Question

In every British town, large and small, you will find shops that sell secondhand goods. Sometimes such shops deal mostly in furniture, sometimes in books, sometimes in ornaments(裝飾物) and household goods, sometimes even in clothes．

The furniture may often be “antique”(古董), and it may well have changed hands many times. It may also be very valuable, although the most valuable piece will usually go to the London salesroom, where one piece might well be so1d for hundreds of thousands of pounds. As you look around these shops and see the polished wood of chests and tables, you cannot help thinking of those long dead hands which polished that wood, of those now—closed eyes which once 1ooked at these pieces with love.

The books, too, may be antique and very precious; some may be rare first printings. Often when someone dies or has to move house, his books may all be sold, so that sometimes you may find whole libraries in one shop. On the border between England and Wales, there is a town which has become a huge bookshop as well. Even the cinema and castle have been taken over, and now books have replaced sheep as the town’s main trade.

There are also much more humble shops, sometimes simply called “junk shops”, where you can buy small household pieces very cheaply. Sometimes the profits from these shops go to charity. Even these pieces, though, can make you feel sad; you think of those people who once treasured them, but who have moved on, to another country or to death.

Although the British do not worship their ancestors(祖先), they do treasure the past and the things of the past. This is true of houses as well. These days no one knocks them down. They are restored until they are often better than new. In Britain, people do not buy something just because it is new. Old things are treasured for their proven worth; new things have to prove themselves before they are accepted.

1.What is the small town on the border between England and Wales famous for?

A. Its sheep. B. Its bookshops. C. Its cinema. D. Its castle

2.Secondhand goods sometimes fill you with sadness because _______.

A. they are too expensive for average buyers

B. they remind you of the original owner

C. they are now neglected

D. they are sold for charity

3.What does the underlined word “them” (Paragraph 4) refer to _____?

A. Junk shops B. Profits from shops

C. Small household pieces D. Old houses

Answer 1