Question

A man was selling medicine at a fair(集市). At first he sold bottles of a cure(藥劑) for colds for just a dollar a bottle.

Many people wanted to buy it and the man’s young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure.

Then, when he had a bid crowd, the man stood up, held up a very small bottle and said, “And now, ladies and gentleman, I am not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine. I am not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle. I am not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle. Now, ladies and gentleman. I am not going to charge you ten dollars, and you can live forever.

Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this. One person shouted, “ If you can make you live forever, why don’t you drink it?” Then the other man cried, “ Yes, you look as if you are at least sixty years.”

“ Thank you, sir, thank you,” the man answered, “ I am so glad you said that. My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.” The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man. One of them spoke to the man’s assistant as he passed by, “ Is that true?” he asked. “ Is he three hundred and twenty-nine?

“ Don’t ask me, ” the assistant said, “ I have only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.”

1.What did the man sell at first? He sold ________.

A. a cure for colds B. bottles

C. a cure for old age D. a medicine that made people live forever

2.The people didn’t believe that the man’s medicine could cure old age because _______.

A. the medicine was too cheap

B. the medicine was too expensive

C. he looked quite old himself

D. he didn’t look honest

3.What does the word “charge” mean in this passage?

A. 變化 B. 付錢 C. 給……錢 D. 向……要價(jià)

4.How much did the man charge for the cure for old age?

A. one dollar a bottle B. twenty-five dollars a bottle

C. ten dollars a bottle D. fifty dollars a bottle

5.What does this passage really mean?

A. The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive.

B. The man is not honest, and neither is his assistant.

C. The cheaper the medicine is, the more people will buy.

D. The two men are very honest, and they’d like to help people live forever.

Answer 1