Question

 Linda and David travelled by air from London to Sydney, Australia. Linda had promised(答应) her mother that she would ring her to let her know that they had arrived safely. This was something she had done ever since she was a child. David thought it was not a good idea to ring so far,to spend so much and to say so little.

  "If there were an accident," he said, "they'd know soon enough. Bad news travels fast."

  But Linda had promised that she would ring. So she said, "It doesn't cost much when you just think that it's the other side of the world. It's only six pence per second(每秒-六便士) ."

  "If you're on that telephone for less than one minute, Fll eat my hat," David said,"and one minute's nearly four pounds.”

  "That's no more than what you've paid for your new hat,"Linda answered.

  She asked the man at the hotel desk to get her the number. The telephone rang. Linda picked it up.

  "Hello,Mum. Is that you?" she said.

  "Six pence per second," David reminded(提醒) her,

  "Hello,love.”It was Mrs Lee,Linda's mother, speaking from London.

  "I can hear you very clearly just like you are in the next room. It's a better line than when you called me from your office. Do you remember? I shouted at that time,and still you couldn't hear me sometimes.”

  "Yes， Mum," Linda put in. "I just wanted to tell you..."

  "I remember how you rang when you went to Betty's house to have a meal,when you were a little girl. And then when you..." Mrs Lee is a great talker. "Nearly four pounds," said David.

  Linda tried to tell her mother that it was time to say goodbye.

  "Yes,all right," said Mrs Lee，"But you will write, won't you,as you did when you were at work..." Once again, Mrs Lee talked about the past,and no one could stop her. "Four pounds fifty," said David.

  At last，Linda cut her mother short，promised to write，and rang off. "There!That wasn't long,was it?"

  "Four pounds ninety pence," David answered. "And you didn't even say that we've arrived."

1. 选择最佳答案。

(   ) 1)  Linda is telephoning home to          .

     A. tell her mother some bad news

    B. say that she and David have arrived safely

    C. report an accident to her mother

    D. say that she and David have left London

(   ) 2)  Linda does not think it's expensive to ring because          .

     A. it only costs four pounds and ninety pence

    B. it is even more expensive to buy a new hat

    C. she had telephoned home since she was a child

    D. she will speak from one side of the world to the other 

(   ) 3)  David says,"Nearly four pounds," because          .

     A. he wants to remind Linda of the cost of the call

    B. he wants to buy himself a new hat

    C. Linda has not told her mother they have arrived

    D. he wants Mrs Lee to know how much the call costs

(   ) 4)  Mrs Lee goes on talking for so long because        

     A. she likes to hear all about the past

    B. she likes talking

    C. Linda has not told her that she has arrived

    D. she is going to pay for the telephone call

(   ) 5)  Linda tries to stop her mother by          .

     A. telling her how much the call is costing

    B. writing a letter as she has promised to do

    C. telling her that they have arrived safely

    D. promising to write,and ringing off

2. 根据首字母提示补全单词。

1) Linda is used to r         her mother when she arrives at some place.

2) David thinks that the fee(费用) of the telephone call is too d         .

3) Linda thinks that six pence per second is very c         .

4) Linda tries to tell her mother that it is time to e          the talking.

5) At last,Linda cuts her mother short by p    to write.

Answer 1

 1. 1) B 2) D 3) A 4) B 5) D

  2. 1) ringing 2) dear 3) cheap 4) end 5) promising