The small unframed painting called “Fisherman” was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $ 27000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession.

Pitt said, “I didn’t know it was so valuable. I’m not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought ‘Fisherman’ in Italy in 1970 for $140．the picture was dirty, and I couldn’t see the artist’s signature. But anyway it wasn’t the picture that I like. I bought it because of the frame.”

“It’s most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I’ll never part with it.”

“When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn’t know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $ 140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then.”

“Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone’s signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”

As a result of his explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of (指控) knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department.

Pitt was not happy. “I told the truth as I knew it then,” he said, “What else could I say?”

And then the judge agreed with him. “The Customs Department is to be responsible (blame),” he said, “for making a true valuation of goods bought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty.

Pitt met the customs officer __________, where the officer was employed to ________.

       A．a(chǎn)t the railway station or airport; examine people’s baggage

       B．a(chǎn)t the airport or port; examine people’s baggage

       C．a(chǎn)t the bus-stop; help people enter the USA

       D．a(chǎn)t the airport or port; help people enter the USA

From the passage we can infer that if Maveleone had been a well-know artist _________.

       A．the painting would have cost much more than $ 140

       B．he wouldn’t have sold his painting at such a low price

       C．the customs officer wouldn’t have valued the painting at $ 140

       D．Pitt wouldn’t have had the intention to buy any of his paintings

Pitt took off the frame in order to ____________.

       A．clean the painting to put it up for sale

       B．look for the artist’s signature

       C．use if for his wife’s photograph

       D．find the painting’s true value

Which is true according to the passage?

       A．Pitt knew the true value of the picture.

       B．Pitt’s wife knew the true value of the picture.

       C．When Pitt’s wife suggested keeping the picture, she was kind of joking.

       D．Pitt didn’t pay any duty at all.

Which of the following statements is true to the story? In the end __________.

       A．Pitt was asked to pay the correct amount of duty.

       B．Pitt sold the frame of the painting at an even higher price.

       C．The Customs Department had no right to revalue the painting.

       D．Pitt’s wife was regarded as an expert because of her wise suggestion.

【小題1】B

【小題2】C

【小題3】C

【小題4】C

【小題5】C


解析:

【小題1】細(xì)節(jié)題，從第四段可以看出，畫框是在飛機(jī)場海關(guān)通道的時候，海關(guān)官員在檢查他的行李。

【小題2】推理題，從文中來看，無論是賣畫框的人，還是Pitt以及他的妻子，抑或是海關(guān)官員，都不知道這個藝術(shù)家的情況，所以把它定價為140，如果知道這個家伙的名氣的話，價格肯定會上揚(yáng)的。

【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)題，從第三段來看，Pitt把畫框拿來裝妻子的照片了。

【小題4】細(xì)節(jié)推理題，從第五段My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”可以看出妻子并沒有當(dāng)真。

【小題5】推理題，從最后一段來看，法官已經(jīng)做了定斷，If now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty.，Pitt是無罪的，海關(guān)更改自己的決定也是于法無據(jù)的。

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