10．There are four pearl dealers in our town of La Paz．About a week after my father had cut the pearl，the four men came to our home．They came early in the afternoon，dressed in their best black suits and carrying a scale and calipers （卡尺） and their money in a bag．When word got around that the dealers were going to buy the great black pearl，a crowd followed them and stood outside our gate．
The four men wore serious faces and they put their scale and calipers on the table and their brown bag as well．They sat down and folded their hands and said nothing．Then my father said．"The bag is very small，gentlemen．I doubt that it holds enough money to buy the great Pearl of Heaven．"
The four dealers did not like this．One of them，named Martin，was big and shaped like a barrel and had small white hands．"I have heard that the pearl is the size of a grapefruit，"he said，"If so，we have more money than we need．For as you know，the large ones are of little value．""They do not live long，these monsters，"said Palomares，who was as fat as Martin．"They often die or become dull before a year passes．""And so do many of the small ones，"my father said．"Like the pink one Palomares sold us last month．"Palomares shrugged his shoulders．
"Before I show the Pearl of Heaven，"my father said，"I will tell you the price．It is twenty thousand pesos，no more and no less．"
My father went out of the room and came back with the pearl wrapped in a piece of white velvet．He laid it on the table in front of the four dealers．The great pearl caught the light，gathered it and softened it into a moon of dark fire．None of the dealers spoke for a moment or two．
Then Martin said，"It is as I feared，more like a grapefruit than a pearl．""It's a monster all right，"Palomares said．"The kind that often has a brief life and is very hard to sell．"One of the dealers who had not spoken cleared his throat and said，"But still we will make an offer．"The other dealers nodded seriously．"Ten thousand pesos，"said Martin．Palomares grasped the pearl and studied it．"I think that I see a flaw （瑕疵），"he said after a long time．"Ten thousand is too much．"The great pearl was passed around to the other dealers and they all turned it in their hands．As last Martin used the calipers and placed the pearl on the scale．"His readings were the same as I had made almost．Eleven thousand pesos，"he said．My father answered，"In your lives you have never seen a pearl like this one，nor will you．""Twelve thousand，"said Palomares．
For most of an hour the price the dealers offered went up two hundred and fifty pesos at a time until the figure reached the sum of fifteen thousand pesos．
"Then，"said my father，"I shall take the great pearl to Mexico City and ask twice that amount and sell it to dealers who know its true worth．"Palomares picked up the pearl and put it down．"If you remember，"he said，"you made the long journey to the City of Mexico once before．And what did you find there？You found that the dealers are not so generous （慷慨的） with their money as we are here in La Paz． And you came home after the long journey with your tail between your legs．"
My father stopped pacing and signed to me．"Go to the church，"he said，"and bring Father Gallardo．Whatever he is doing，see that he comes．Go quickly．"
Everybody fell silent as we came in．Then my father turned to the priest and bowed．"Here is the Pearl of Heaven，"he said．"My son and I give it to you so that you may give it to the Madonna，our beloved Lady-of-the-Sea，to hold and keep forever．"
66．What can we learn from the passage？D
A．Martin felt fearful the moment he saw the shape of the great Pearl of Heaven．
B．Martin held the opinion that the larger the pearl was，the more value it would have．
C．My father would accept somewhere around twenty thousand pesos for the great pearl．
D．My father didn't believe the four dealers had brought enough money for the great pearl．
67．What did the writer's father mean by saying that he would take the pearl to Mexico City？B
A．He and the dealers in Mexico City had agreed on a certain price．
B．He wanted to trick the four dealers into accepting what he had charged．
C．He knew that the great pearl would show its true worth in Mexico City．
D．He didn't know the true value and would turn to dealers in Mexico City．
68．From the underlined sentences by Palomares，we can infer thatD．
A．my father had never been to the City of Mexico before
B．the dealers in Mexico City bought the rare pearl at a high price
C．the dealers in Mexico City were more generous than those in La Paz
D．my father once took a rare pearl to Mexico City but the long trip was a failure
69．What might happen following the last paragraph？A
A．The church got the great Pearl of Heaven for free．
B．Madonna offered the highest price and got the pearl．
C．Four dealers got the pearl after offering what my father had charged．
D．The priest offered the exact money my father had asked for the great pearl．
70．Which of the following would be the best title of the passage？C
A．Four Generous Dealers
B．A Successful Seller
C．The Pearl and the Dealers
D．Bigger Pearl，Lower Price．
分析 本文屬于說明文閱讀，作者通過這篇文章主要向我們描述了四個經(jīng)銷商同賣珍珠的父親討價還價買珍珠，父親最后將珍珠獻給了教堂．
解答 66．D．細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)文章第二段"The bag is very small，gentlemen．I doubt that it holds enough money to buy the great Pearl of Heaven"可知我父親不相信這四個經(jīng)銷商為這顆大珍珠帶來了足夠的錢；故選D．
67．B．推理判斷題．根據(jù)文章第四段"Before I show the Pearl of Heaven，"my father said，"I will tell you the price．It is twenty thousand pesos，no more and no less"可知這位作家的父親說他將把珍珠帶到墨西哥城是他想欺騙四個經(jīng)銷商接受他所提出的價格；故選B．
68．D．句意理解題．根據(jù)倒數(shù)第三段"You found that the dealers are not so generous （慷慨的） with their money as we are here in La Paz． And you came home after the long journey with your tail between your legs"可知父親曾經(jīng)罕見的珍珠墨西哥城，但長途旅行是失敗的；故選D．
69．A．推理判斷題．根據(jù)最后一段"My son and I give it to you so that you may give it to the Madonna，our beloved Lady-of-the-Sea，to hold and keep forever"父親將珍珠給了神父，可知接下來教堂得到了珍珠；故選A
70．C．主旨大意題．通讀全文，可知文章主要講了四個經(jīng)銷商同賣珍珠的父親討價還價買珍珠的故事；故選C
點評 考察學生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力，做細節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進行比較，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)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
