Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.

“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival （競爭對手）。Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia. ”

George and Rivhard were    at school.

 A. roommates                      B. good friends 

 C. competitors                    D. booksellers

How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A. He envied Richard’s marriage.          

B. He thought of Richard from time to time.

C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.      

D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

George got information about Richard from    .

A. a dictionary collector in Australia 

B. the latter’s rivals Dylans

C. a rare first edition of a dictionary 

D. the wrapping paper of a book

What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.

C. George established a successful business white Richard was missing.

D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.

“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival （競爭對手）。Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia. ”

1.George and Rivhard were      at school.

A. roommates                    B. good friends

C. competitors                      D. booksellers

2.How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A. He envied Richard’s marriage.

B. He thought of Richard from time to time.

C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.

D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

3.George got information about Richard from         .

A. a dictionary collector in Australia

B. the latter’s rivals Dylans

C. a rare first edition of a dictionary

D. the wrapping paper of a book

4.What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.

C. George established a successful business white Richard was missing.

D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

第三部分  閱讀理解 （共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分）

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast. “And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in the town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his formal rival(競爭對手). Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”  

1. George and Richard were ______ at school.

A. roommates   B. good friends   C. competitors   D. booksellers

2. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A. He envied（嫉妒） Richard’s marriage.

B. He thought of Richard from time to time.

C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.

D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

3. George got information about Richard from ______.

A. the wrapping paper of a book 

B. the latter’s rivals Dylans

C. a rare first edition of a dictionary 

D. a dictionary collector in Australia

4. What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.

C. George established a successful business while Richard was missing.

D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.

“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in the town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast―but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his formal rival(競爭對手). Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished―the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”

65. George and Richard were ______ at school.

66. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A. He envied Richard’s marriage.

B. He thought of Richard from time to time.

C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.

D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

67. George got information about Richard from ______.

68. What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.

C. George established a successful business while Richard was missing.

D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

 My First Day
I was still shy in the presence of a crowd. And my first day at the new 36 made me a laughing stock（笑柄） of the classroom .I was sent to the blackboard to write my   37 . I knew my name, and knew how to write it , but standing at the blackboard with the  38  of so many pupils on my back made me  39  inside and I was unable to write a single letter.
“Write your name,” the teacher called to me. I  40 the white chalk to the blackboard, as I was about to write, my mind went blank, I could not remember my name,  41 the first letter. Somebody laughed and I became  42 .
“Just forget us and write your name,” the teacher called and walked to my side,  43 at me to give me confidence.
“What is your name?” she asked.
“Richard,” I   44
“Then write it.”
I turned to the blackboard and lifted my hand to write, but then I was  45  again. I tried to  46  my senses but I could remember nothing. I realized how totally I was 47 and I grew weak and leaned my hot forehead  48 the cold blackboard. The room burst into a loud  49 and my muscles froze. I sat and  50  myself. Why did I always appear so dumb  51  I was called upon to perform in a crowd? I knew how to write as well as any other pupil in the classroom, and there was no  52 I could read better than any of them, and I could talk  53  when I was sure of myself. Then why did strange  54  make me freeze? I sat with my ears and neck  55 , hearing the pupils around me whisper, hating myself.