英语阅读材料

Passage 1

A store owner was tacking（钉住）a sign above his door that read “Puppies For Sale.” A little boy appeared under the store owner’s sign. “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

The store owner whistled and five tiny balls of fur ran out. One puppy was falling far behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

The store owner explained that the little puppy didn’t have a hip socket (臀骨臼). The little boy became excited and said, “That’s the little puppy I want to buy.”

The store owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. But if you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay the full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now and 50 cents a month until I have him all paid for.”

The store owner said, “This little dog is never going able to run jump like the other puppies.”

To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to show a badly twisted (扭曲的), disabled left leg supported by a big metal brace (支撑物). He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands.”

1.The boy is able to offer something to the little puppy that no

one else can. What’s that?

A) A good home. B) A high price.

C) Care and understanding. D) A big metal brace.

2.Upon the boy’s request, the store owner ___________.

A)asked for his reason

B)laughed at his silly choice

C)persuaded him to buy the other dogs

D)suggested that he take the dog free of charge

3.When the store owner offered to give the puppy to the boy, the

boy was upset because ______.

A) he did not really like the puppy

B) he hated to accept things free

C) he had enough money with him

D) he thought the puppy had its value and should not be given

away free

4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is

true?

A)The little boy was disabled.

B)The little boy bought the dog for fun.

C)The store owner couldn’t understand the little boy.

D)The store owner didn’t sell the dog to the little boy.

5.The best title for the passage is ______________.

A)Store Owner and His Dogs B) Little Boy and Disabled Dog

C)A dog in Need D) Little Boy’s Best Friend

Passage 2

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever. But at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.

The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum where it is housed.

“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,”the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their present chemical state.

Nearly six million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University.

“It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da vinci painted the smile in shadows.”

Da vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.

During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.