It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.
College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear
across the country in pursuit (追尋) of the dreams. There,
in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and
often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and
nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died
last night. The funeral（葬禮） is Wednesday.” Memories flashed（閃現(xiàn)）through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat
quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long
since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,”
Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d
ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回憶) about the
many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it, ” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser
stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence (影響) in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be
in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me
things that he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.”
Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next
flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had
no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his
Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly
as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture
… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top
of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever
tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly
how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser
family had taken it.
“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,”
Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a
package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore （撕）open the
package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope（信封）. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside,
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its
contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key
was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack
carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket
watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for
your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his
assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his
assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
1.Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?
A．Because he
had no children or relatives.
B．Because he
was grateful for Jack’s time with him.
C．Because he
thought he had to keep his word.
D．Because Jack
had always wanted it during his childhood.
2.Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with
his son?
A．He was very
tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.
B．He had
promised to spare more time to stay with his son.
C．He had missed
his son and his family for days.
D．He came to
realize the importance of the time with his family.
3.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
A．College and
career prevented him from remembering Mr. Belser.
B．Jack was too
busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.
C．Jack was too
busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.
D．His present
busy life washed away his children memories.
4.Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser
EXCEPT that _________.
A．Mr. Belser
often asked how Jack was doing
B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday
C．Mr. Belser
had asked for Jack’s mailing address
D．Mr. Belser
had pleasant memories of their time together
5.Which of the following is the most suitable title
for this passage?
A．The Good Old
Times
B．The Lost
Childhood Days
C．An Old Gold
Watch
D．What He
Valued Most
