My 14-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat at the same time at a second-hand clothing store. It had a black collar, delightful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label(标签)and a (an) ___21___price of $28.
We looked at ___22___, saying nothing, ___23___ John’s eyes shone. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular just then with___24___, but could ___25___several hundred dollars now.
John___26___the coat. He turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror with a serious, studied___27___that soon changed into a smile. The___28___was perfect. John wore the coat to school the next day and came home___29___ a big smile. “How did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They love it.” He said,___30___folding it over the chair and smoothing it flat.
Over the next few weeks, the___31___came over John. Quiet, reasoned discussion was ___32___argument. He became more thoughtful and eager to___33___ . “Good dinner, Mum,” he would say every evening. Once day when I suggested that he might start on homework before dinner, John said, “You are ___34___, and I guess I will.”
When I asked one of his teachers ___35___caused the changes, she said with laughter, “It must be his coat!” at the library, we ___36___ to meet a friend who had not seen our children for a long time. “ ___37___this be John?” he asked, looking up to John’s new height, assessing the cut of his coat, and extending his hand, one___38___to another.
John and I both knew we should never___39___a person’s clothes for the real person within them. As is know, what is on the inside should be ___40___ with what is on the outside.
21. A. unbelievable B. special C. reasonable D. average
22. A. the other B. others C. one another D. each other
23. A. therefore B. however C. thus D. but
24. A. teenagers B. people C. parents D. adults
25. A. spend B. cost C. pay D. take
26. A. touched B. held C. buttoned D. obtained
27. A. gesture B. expression C. attitude D. feeling
28. A. color B. fit C. price D. style
29. A. having B. showing C. behaving D. wearing
30. A. carefully B. carelessly C. patiently D. hurriedly
31. A. change B. satisfaction C. happiness D. generosity
32. A. because of B. aware of C .instead of D. apologize
33. A. regret B. please C. complain D. apologize
34. A. troublesome B. true C. right D. wrong
35. A. what B. how C. when D. that
36. A. decided B. came C. intended D. happened
37. A. Could B. Would C. Must D. Should
38. A. friend B. teacher C. gentleman D. fellow
39. A. watch B. mistake C. consider D. judge
40. A. compared B. connected C. combined D. matched