About twenty centuries ago there ruled a cruel king with tremendous powers over his subjects. Their life and death were in his hands.
There was one duty, however, that he had to perform every year which he did not like to do. Once a year he had to speak to his subjects from the balcony of his palace.
And even though this was his only duty, he did not like it at all. In the year of which we speak the day came and the king spoke to his people.
He said to them, “Do you know what I am going to talk about this year?”
With one voice the people answered, “No, mighty king. We do not know what you are going to say to us this year.”
The king then replied, “Why should I speak to such ignorant people?” and he left his balcony.
But still it was necessary that he perform his duty of speaking to his people. So the next day he again spoke to them from his balcony and said, “Do you know what I am going to say to you this year?”
The people answered, “Yes, oh GREat king, we do know what you are going to say.” They hoped that this would tempt him to speak to them.
The king then answered them, “If you already know, then why should I tell you?”
There was one wise man who then said to the people, “When the king comes tomorrow to talk to us from his balcony, permit me to answer him.” The people aGREed to let him do the answering.
The next day the king again spoke from the balcony of his palace. “Tell me,” he said, “do you know what I am going to talk to you about this year?" The wise man answered, “Oh, powerful king, some of us do not know.”
“Then,” replied the king, “Let those who know tell those who do not know.”
(325 words)
Choose the best answer:
1. From the passage we know that an ignorant person is a person who __________ .
A. is stupid B. is slowminded
C. knows much D. knows little
2. The king is really __________ than the wise man.
A. wiser B. more stupid C. powerful D. more ignorant
3. When the king asked, “Do you know what I am going to say?” he __________ .
A. didn’t know what to say
B. wanted to know the opinion of the people
C. really didn’t want to say anything
D. wanted only to play a joke
参考答案：1.D 2.A 3.C
