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don't have any antiques but you," she said. Then her face brightened. "Could I take you to school for show and tell?"
"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answered. And then Jenny's antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.
1.Grandma read the definition of "antique" to Jenny in order to .
A.list all the important characteristics of antiques
B.tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques
C.change Jenny's shallow understanding of antiques
D.express her disappointment at being called "antique"
2.Which of the following information did grandma convey to Jenny?
A.The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.
B.The marks on the picture showed its age and value.
C.There was usually a sad story behind each antique.
D.She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.
3.By saying "I don't have any antiques but you" (Paragraph 7), Jenny meant .
A.grandma was a treasure to her
B.antiques were rare and valuable
C.she had nothing but a few possessions
D.grandma and antiques had a lot in common
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.
B.Jenny had a strong desire for grandma's love.
C.Jenny was too young to know grandma's humor.
D.Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.
5.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Jenny's Antique B.A Story of Antiques
C.A Tour of Antiques D.Grandma's Antique
One day my 5-year-old daughter, Mini, ran to the window crying: "A Cabuliwallah(喀布尔商贩)!A Cabuliwallah!" In the street below was Rahmun,a Cabuliwallah passing slowly along. Mini called him 21 ,but when he looked at her she ran away scared. As time went by, they got to know each other and started to 22 together,
laughing and talking all the way. Rahmun would give her grapes and strawberries,spending the Iittle money he had 23 her. The two often enjoyed jokng together.Rahmun 24 say: "Well, little one, when are you going to the father-in-law's house?"Mini did not understand this and was 25 .
One morning,l saw Rahmun being led away by the police. There was some blood on his clothes .I 26 a neighbor had owed Rahmun money but denied it,and that in the course of the 27 Rahmun had struck him. On a charge of murderous attack, Rahmunwas 28 to prison.
Time passed. Mini grew up and we were making arrangements,for her 29 .I was sitting in my study 30 someone entered. It was Rahmun, his face pale and dirty and I could 31 recognize him! He said all those years ago Mini -had reminded him of his own daughter in Kabul. It was his belief that Mini was 32 the same. He had once 33 Mini running to him calling 66 A Cabuliwallah!" and pictured them laughing and talking together.
The two were now reunited. But when he made 34 once more, Mini's face turned red. They could not recover their old 35 .When Rahmun left, l gave him a bank note, 36 : "Go back to your own daughter, and may the happiness of your meeting bring good 37 to my child!"
Having made this present,I had to 38 the electric lights and the music band I had intended for the wedding and the ladies in the house were 39 .But to me the wedding was all the 40 for the thought that in a distant land a long-lost father met again with his child.
1. A.loudly B.proudly C.seriously D.firmly
2. A.work out B.run out C.hang out D.stand out
3. A.in B.on C.to D.at
4. A.would B.should C.must D.could
5. A.concerned B.frightened C.puzzled D.ashamed
6. A.insisted B.doubted C.announced D.heard
7. A.escape B.quarrel C.communication D.bargain
8. A.punished B.admitted C.dropped D.sentenced
9. A.wedding B.birthday C.graduation D.promotion
10. A.while B.after C.unless D.when
11. A.nearly B.actually C.hardly D.simply
12. A.even B.still C.just D.yet
13. A.caught B.imagined C.avoided D.kept
14. A.jokes B.comments C.suggestions D.requests
15. A.belief B.impression C.friendship D.energy
16. A.reading B.writing C.telling D.saying
17. A.fortune B.treasure C.support D.comfort
18. A.put off B.give up C.turn to D.care about
19. A.moved B.delighted C.worried D.disappointed
20. A.clearer B.easier C.brighter D.quieter
- Are you going abroad to further your study after graduation from college?
- I have been dreaming of it for years.
A.You bet! B.How come? C.So what? D.Sounds great!
I wrote a letter to John for his help during my high school years. without which I the college entrance exam.
A. would fail B.would have failed C.should fail D.must have failed
The boy,____ with his school work every day. felt rather tired and wanted to have a whole day to relax.
A.occupying B.having occupied C.occupied D.being occupied
The story of the movie is a lot different from what I know g so I guess it is just based on the original novel.
A.logically B.obviously C.loosely D.typically