2017年高考英语专题检测：备考专题训练解析-阅读理解

　　2017年高考英语备考专题训练（3）-----阅读理解（10套）

　　第一套

　　第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）

　　第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）

　　阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　A

　　The Basics of Math—Made Clear

　　Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.

　　The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.

　　Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to 搈ake sense?of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing梐nd completely understandable梖ieldentd of study.

　　By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery(神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.

　　Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as 搕he best math teacher in America,?is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical conc tepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.

　　With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.

　　If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.

　　56. What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?

　　A. Algebra.

　　B. College Mathematics.

　　C. Arithmetic.

　　D. Mathematics Education.

　　57. What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?

　　A. Stronger imaginative ability.

　　B. Additional presentation skills.

　　C. More mathematical confidence.

　　D. Greater chances of becoming teachers.

　　58. What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?

　　A. He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television.

　　B. He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math.

　　C. He works in Georgia State University.

　　D. He specializes in training teachers.

　　59. Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

　　A. A news report.

　　B. A book review

　　C. A lesson plan.

　　D. An advertisement

　　【答案及解析】

　　56.C。 Basic Math包括哪些方面，第二段中The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic.

　　57.C。第4段中，They will be able to clear away the mystery of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined.

　　58.B。第五段中，he is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious.

　　59.D。最后一段中，If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.

　　B

　　Peanuts to This

　　Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. 揥hat could be causing everyone to act this way??Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancacelot gave me the task. This was the first real talk I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.

　　Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, 揗y report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.?The whole world became quite! How coulowd I know that she meant that George Washington?

　　Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster抯 office with my grandfather, now having an entiredly different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!

　　60. What did the author抯 classmates think about his report?

　　dA. Controversial.

　　B. Ridiculous.

　　C. Boring.

　　D. Puzzling.

　　61.

　　Why was the author confused about the task?

　　A. He was unfamiliar with American history.

　　B. He followed the advice and flipped a coin.

　　C. He forgot his teacher抯 instruction.

　　D. He was new at the school.

　　62. The underlined word 揵urning?in Para. 3 probably means _______.

　　A. annoyed

　　B. ashamed

　　C. ready

　　D. eager

　　63.In the end, ce the author turned things around _______.

　　A. by redoing his task

　　B. through his own efforts

　　C. with the help of his grandfather

　　D. under the guidance of his headmaster

　　【答案及解析】

　　60.B

　　B. ridiculous 可笑的。第一段中only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.

　　61.A

　　第二段中 Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before.

　　62.D

　　I lowed down the paper and sat down at my desk,我不知道发生了什么，所以在我发言后，希望知道为什么大家如此反应的原因，即eager to find out what I had done wrong.

　　63.B

　　第四段中Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year.

　　C

　　Decision-making under Stress

　　A new review based on a research shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative (负面的) consequences of a decision.

　　The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.

　　“Stress affects how people learn,” says Professor Mara Mather. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”

　　For example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images(影像) with either rewards or punishments. In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by having to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those who hadn抰 gone through the stress.

　　This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress 朼t those m moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bring about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.

　　The research also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.

　　Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when caution weighs more, however, women will win.

　　This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into addiction.

　　64. We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend to ______.

　　A. keep rewards better in their memory

　　B. recall consequences more effortlessly

　　C. make risky decisions more frequently

　　D. learn a subject more effectively

　　65. According to the research, stress affects people most probably in their ______.

　　A. ways of making choices B. preference for pleasure

　　C. tolerance of punishments D. responses to suggestions

　　66.The research has proved that in a stressful situation, ______.

　　A. women find it easier to fall into certain habits

　　B. men have a greater tendency to slow down

　　C. women focus more on outcomes

　　D. men are more likely to take risks

　　【答案及解析】

　　64.A

　　第一段中，acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative consequences of a decision,可知压力下的人们经常会keep rewards better in their memory.

　　65.A

　　第二段中，The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.

　　66.D

　　第七段中，Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way.可以看出是男性在压力下更容易冒险。

　　D

　　Wilderness

　　“In wilderness(荒野) is the preservation of the world.” This is a famous saying from a writer regarded as one of the fathers of environmentalism. The frequency with which it is borrowed mirrors a heated debate on environmental protection: whether to place wilderness at the heart of what is to be preserved.

　　As John Sauven of Greenpeace UK points out, there is a strong appeal in images of the wild, the untouched; more than anything else, they speak of the nature that many people value most dearly. The urge to leave the subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation(开发) brings to such landscapes(景观) is real. Some of these wildernesses also perform functions that humans need—the rainforests, for example, store carbon in vast quantities. To Mr.Sauven, these ”ecosystem services” far outweigh the gains from exploitation.

　　Lee Lane, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, takes the opposing view. He acknowledges that wildernesses do provide useful services, such as water conservation. But that is not, he argues, a reason to avoid all human presence, or indeed commercial and industrial exploitation. There are ever more people on the Earth, and they reasonably and rightfully want to have better lives, rather than merely struggle for survival. While the ways of using resources have improved, there is still a growing need for raw materials, and some wildernesses contain them in abundance. If they can be tapped without reducing the services those wildernesses provide, the argument goes, there is no further reason not to do so. Being untouched is not, in itself, a characteristic worth valuing above all others.

　　I look forwards to seeing these views taken further, and to their being challenged by the other participants. One challenge that suggests itself to me is that both cases need to take on the question of spiritual value a little more directly. And there is a practical question as to whether wildernesses can be exploited without harm.

　　This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason. What position wilderness should enjoy in the preservation of the world obviously deserves much more serious thinking.

　　67. John Sauven holds that_____.

　　A. many people value nature too much

　　B. exploitation of wildernesses is harmful

　　C. wildernesses provide humans with necessities

　　D. the urge to develop the ecosystem services is strong

　　68. What is the main idea of Para. 3?

　　A. The exploitation is necessary for the poor people.

　　B. Wildernesses cannot guarantee better use of raw materials.

　　C. Useful services of wildernesses are not the reason for no exploitation.

　　D. All the characteristics concerning the exploitation should be treated equally.

　　69. What is the author抯 attitude towards this debate?

　　A. Objective.

　　B. Disapproving.

　　C. Sceptical.

　　D. Optimistic.

　　70. Which of tohe following shows the structure of the passage?

　　A.

　　B.

　　C.

　　D.

　　CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion

　　【答案及解析】

　　67.B

　　第二段中， The urge to leave the subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation brings to such landscapes is real.

　　68.C

　　He acknowledges that wildernesses do provide useful services, but that is not a reason to avoid all human presence.

　　69.A

　　This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason厖deserveus much more serious thinking.

　　70.D

　　总分总的结构类型

　　第二套

　　阅读理解（共20小题：每小题2分，满分40分）

　　阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　A

　　Robert Todd Duncan was born in 1903 in the southern city of Danville, Kentucky. His mother was his first music teacher. As a young man, he continued his music study in Indianapolis, Indiana.

　　In 1930，he completed more musical education at Columbia University in New York City. Then he moved to Washington. For fifteen years, he taught music at Howard University in Washington. At that time, not many black musicians were known for writing or performing classical music. Teaching at Howard gave Duncan the chance to share his knowledge of classical European music with a mainly black student population. He taught special ways to present the music. These special ways became known as the Duncan Technique.

　　Besides teaching，Duncan sang in several operas with performers who were all black. But it seemed that he always would be known mainly as a concert artist. However，his life took a different turn in the middle 1930s. At that time, the famous American music writer George Gershwin was looking for someone to play a leading part in his new work Porgy and Bess. The music critic (评论家) of the New York Times newspaper suggested Todd Duncan. Duncan had almost decided not to try for the part as he knew it would not be easy to get it. But he changed his mind. He sang a piece from an Italian opera for Gershwin. He had sung only a few minutes when Gershwin offered him the part. He became famous because of the part in Porgy and Bess.

　　Todd Duncan gained fame as an opera singer and concert artist. But his greatest love in music was teaching. When he stopped teaching at Howard，he continued giving singing lessons in his Washington home until the week before his death.

　　56．What is this passage mainly about?

　　A．What Robert Todd Duncan loved most.

　　B．How Robert Todd Duncan became famous.

　　C．Robert Todd Duncan and his works of music.

　　D．A brief introduction to Robert Todd Duncan.

　　57．According to Paragraph 2，while teaching at Howard University，Duncan________.

　　A．discovered special new ways to write music

　　B．opened doors for other black classical singers

　　C．had the chance to know many famous black musicians

　　D．became known for writing and performing classical music

　　58．What happened to Duncan in the middle 1930s?

　　A．He gave up teaching at Howard University.

　　B．He was introduced by the New York Times in detail.

　　C．He was asked to be in charge of the opera Porgy and Bess.

　　D．He was given a big opportunity to become an opera singer.

　　59．We can infer that Robert Todd Duncan didn’t at first want to try for the part mainly because ____.

　　A．he was too busy to do it

　　B．he was not interested in it

　　C．he was not confident enough

　　D．he didn’t want to become famous

　　60．Based on the passage, what did Robert Todd Duncan love most?

　　A．Singing in concerts.

　　B．Writing music.

　　C．Singing opera.

　　D．Teaching music.

　　【答案及解析】

　　56.D。综合判断题。全文主要介绍了Robert Todd Duncan的经历.

　　B.细节判断题。根据第二段的Teaching at Howard gave Duncan the chance to share his knowledge of classical European music with a mainly black student population判断。

　　D.细节判断题。根据Todd Duncan gained fame as an opera singer and concert artist. But his greatest love判断。

　　C.细节判断题。根据Duncan had almost decided not to try for the part as he knew it would not be easy to get it判断。

　　D.细节推理题。根据文章的第一、二段推断。

　　B

　　A baby born in India has been declared the world's seven billionth person by child rights group Plan International. Baby Nargis was born at 07:25 local time (01:55GMT) in Mall village in India's Uttar Pradesh state. Plan International says Nargis has been chosen symbolically as it is not possible to know where exactly the seven billionth baby is born. In addition to baby Nargis in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia have all identified seven billionth babies. The United Nations estimated that on Monday 31 October, the world's population would reach seven billion.

　　Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia. At the same time, low birth rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.

　　Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and ten billion by the end of the century. China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025.

　　India will also have one of the world's youngest populations. Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend. India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations. But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs. Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished（营养不良）.

　　Michal Rutkowski, the director of human development in South Asia at the World Bank, says reaching seven billion people in the world is a good time for a call to action. He says, "I think the bottom line of the story is that the public policy needs to become really, really serious about sex equality and about access to services -- to fight against malnutrition, and to provide for access to health services, water and schooling."

　　61. What is true about the world's seven billionth person?

　　A. Baby Nargis is not the only child chosen as the seven billionth baby.

　　B. Baby Nargis has been chosen carefully so it is exactly the seven billionth baby

　　C. Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia have all declared Baby Nargis as the seven billionth baby.

　　D. The United Nations declared Baby Nargis born in India's Uttar Pradesh state as the world's seven billionth person.

　　62. Which of the following problems do many European countries worry about?

　　A. Labor shortage.

　　B. Poor health care

　　C. Not enough jobs

　　D. schooling of poor quality

　　63. According to population experts, how long will it take for population to grow from six billion to nine billion?

　　A. About 12 years.

　　B. About 40 years.

　　C. About 50 years.

　　D. About 110 years.

　　64. What does the underlined phrase 揹emographic dividend?in the fourth paragraph refer to?

　　Aex. Possibility of lower birth rate.

　　B. Benefit gained by working age people

　　C. Chances for more employment.

　　D. Disadvantages caused by aging population.

　　65. Which of the following public policies does Michal Rutkowski call on?

　　A. To encourage late marriage.

　　B. To reduce world’s population.

　　C. To gain economic equality.

　　D. To improve health and education.

　　【答案及解析】

　　A.细节判断题。根据文章的第一段中In addition to baby Nargis in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia have all identified seven billionth babies判断。

　　A.细节判断题。根据第二段的第二句话判断。

　　C.细节判断题。根据第三段的前两句话判断。

　　B.细节判断题。根据该词后的那句话判断。

　　D.细节判断题。根据文章的最后一句话判断。

　　C

　　Once upon a time, there was a lovely vegetable field, on which grew a very thick tree．Both the vegetables and the tree gave the place a wonderful appearance, which was the joy of the garden's owner．What no one knew was that the vegetables in the field and the tree couldn't stand each other．The vegetables hated the tree's shadow, because it left them only just enough light to survive．The tree, on the other hand, hated the vegetables because they drank nearly all the water before it could get to him, leaving him with just enough to survive．

　　The situation became so extreme that the vegetables got totally fed up and decided to use up all the water in the ground so that the tree would dry up．The tree answered back by refusing to give the vegetables shadow from the hot midday sun, so they both began to dry up．Before long, the vegetables were really thin and the tree's branches were drying up．

　　Neither of them thought that the gardener, on seeing his vegetable field becoming worse, would stop watering it．When he did that, both the tree and the vegetables really learned what thirst was．There seemed to be no solution, but one of the vegetables, a small courgette（小胡瓜）, understood what was going on, and decided to deal with it．Despite the little water and the unbearable heat, the little courgette did all he could to grow, grow．．．He managed to grow so big that the gardener started watering the field again．The gardener wanted to enter that beautiful big courgette in some gardening contest．

　　They should really learn how to live in harmony （和谐）with those around them, doing the best they could．So they decided to work together, and help each other instead of fighting, using both the shadow and the water in the best combination to grow good vegetables．Seeing how well they were doing, the gardener now gave the best of care to his vegetable field, watering it better than any other field for miles around．

　　66．From the passage, we can learn ___________．

　　A．the gardener was very lazy

　　B．the tree and vegetables grew very well at first

　　C．the tree and vegetables got along well with each other at first

　　D．the gardener was satisfied with his work on the garden

　　67．The vegetables and the tree fought for ___________．

　　A．living space

　　B．the gardener's attention

　　C．attending the contest

　　D．their own good

　　68．What drew the garden's owner's attention to the field again?

　　A．Some gardening contests．

　　B．The fight between plants．

　　C．The big and beautiful courgette．

　　D．The wonderful appearance in the garden．

　　69．What was out of the expectation of the tree and vegetables?

　　A．That the gardener stopped watering them．

　　B．That the courgette understood what was happening．

　　C．That they could live together．

　　D．That they could take part in the contest．

　　70．How can one live in harmony with others according to the passage?

　　A．By learning to stop being angry with others．

　　B．By learning to be thankful．

　　C．By respecting others and oneself．

　　D．By working together and helping each other．

　　【答案与解析】

　　D.细节判断题。根据第一段中的Both the vegetables and the tree gave the place a wonderful appearance进行判断。

　　C.判断推理题。树和蔬菜参与了挣水的竞争。attend the contest参加比赛。

　　C.细节判断题。是小胡瓜的改变吸引了gardener的注意。

　　A.细节判断题。根据Neither of them thought that the gardener, on seeing his vegetable field becoming worse, would stop watering it判断。

　　D.根据文章最后一段的So they decided to work together, and help each other instead of fighting判断。

　　D

　　How to improve my life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my fate, my destiny.I cannot change it."

　　Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly.Your destiny depends on you, not on any other external factors.

　　I know someone who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, then goes to sleep.Next day, the same routine cycle follows.

　　Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God wills it. Of course God wants us to be happy and live our life to the fullest, but we have to do our share of exerting (运用) the effort to live the life of our dreams.

　　Remember that you harvest what you sow. You just don't sit around and wait for a million dollars to fall from the sky. You have to get off the couch, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone. Don抰 expect your luck to changen unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary setback; but use it as feedback. Learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively.

　　If someone's life is in the trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand (or sit) there, do something to improve your life.

　　71.According to the woman mentioned in Para.3, her life ____________.

　　A. Doesn't need improving

　　B. couldn't be improved

　　C. will be better some day

　　D. Will be worse in the future

　　72.What does the author think of the woman's life?

　　A. positive

　　B. satisfying

　　C. colorful

　　D. passive

　　73.Which of the following statements is the author's opinion?

　　A.Your temporary problem is not discouraging.

　　B.Your luck can be changed by your efforts

　　C.You can only achieve success when God wills it.

　　D.You should treat yourself in the way you treat friends.

　　74.In Para.5, the author emphasized the importance of _____________.

　　A. positive action

　　B. positive thinking

　　C. hope for the best

　　D. intention to succeed

　　75.The text is mainly written to advise you to ____________.

　　A. understand yourself

　　B. improve your life

　　C. believe in yourself

　　D. change your normal way

　　【答案及解析】

　　B.细节判断题。根据第三段的this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God will判断。

　　D.细节推理题。passive消极的；positive积极的；satisfying令人满意的；colourful多彩的。

　　B.概括判断题。选项A的含义是：你暂时的困难不是令人沮丧的；选项B的含义是：你的命运能够通过的努力而改变；选项C含义为：当上帝让你获得成功的时候你才会成功；选项D的含义是：你应该用对待朋友的方式对待你自己。

　　A.细节判断题。第五段中强调的就是要采取积极的行动。

　　D.综合判断题。根据文章的第一段和最后一段都是在强调改变你的生活方式。

　　第三套

　　阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)

　　第一节　(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

　　阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　A

　　Long ago, near the village of Hedley, there lived a strange and playful trickster (骗子), known as the Hedley Kow. Sometimes it looked like an ordinary object. Sometimes it looked like a donkey or a goat.

　　One evening, as an old woman went along the path, she saw an old iron pot lying in the ditch. “Fancy that，” she said. “Nobody seems to want this old pot. I will take it home and plant pretty flowers in it.”

　　When she tried to lift it, she saw that it was full of gold pieces. “Well, now, if that doesn't beat all，” she said. “I'm rich! I can buy a fine house and fancy clothes.”

　　The pot was heavy, so she tied her shawl around it and began to drag it home. After a while, she stopped to rest. When she looked in the pot, she was amazed to see that it was full of silver pieces!

　　“Oh, my God！” she said. “Aren't I the lucky one! If it were gold, thieves would have been after me. My friends might have been jealous. But I can hide these silver pieces, take out a few at a time, and live like a queen.”

　　On she went, pulling the pot after