Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But from time to time, he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival(竞争对手). Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”
George and Richard were ________ at school.

A．competitors	B．good friends
C．roommates	D．booksellers

How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?

A．He envied Richard’s marriage.

B．He felt lucky with no rival in town.

C．He was guilty of Richard’s death.

D．He thought of Richard from time to time.

George got information about Richard from ________.

A．a dictionary collector in Australia

B．the latter’s rivals Dylans

C．the wrapping paper of a book

D．a rare first edition of a dictionary

What happened to George and Richard in the end?

A．Both George and Richard became millionaires.

B．Both of them realized their original dreams.

C．Richard became very rich while George had no great success.

D．George established a successful business while Richard was missing.