My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “Grandma, you are an antique (古董),” she said. “You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique.”
I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster’s Dictionary and read the definition (释义) to Jenny. I explained, “An antique is not only old, it’s an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,” I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. “They have to be handled (处理) carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify(合格) as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old.”
“I’m only 67,” I reminded Jenny.
We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from one aunt to another and finally to our family. “It’s very old,” I told Jenny. “I try to keep it polished (擦亮) and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques.”
There was a picture on the wall bought at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. “Now that’s an antique,” I said. “Over 100 years old.” Of course it was marked up and scratched (划伤，划破) and not in very good condition. “Sometimes age does that,” I told Jenny. “But the marks are good marks. They show living, being around. That’s something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become.” It was important that I believed this for my own self-worth.
Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn’t buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They’d been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They’d lasted through years and years. They could have been thrown away, or ignored, or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.
For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “I don’t have any antiques but you,” she said. Then her face brightened. “Could I take you to school for show and tell?”
“Only if I fit into your backpack,” I answered. And then Jenny’s antique lifted her up and embraced (拥抱) her in a hug that would last through the years.
59. Grandma read the definition of “antique” to Jenny in order to.
A. list all the important characteristics of antiques
B. tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques
C. change Jenny’s shallow understanding of antiques
D. express her disappointment at being called “antique”
60. Which of the following information did grandma convey (表达) to Jenny?
A. The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.
B. The marks on the picture showed its age and value.
C. There was usually a sad story behind an antique.
D. She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.
61. By saying “I don’t have any antiques but you” (Paragraph 7), Jenny probably meant_______.
A. grandma was a treasure to her B. antiques were rare and valuable
C. she had nothing but a few possessions D. grandma and antiques had a lot in common
62. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.
B. Jenny had a strong desire for grandma’s love.
C. Jenny was too young to know grandma’s humor.
D. Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.