阅读理解。
There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to paint the most beautiful picture
in the world on the wall of his palace.
So the king said,"All right,you may work on one of the walls in the new hall."
Just then,another artist said, "Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make
exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover,I shall do so without looking
at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so
that either of us cannot see the other."
Everyone in the king's court,including the king and the first artist was intrigued. So the king
decided to give the second artist a chance.
The following day,a thick curtain was put in place and both the artists got to work. The first
artist brought a regular supply of paint,oil and water. But the second one would come with a cloth
and a bucket of water every day.
A month later the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.
So the king sent a message to the second artist,saying he was coming to see their works that
evening.
After seeing the first artist's wall,the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him
a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked some people to remove the curtain.
The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first
wall. But the second artist had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.
The king gave the second artist a double reward,and then asked,"I am indeed very happy with
your work. But how did you do it?"
The man said simply,"It's very easy!I just polished(擦亮) the wall every day!"
It was a wall made of white marble(大理石)! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror.
The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!
1. A thick curtain was put up between the two walls to ________.
A. help them concentrate on their works
B. keep the first artist's painting secret
C. prevent their paintings from being seen by the king
D. make it hard for them to exchange ideas
2. Why did the king give the second artist more money?
A. He promised to give him a reward.
B. His painting was the best ever seen.
C. He painted better than the first artist.
D. The king thought he was very clever.
3. How was the king feeling when he saw the second wall?
A. Satisfied and curious.
B. Fascinated(着迷的) and doubtful.
C. Surprised and excited.
D. Delighted and excited.
4. The best title of the text is "________".
A. Two Artists
B. A King Who Loved Art
C. Whose Painting Is Better
D. The Paintings on the Wall
