The bird

There were three brothers, John, Jack and James. Every year on their mother’s birthday, they sent her expensive presents. They liked to show her how rich and successful they were.

The oldest brother, John, had the most money and he wanted his mother to know this.

“I must give her something that none of my brothers can give her,” John thought. “I must find something of which there is only one in the whole world.”

He advertised in the newspapers. “Wanted — the perfect gift for the woman who has everything.”

For many days his telephone did not stop ringing. People phoned him from all over the world. They wanted to sell him “the perfect gift”. However, they did not have anything that was the only one in the whole world.

Then, less than a week before his mother’s birthday, a man came to his office. He was carrying a cage, and in the cage there was a large bird.

“This bird,” the man said, “can speak ten different languages and sing any pop song. There is no other bird like it in the world.”

“I will listen to it,” John said. “If you are telling the truth, I will buy the bird from you.”

The man spoke to the bird. “Talk to me in French,” he said. The bird spoke to him in French. “Tell me a joke in Japanese,” he said. The bird told him a joke in Japanese. “Sing a famous pop song,” he said. The bird sang a famous pop song.

“I’ll buy it,” John said. “How much do you want?”

“One hundred thousand dollars,” the man said. This was a lot of money but John paid him. Then he sent the bird to his mother with a birthday card.

The day after his mother’s birthday he phoned her. “Well, Mum,” he said, “what did you think of the bird?”

“Oh, it was delicious, dear,” she said.

Choose the best answer according to the passage.

1. Why did the three brothers send their mother expensive presents?

A. They liked buying presents.

B. They wanted to show her how rich and successful they were.

C. Their mother liked expensive presents.

D. She would be angry if they didn’t buy her presents.

2. What did John want to buy for his mother?

A. The most expensive present in the world.

B. Something his other brothers had not given her.

C. A present that was the only one of its kind in the world.

D. A delicious bird.

3. Why did so many people phone John?

A. They wanted to sell him beautiful things.

B. They wanted to borrow money from him.

C. They wanted to sell him the perfect presents.

D. They wanted to wish his mother a happy birthday.

4. What did his mother do with the bird?

A. She let it learn how to speak French.

B. She ate it.

C. She let it sing a famous pop song.

D. She let it learn how to speak ten languages.

【答案】（反白可见）:BCCB