My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat at the same time in a second-hand clothing store. It stood out among big and old coats. It had beautiful tailoring and an unbelievable price: $28. I looked at my son and we both said nothing, but John’s eyes shone. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular with teenage boys, but they could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better. John tried it on and turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror. The fit was perfect.

John wore the coat to school the next day and came home with a big grin. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said.

Over the next few weeks, John changed. He was polite, less argumentative, more thoughtful, and on the whole much happier. “Good dinner, mom,” he would say every evening. Without a word of objection he would carry in wood for the stove. One day when I suggested that he might start on his homework before dinner, John, who always put things off, said: “You’re right. I guess I will.” When I mentioned this incident to one of his teachers, she joked that the coat must have changed him.

John and I both know we should never mistake a person’s clothes for the real person within them. But there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see, for practicing standards of excellence in thought, speech, and behavior, and for matching what is on the inside to what is on the outside. 

小题1:What does the author try to express in the first paragraph?

A．The coat looked like a magical coat.

B．They were good at shopping.

C．The coat was a real bargain.

D．They had the same taste in clothes.小题2:What does the underlined word “grin” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．A wide smile.

B．A worried look.

C．A jealous spirit.

D．A joking tone.小题3:After John wore the new coat, the author found he _______.

a. was happier and better-behaved

b. received more praise from his teachers

c. was willing to follow suggestions

d. made rapid progress in study

e. would say sweet words to please her

A．a, b, c

B．a, c, e

C．b, d, e

D．c, d, e小题4:What message does the author intend to deliver in the article?

A．We should not judge people by their appearance.

B．Life is full of possibilities when we are young.

C．It’s beneficial to try different things in our lives.

D．What we wear could help shape who we are inside.