第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从短文中所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Balzac was good at buying things at its lowest price. One day he wanted to buy a vase in a shop window that was much more expensive than he could offer. Not being able to make the shopkeeper cut down its price very much, he left without further talking. Collecting a half dozen of his friends, he explained his wish to them and they worked a plan. The first would enter the shop and make an offer, lower than the marked price. Not getting the vase at his price, he would walk out. Shortly after another would enter and ask for a price lower than the first. In this way, each of the others would offer a price lower than the one before, and the last of his friends made a great effort to attempt to get it at the lowest price. Before long Balzac himself would return, offer more than the last two or three persons made and trust to luck. The plan worked--- Balzac got the vase at his price!
41．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．vase in the window was placed much higher than Balzac could reach.
B．At first the price of the vase was much higher than Balzac could offer.
C．Balzac always wanted to buy a vase that was much more expensive than he could pay
D．Balzac was very poor. He couldn’t buy the vase at a high price.
42．How many friends did Balzac gather?
A．Six          B．Twelve          C．Ten         D．Five
43．Who asked for the lowest price?
A．The first one.    B．The second one.     C．The last of his friends.   D．Balzac.
44．What kind of person does the writer try to tell us about Balzac and his friends?
A．Unkind      B．Dishonest     C．Selfish      D．Clever