There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation（通货膨胀率）is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before the trip instead of after. This story may or may not be true. But inflation was almost that serious in Germany from July 1920 until December 1923. Prices went up so fast that by the end of 1923 they were 50 billion percent higher－a rise of almost 25000 / 40 a month.

　　There was so much paper money, and it had so little value, that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things. One woman told the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500 000 mark notes（马克）. She wanted to buy just one piece of meat, and she hoped she had enough money. But when she was looking, a thief robbed（抢夺） her. He didn't take her money, though, he threw it away and took the basket in stead.

　　At first workers demanded to be paid every day. But as the situation be came worse, they had to be paid twice a day. But they had to run out and spend the money at once, or it would lose its value. People bought anything that was for sale, but food was almost impossible to find. Farm workers re fused to take money. They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead.

　　New policies（政策）ended the inflation in 1923, when the government introduced a new money. But about half of the German people lost every thing in those three and a half years.

　　1．People paid for a taxi ride before the trip because they________

　　　　A. did not want to carry so much money with them

　　　　B. had so much paper money that they wanted to spend them quickly

　　　　C. wanted to save money

　　　　D. were afraid of the taxi driver

　　2．According to the passage, in Germany the prices in 1920 were ________.

　　　　A. higher than those in 1923

　　　　B. lower than those in 1923

　　　　C. the highest in history

　　　　D. the lowest in history

　　3．The thief stole the basket instead of the money in it because he thought _________

　　　　A. he couldn't buy a piece of meat with the money

　　　　B. the basket was more valuable than the money

　　　　C. the basket was what he needed most

　　　　D. the money was of no value

　　4．The farm workers demanded to be paid in potatoes because they be lieved that _______

　　　　A. the money could not buy potatoes

　　　　B. the money might lose its value

　　　　C. the potato was too expensive

　　　　D. the potato was valuable

I believe being honest is one of the greatest gifts. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days，like　36　and straightforward. And it’s still what  37 a man a good citizen. This is my code(准则)，and I try to live by.
I’ve been in the taxi business for thirty-five years，  38　 there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxi drivers have to be rough and tumble(乱作一团) fellows to be able to take it in New York. You've got to be  39 to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day.
Because taxi drivers are tough，people get the  40 impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will act as  41 fellows.  Almost every week you read in the papers where a taxi driver  42  money or jewels or like that people leave in their  43 . If they weren't honest，you wouldn't be reading those stories in the papers. One time，I found an emerald（翡翠的）ring in my car. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of suitcases that day，so I went back to where I had  44  her off. It took me almost two days to wait for her in order to return her  45 to her. I didn't get as much as “thank you.”  46 ，I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she   47 .
I was born and brought up in Ireland until I was nineteen years old. I came to this country in 1913 where I  48 several jobs to earn a few dollars before joining the army in World War I. After being discharged(退伍)，I bought my own car and have owned one ever since. It hasn’t been too easy  49 ，but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit  50  for a rainy day(一时之需). In all my years of driving a taxi，I have never had___51__ with the public，not even with drunks. Even if they get a little headstrong(顽固的) once in a while，I just agree with them and then they behave themselves.
People ask me about tips. As far as I know，  52 everyone will give you something，because most Americans are  53 generous. I always try to be nice to everyone，whether they  54 or not. I believe in God and try to be a good member of my parish（教区）. I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time，and the  55 I try，the easier it gets.

There are two types of twins; identical and non-identical twins. Identical twins are formed from a single egg in mother’s body which divides to from two separate babies. Identical twins look the same, and are often dressed by their parents in clothes of the same colors. It is often difficult to tell identical twins from each other, even when they are standing side by side. Non-identical twins come into being when the mother produces two separated eggs a the same time, both of which grow to form babies. In this case the twins look like normal brothers and sisters and are easy to tell one from the other.
　　In the 1970s and 1980s a scientist did some research into twins. He invited many pairs of identical twins to university and asked them to take part in a week of tests. He was particularly interested in adopted (收养) twins who had been separated at birth. He would give the twins different kinds of tests to study their speed of thinking, their speech, their memory, the ways they saw and heard different things, and so on. Time and time again he found separated twins who preferred clothes of the same color, used the same kind of shaving soap, wore the same shaped square glasses and the same colored socks.
　　There is a third type of twins, but it is a very unusual one. Twins which are joined together at birth are known in western countries as Siamese twins.
【小题1】It is difficult to tell identical twins apart because _______.