19．Christmas is long gone，and Valentine's Day is a distant memory．That means it's a slow time for jewelers，and a good time for you to make a purchase．Whether you're out shopping for gold，or silver，here fife a few things you need to know：
What determines price？
The purity of the metal is one of the elements that determines the price．Gold purity is indicated with a stamp of 10K，14K，18K，or 24K．And different countries have their own standards．For example，for a piece to be considered gold in the US，it must be at least 10K．In Britain and Canada：9K．In Italy and France：l8K．Anything over l8K is really too soft for everyday wear．That's why jewelry stores in the US sell mostly 14K．
How much can you expect to pay？
That depends on the weight of the metal and the gemstone（寶石）．So keep that in mind，especially when buying online．To keep yourself from getting ripped off，ask yourself the following：
●How long has the company been around？
●What is its return policy？
●Is the jewelry featured on the website visible from all directions？
●Is the company transparent with the gram weights and the size of the gemstones？
Yellow gold？White？Rose？
Yes，it's confusing，and while this is largely a personal decision，there are a few things to keep in mind．For starters，white or rose gold costs about l 0% more than yellow gold．If you want the"look for less"，consider gold plated jewelry．"Gold plated"and"gold overlay"mean the same thing and guarantee a thicker layer of finish than"vermeil"which is a flash finish that is thinner and less consistent，but more affordable．Buy vermeil finished pieces you want for a season or two just to follow the fashion．For pieces you want to wear for a lifetime，solid gold is best．
What about sterling silver（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)純銀）？
Sterling silver has been an alternative for white gold during the difficult economy，and while it used to be more popular with just the younger these days it has much more mass appeal．So much so that retailers are now offering fine gemstones with silver--something you used to see only with gold．
Keep in mind that in the US．the sterling silver standard is 92.5% real silver．Don't buy it if there isn't a"925"stamp on it．And keep in mind that the lower price you're paying for silver means more maintenance．To keep silver jewelry from becoming less shiny，consider keeping a piece of chalk in your jewelry box．
60．According to the passage，the underlined phrase"getting ripped off"in Paragraph 3probably means"C"．
A．being charged B．being affected
C．being cheated D．being attracted
61．Which of the following is relatively good for only wearing a short time？C
A．A 14K necklace．
B．A gold-plated ring．
C．A vermeil earring．
D．A gemstone necklace．
62．We can infer from the last paragraph that silver jewelry should be keptA
A．in a dry place B．in a cold place
C．in a wet place D．in a hot place
63．The author writes the passage mainly toB．
A．encourage young people to buy fashionable jewelry
B．inform people of the factors to consider in buying jewelry
C．introduce the real value and popularity of gold and silver
D．tell people the best time to purchase gold and silver．
分析 本文是一篇關(guān)于金銀首飾的選購和保養(yǎng)的說明文．從以下幾個方面進(jìn)行了說明：一是什么決定了它的價格？二是你希望花多少錢？三是標(biāo)準(zhǔn)純銀是怎樣的．
解答 60．C．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)To keep yourself from 和ask yourself the following：可知阻止自己被欺騙，故選C．
61．C．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)Yellow gold？White？Rose？和Buy vermeil finished pieces you want for a season or two just to follow the fashion．For pieces you want to wear for a lifetime，solid gold is best．可知鍍金耳環(huán)是指適合短時間佩戴的；應(yīng)選C．
62．A．推理判斷題．根據(jù)最后一段And keep in mind that the lower price you're paying for silver means more maintenance．To keep silver jewelry from becoming less shiny，consider keeping a piece of chalk in your jewelry box可知低價的銀飾品不容易保養(yǎng)，為了使其不失去光澤，要考慮在首飾盒里放一支粉筆．放粉筆顯然為了防潮，故選A．
63．B．作者意圖題．根據(jù)短文的內(nèi)容是關(guān)于金銀首飾的選購和保養(yǎng)，因此主要是告訴讀者在購買珠寶時要考慮的因素，故選B．
點評 考察學(xué)生的細(xì)節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力，做細(xì)節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進(jìn)行比較，再做出正確的選擇．在做推理判斷題不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據(jù)文章事實進(jìn)行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
