A strange woman comes to my door one day in early March.It’s a rich area so we often have people selling things door to door，dusters，make?up，frozen foods—but she doesn’t look like a professional saleswoman.She hasn’t got the patter(喋喋不休) either.She just smiles shyly and puts a card in my hand：“Amy Turner.Pet Portraits Undertaken.”

I run my fingernail along the cheap gold edge of the card and look at her，waiting for an explanation.

“I’ll paint any animal in the comfort of your own home.”Amy Turner says.“Wouldn’t you like a nice picture of your loved one？I’ve had experience of dogs，cats，parrots，prize bulls...”

“Prize bulls！”I can’t help looking up and down our street.The thought of any of my neighbours keeping bulls in their back gardens makes me smile.

“I don’t have any animals，”I say as we look past each other.She must be wishing some little cat or dog would come running down the hall to give the game away and it is the first chance I’ve had to smell the air outside.It is one of those spring mornings when you wake up and find winter’s gone.Even the camellia in the garden opposite has flowered overnight，pink blossoms which look shocking against the quiet greens and greys.

“Why are you still in your dressing gown？”Amy says，turning her attention back to me.“It’s nearly lunchtime.Are you ill？”

“I’m fine，”I lie.I’m not going to tell a stranger I’ve just been sick in the toilet upstairs and would still be sticking my fingers down my throat if the doorbell hadn’t rung.But now I’m not sure what to do next.Amy is still standing there.She_doesn’t_seem_to_think_that_not_having_a_pet_is

_a_good_enough_excuse.

“I’m starving.”she says and I smile politely，nodding the way you do before you say goodbye.

“No，”she puts her foot in the door.“I’m really starving.I’ve had nothing to eat for two days and no one has any pets for me to paint.I need some food or I’ll faint，right here on your doorstep.”

I stand to one side and let her in.

1．According to the text，what does a professional saleswoman usually do?

A．Sells things door to door with her cards.

B．Never puts a card into people’s hands.

C．Tries to talk people into buying her things.

D．Smiles，hands her cards and walks away.

2．What does the underlined word “one” in the third paragraph stand for?

A．Dog. 　　　　B．Child.　　　　　 C．Pet. 　　　　　D．Cat.

3．From the text we know that Amy is a ________.

A．young baby?sitter 　 B．poor beggar　 C．professional salesgirl D．poor painter

4．What does the writer mean by saying “She doesn’t seem to think that not having a pet is a good enough excuse.”？

A．It seems that she doesn’t want to leave.

B．She wants the writer to give another excuse.

C．She is sure there is a pet in the house.

D．She thinks that not having a pet is a bad thing.

 

Once upon a time, in the garden of the Chinese Emperor(皇帝) there lived a nightingale(夜莺).She sang　1　.And one day the Emperor was so moved when he　2　the bird sing that tears came into his eyes. He then had the 　3　 kept in a beautiful cage in his palace and listened to her every day. Before long the Emperor received a gift of a　4　　　　 　nightingale from Japan. It could　5　some of the songs the real bird sang. Now the toy bird gave the Emperor much 6　.And it was able to sing three-and-?thirty times without being tired.　7　?being killed, the living nightingale had flown out of the ?　8　?,back to her green woods. But one evening, when the toy bird was singing its best, something　9　 the bird went out of order. No one could repair it. No　10　of any nightingale was heard. Many years passed, and the Emperor felt so　11　that he lay ill and, it was said, was going to　12　.He wanted very much to hear the　13　song again. All at once there came the beautiful　14　of a nightingale through the window. The living nightingale came to sing for the　15　again. And life began to return to the Emperor.“16　,little bird,” said the Emperor. “I didn't treat you well before,　17　you have given me life again. How can I reward you?”

“You have done that already,” said the nightingale. “I brought　18　to your eyes the first time I sang; I shall never forget that.” The Emperor felt 　19 and got well again. The nightingale often came to sit in a tree of the palace garden and sing something to　20　 the Emperor happy.

1. A. beautifully　　　　　 B. badly　　　　C. terribly　　　　 D. carelessly

2. A. saw　　　　　　 B. heard　　　　 C. watched　　　　 D. looked at

3. A. machine　　　　　 B. pianist　　　　 C. bird　　　　　　　D. girl

4. A. true　　　　　　 B. real　　　　　 C. living　　　　　　D. toy

5. A. read　　　　　　　　B. write　　　　　C. dance　　　　　 D. sing

6. A. praise　　　　　　 B. luck　　　　　 C. pleasure　　　　 D. sadness

7. A. Without　　　　　　 B. With　　　　　 C. For　　　　　　　D. At

8. A. cage　　　　　　　　B. box　　　　　 C. forest 　　　　　 D. square

9. A. inside　　　　　　 B. outside　　　　 C. next to　　　　 D. far away from

10. A. singing　　　　　　B. crying　　　　　 C. chime　　　　　 D. carol

11. A. happy　　　　　　 B. pleased　　　　 C. sorry　　　　　 D. glad

12. A. marry　　　　　　 B. fade　　　　　 C. leave　　　　　 D. die

13. A. chemist's　　　　　B. musician's　　　　 C. toy's　　　　　 D. nightingale's

14. A. song　　　　　　 B. throat　　　　　 C. talk　　　　　 D. noise

15. A. woman　　　　　　B. prisoner　　　　 C. tourist　　　　 D. Emperor

16. A. Thank you　　　　　B. Sorry　　　　　 C. Pardon　　　　 D. Goodbye

17. A. and so　　　　　　 B. and yet　　　　 C. for　　　　　 D. because

18. A. glasses　　　　　　 B. favours　　　　 C. tears　　　　　 D. waters

19. A. strong　　　　　　 B. weak　　　　　 C. foolish　　　　　D. ill

20. A. let　　　　　　　 B. make　　　　　 C. have　　　　　 D. ask