Question

Mr. Jones opened a shop in Aston to sell writing-paper, pencils and things like that. During the first month, very few people visited his shop. He sold little, and he could see that he was going to lose money. One night, Mr. Jones sat by the fire and was worried after another very bad day. Suddenly he got an idea. He found a piece of wood and wrote to the following notice on it in big letters:

“WHAT DO YOU THINK I GIVE AWAY PENCILS PAPER AND INK”

He put up the notice in front of the shop window before he went to bed. He slept better than usual that night.

The following day, many people came to the shop. Mr. Jones said good morning to them all with a bright smile and asked the first woman what she wanted.

She chose some writing paper and a pencil. As soon as he put them on her hands, she turned to leave the shop.

“That will be thirty cents, please,” he said.

“Why?” she asked in surprise.

“That’s the price of the paper and the pencil.”

“But your notice says it’s free,” she replied.

“Oh no,” he said, “how can I make any money if everything is free?”

She took him outside and showed him the notice “It is wrong, too,” she said. “where is the question mark after the world ‘think’?”

“There isn’t a question mark,” he said.

“But there should be one.”

“I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake,” Mr. Jones said.“You have read my notice in the wrong way.”

“Not at all,” said the woman. “It is quite easy to read. It says: What do you think? I give away pencils and

paper and ink!”

“No,” Mr. Jones said. “You should read it like this: 50 . And the answer to the question is: Certainly not! So you really have to pay me thirty cents, you see.”

1.How did Mr. Jones most probably felt that night?

A. Confident. B. Afraid. C. Unhappy. D. Worried.

2.Which of the following sentences is the most suitable for the blank in the last paragraph?

A. What do you think? I give away pencils, paper and ink!

B. What? Do you think I give away pencils, paper and ink?

C. What do you think I give away? Pencils, paper and ink.

D. Ink, paper and pencils away give. I think you do what?

3.What can we infer (推断) from the story?

A. Mr. Jones agreed to let the shoppers get things for free that day.

B. People in the town considered Mr. Jones a smart and honest man.

C. The woman paid the money unwillingly and left the shop angrily.

D. Mr. Jones’s trick proved to be a longtime success and he got rich.

Answer 1