No. 1
A pair of silk stockings
(2020. 江苏省扬州市高三下学期模拟考)Little Missus Sommers one day found that she had already saved fifty dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money.
The question of investment was one she ___1__ carefully. A dollar or two could be ___2___ to the price she usually paid for her daughter Janie’s shoes. This would guarantee they would ___3___ a great deal longer than usual. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys. And still there would be enough left for new stockings — two pairs per child. What time that would save her in always ___4___ old stockings!
But that day she was tired and a little bit weak. Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing herself to go shopping, she had ___5___ to eat at all!
When she arrived at the large department store, she sat in front of an empty counter. She was trying to gather __6__ and courage to push through a mass of busy ___7___. She rested her hand upon the counter.
She wore no gloves. She slowly grew aware that her hand had felt something very ___8__ to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk __9___. A young salesgirl who stood behind the _____10_____ asked her if she wished to _____11____ the silky leg coverings.
She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry with the aim of _____12____ it. But she went on feeling the soft, _____13___ items. Now she used both hands, holding the stockings up to see the light shine _____14___ them.
Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face.
She thought to herself, “Why not live for myself once?”
She looked up at the salesgirl. “Well, I will _____15_____ this pair.” she said.
Missus Sommers then walked into the ladies’ rest area. In an empty corner, she _____16____ her cotton stockings with the new silk ones.
For the first time she seemed to be taking a ____17_____ from the tiring act of considering her family. She had let herself be ____18_____ by some machine — like force directing her actions. But this time she decided to free herself of _____19____.
Then she put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next, she went to the shoe department, sat down and waited to be _____20___.
1. A. resisted B. considered C. described D. underwent
2. A. spent B. withdrawn C. dropped D. added
3. A. last B. extend C. show D. dress
4. A. picking B. washing C. packing D. repairing
5. A. refused B. forgotten C. regretted D. planned
6. A. confidence B. information C. respect D. strength
7. A. shoppers B. sellers C. agents D. guards
8. A. rough B. delicious C. pleasant D. pretty
9. A. handkerchiefs B. shirts C. stockings D. shoes
10. A. counter B. crowd C. elevator D. window
11. A. see B. witness C. investigate D. examine
12. A. purchasing B. selling C. producing D. designing
13. A. ordinary B. abnormal C. costly D. simple
14. A. beyond B. through C. between D. upon
15. A. return B. buy C. present D. consume
16. A. sold B. exchanged C. submitted D. replaced
17. A. rest B. walk C. look D. sigh
18. A. thrown B. squeezed C. controlled D. comforted
19. A. debt B. dream C. appointment D. responsibility
20. A. fitted B. employed C. consulted D. promoted
