__________ of a word refers to those words that may express a positive or negative attitude or subde feelings towards something.

Thefashion industry blatantly pays attention to plus-size women. A good fitis everything,stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America'sfashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-citedstudy done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, foundthat 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger.
Thatfigure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold wasplus-size,according to NPD Group, another research firm.
Designersand retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk.Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they tend to bemore cautious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; highercosts for fabric cannot always be passed on to consumers.In turn, plus-sizewomen shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have moneybut nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called TrendyCurvy and has nearly 150000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
At last,that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion linesold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded theirplus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, adesigner, have done the same. In March, Nike extended its“X-sized”sportswear range. Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14%between 2013 and2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel.
Socialmedia has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashionbusiness, says Madeline Jones, editor and co-founder of PLUS Model Magazine.Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-sizeapparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but donot advertise them or display them on websites. Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix and Dia&Co,for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits.Tracy Reese,a designer known for creating Michelle Obama's dress for theDemocratic National Convention in2012, is one brand that recently enlistedGwynnie Bee's help to create a new plus-size collection.Gwynnie Bee promptedthe label to create bigger patterns and more appealing designs.
Not allplus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene,Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-sizeclothing sections poorly organized,badly stocked and dimly lit, if they stocklarger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a pinch ofsalt, says Ms. Thompson. "We're nowhere near where we should be but we'vemade progress," she says.
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?

Thefashion industry blatantly pays attention to plus-size women. A good fitis everything,stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America'sfashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-citedstudy done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, foundthat 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger.
Thatfigure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold wasplus-size,according to NPD Group, another research firm.
Designersand retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk.Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they tend to bemore cautious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; highercosts for fabric cannot always be passed on to consumers.In turn, plus-sizewomen shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have moneybut nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called TrendyCurvy and has nearly 150000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
At last,that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion linesold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded theirplus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, adesigner, have done the same. In March, Nike extended its“X-sized”sportswear range. Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14%between 2013 and2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel.
Socialmedia has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashionbusiness, says Madeline Jones, editor and co-founder of PLUS Model Magazine.Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-sizeapparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but donot advertise them or display them on websites. Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix and Dia&Co,for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits.Tracy Reese,a designer known for creating Michelle Obama's dress for theDemocratic National Convention in2012, is one brand that recently enlistedGwynnie Bee's help to create a new plus-size collection.Gwynnie Bee promptedthe label to create bigger patterns and more appealing designs.
Not allplus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene,Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-sizeclothing sections poorly organized,badly stocked and dimly lit, if they stocklarger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a pinch ofsalt, says Ms. Thompson. "We're nowhere near where we should be but we'vemade progress," she says.
Which of the following is not the reason why designers and retailers considerthe plus-size segment as high-risk?

Thefashion industry blatantly pays attention to plus-size women. A good fitis everything,stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America'sfashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-citedstudy done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, foundthat 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger.
Thatfigure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold wasplus-size,according to NPD Group, another research firm.
Designersand retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk.Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they tend to bemore cautious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; highercosts for fabric cannot always be passed on to consumers.In turn, plus-sizewomen shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have moneybut nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called TrendyCurvy and has nearly 150000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
At last,that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion linesold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded theirplus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, adesigner, have done the same. In March, Nike extended its“X-sized”sportswear range. Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14%between 2013 and2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel.
Socialmedia has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashionbusiness, says Madeline Jones, editor and co-founder of PLUS Model Magazine.Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-sizeapparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but donot advertise them or display them on websites. Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix and Dia&Co,for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits.Tracy Reese,a designer known for creating Michelle Obama's dress for theDemocratic National Convention in2012, is one brand that recently enlistedGwynnie Bee's help to create a new plus-size collection.Gwynnie Bee promptedthe label to create bigger patterns and more appealing designs.
Not allplus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene,Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-sizeclothing sections poorly organized,badly stocked and dimly lit, if they stocklarger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a pinch ofsalt, says Ms. Thompson. "We're nowhere near where we should be but we'vemade progress," she says.
Inthe sentence “At last, that is changing” in Paragraph 3, what does “that” referto?

Thefashion industry blatantly pays attention to plus-size women. A good fitis everything,stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America'sfashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-citedstudy done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, foundthat 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger.
Thatfigure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold wasplus-size,according to NPD Group, another research firm.
Designersand retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk.Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they tend to bemore cautious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; highercosts for fabric cannot always be passed on to consumers.In turn, plus-sizewomen shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have moneybut nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called TrendyCurvy and has nearly 150000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
At last,that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion linesold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded theirplus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, adesigner, have done the same. In March, Nike extended its“X-sized”sportswear range. Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14%between 2013 and2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel.
Socialmedia has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashionbusiness, says Madeline Jones, editor and co-founder of PLUS Model Magazine.Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-sizeapparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but donot advertise them or display them on websites. Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix and Dia&Co,for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits.Tracy Reese,a designer known for creating Michelle Obama's dress for theDemocratic National Convention in2012, is one brand that recently enlistedGwynnie Bee's help to create a new plus-size collection.Gwynnie Bee promptedthe label to create bigger patterns and more appealing designs.
Not allplus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene,Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-sizeclothing sections poorly organized,badly stocked and dimly lit, if they stocklarger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a pinch ofsalt, says Ms. Thompson. "We're nowhere near where we should be but we'vemade progress," she says.
Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Thefashion industry blatantly pays attention to plus-size women. A good fitis everything,stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America'sfashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-citedstudy done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, foundthat 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger.
Thatfigure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold wasplus-size,according to NPD Group, another research firm.
Designersand retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk.Predicting what these customers will buy can be difficult, as they tend to bemore cautious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; highercosts for fabric cannot always be passed on to consumers.In turn, plus-sizewomen shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have moneybut nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called TrendyCurvy and has nearly 150000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
At last,that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion linesold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded theirplus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, adesigner, have done the same. In March, Nike extended its“X-sized”sportswear range. Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14%between 2013 and2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel.
Socialmedia has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashionbusiness, says Madeline Jones, editor and co-founder of PLUS Model Magazine.Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-sizeapparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but donot advertise them or display them on websites. Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix and Dia&Co,for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits.Tracy Reese,a designer known for creating Michelle Obama's dress for theDemocratic National Convention in2012, is one brand that recently enlistedGwynnie Bee's help to create a new plus-size collection.Gwynnie Bee promptedthe label to create bigger patterns and more appealing designs.
Not allplus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene,Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-sizeclothing sections poorly organized,badly stocked and dimly lit, if they stocklarger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a pinch ofsalt, says Ms. Thompson. "We're nowhere near where we should be but we'vemade progress," she says.
Whatis Ms. Thompson's attitude toward the development of plus-size clothes?

--Howdo you know that Mary was angry?
--Icould tell_______her face.

--Thelatest film Justice League is coming soon, Mum.
--_______.You see, your SAT tests are around the comer.

Theway people work has changed. The increasing use of technology presents new and
continualchallenges to small and large businesses, employees and managers, teachers andstudents.Everyone, it seems, is being affected by the technological revolution.Store clerks, for example, now use increasingly complex computerized cash registers,while university professors must learn to adapt their teaching skills in orderto lead distance learning course.
Intoday's world, training and learning do not stop when we finish school; theymust now continue throughout our working lives. In the year 2010, the Hong Konggovernment conducted a survey on the employment concerns and training needs ofits workforce. For many managers and other professionals the biggest challenge,as well as change, in the workplace, was the increased use of computers andcomputerized machinery or equipment. Between 2008 and 2010, the need forexperienced employees who could use this kind of equipment rose drastically.Many of those in the workplace at this time experienced changes in jobrequirements and had to attend job-related training or re-training courses.
Thechanging work environment is also affecting education and how we learn. InFinland,a report on strategies for education and training in the informationage discussed the changing roles of both teacher and student. With theincreased use of technology and the growth of distance learning, the teacherhas become more of a tutor who guides a student, rather than a lecturer. Inturn,the student has to take more responsibility for his or her learning in theabsence of direct teacher
contact.The report also stressed that high school and university students should learncomputer skills in order to cope with the demands of the future workplace.
TheFinnish report also highlighted the need for teacher training, and re-training,and suggested that the salaries and job descriptions of teachers be reviewedbecause of future demands expected in their jobs. Previously universityprofessors may have held lectures between the weekday hours of 9:00 A.M. and5:00 P.M. in large halls filled with students. Now, they may spend part oftheir day lecturing larger groups of students on campus, and then conductafternoon or evening classes online,
withstudents in five different countries.
Astechnologies grow and develop, ongoing training will continue to be necessary.To be successful in the workplace, people will not stop learning when theyleave school--lifelong learning will become a way of life.
Which of the following can't be used to take the place of the underlined word “highlighted”inParagraph 4?

His_______in alcohol mined his whole life.

Mostof them know they should resist the temptation to spend more than they canearn, but knowing that isn't much help_______it comes to shopping online.

Everydream is a message from your unconscious self, expressed in a code which onlyyou can understand and interpret. The images, colors, moods, and terms of yourdreams depend on your culture, upbringing, slang and your own understanding ofthings and values. Dreaming is like looking into a mirror and seeing yourselfwith your own eyes.
The firstdreams which we have after falling asleep often revolve around the day'sevents. We go through them, sorting out and discarding things we don't need toremember and gaining insight into those we do. Often, we are inspired withsuggestions that we can use to remedy the situations that plague us by day. Aswe progress through the night's dreams, they may take up more fantastic qualities,offering fanciful experiences. These often pleasant images can relieve thestress of the day. But the dream we have just before the awakening oftencontains information the subconscious mind wants to make known to theconscious. And this information, if remembered, interpreted, and understood,can serve as an important tool in our lives.
Dependingupon the content, dreams can strike us with their peculiarity, or sometimeseven their alarming nature. Some dreams haunt us for years, not only because oftheir persistence, but also primarily because we cannot explain or understandthem. Other dreams stand out with weird mixture of images, emotions andcontext, which make us remember them for life. Recurring dreams are quitecommon, and we are facing the same problem over and over again. A recurringdream is often a sign of some emotional weakness in our nature, which causes usproblems over the years.
Luciddreams are rare, but they are all about people's ability to control theirdreams. In such a dream, the dreamer becomes consciously aware that he/she isdreaming and is able to use the memory and participate in dream actions and emotions.Lucid dreams are usually enhanced in a sensory and imaginary way, and sometimescan be accompanied by pleasant music. People can learn the techniques ofcontrolling their dreams. Some historic manuscripts and records say that theability to control dreams helps a person to reach a higher degree of minddevelopment. This is what some Tibetan Buddhists and Islam followers practicedfor the purpose of elevation in consciousness.
Theword “lucid” (Para.4) refers to_______.

Thedeserter was_______ of running away when the enemy attacked.

Which of the following statements is NOT a way of presenting new vocabulary?

Frenchmenattach great importance to education. They regard the cultivation of children asa social obligation. French education mixes warm romantic humor into itscareful and severe education. I have ever heard such a story:
It tookplace in an ordinary French family. One day, when the boy was playingbasketball,the ball hit a vase off the shelf with its mouth knocked off a largepiece. The vase was an antique handed down through generations from BourbonDynasty. To cover the great trouble, the boy glued the pieces together and putthe vase back to its place panic-stricken.
Thatevening his mother noticed the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked her boyif he had broken the vase. Being scared of punishment, the boy said by a suddeninspiration that a cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off theshelf. His mother was quite clear that her son waslying, for all the windowswere closed before her leaving. However, she just said that it seemed it washer carelessness not to have the window tightly closed.
Beforegoing to bed, the boy found a note on his bed, on which he was asked to go tothe study.The boy had thought he had gotten by under false pretences, but thenfelt he couldn't dodge the misfortune. Now that he had already lied, he made uphis mind no matter what his mother said, he would disavow to the end.
Onseeing her son enter in fear, his mother took out a chocolate box and gave onepiece of the chocolates to her son. "Baker, this chocolate is a reward foryou, for you created a cat with your special imagination." Then, she putanother chocolate in his hand. "This chocolate is a reward for yourability to restore. But the glue you used is for restoring paper materials; torestore a vase needs higher special technique. Tomorrow, let's bring the vaseto the artists to see how they make a
craftworkintact as it was." With that, she took the third chocolate. "The lastchocolate stands for my apology. I shouldn't have laid a vase in a place whereit could so easily fall down. I wish you hadn't been scared, my littlesweetheart."
"But,Mom, I ..." The boy tried to make something clear, but he awkwardlyuttered nothing but some words. "Our talk is over. Good night,Baker!" She gave a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of the study.
Thefollowing days were the same as before. The only change was that the boy hadnever told a lie since then.
Noscolding. It looks unimaginably queer. In fact, the three chocolates are thealarm in the boy's heart all the time. Sometimes, no punishment itself is akind of punishment.
What does the underlined word “dodge” in the 4th paragraph probably mean?

Frenchmenattach great importance to education. They regard the cultivation of children asa social obligation. French education mixes warm romantic humor into itscareful and severe education. I have ever heard such a story:
It tookplace in an ordinary French family. One day, when the boy was playingbasketball,the ball hit a vase off the shelf with its mouth knocked off a largepiece. The vase was an antique handed down through generations from BourbonDynasty. To cover the great trouble, the boy glued the pieces together and putthe vase back to its place panic-stricken.
Thatevening his mother noticed the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked her boyif he had broken the vase. Being scared of punishment, the boy said by a suddeninspiration that a cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off theshelf. His mother was quite clear that her son waslying, for all the windowswere closed before her leaving. However, she just said that it seemed it washer carelessness not to have the window tightly closed.
Beforegoing to bed, the boy found a note on his bed, on which he was asked to go tothe study.The boy had thought he had gotten by under false pretences, but thenfelt he couldn't dodge the misfortune. Now that he had already lied, he made uphis mind no matter what his mother said, he would disavow to the end.
Onseeing her son enter in fear, his mother took out a chocolate box and gave onepiece of the chocolates to her son. "Baker, this chocolate is a reward foryou, for you created a cat with your special imagination." Then, she putanother chocolate in his hand. "This chocolate is a reward for yourability to restore. But the glue you used is for restoring paper materials; torestore a vase needs higher special technique. Tomorrow, let's bring the vaseto the artists to see how they make a
craftworkintact as it was." With that, she took the third chocolate. "The lastchocolate stands for my apology. I shouldn't have laid a vase in a place whereit could so easily fall down. I wish you hadn't been scared, my littlesweetheart."
"But,Mom, I ..." The boy tried to make something clear, but he awkwardlyuttered nothing but some words. "Our talk is over. Good night,Baker!" She gave a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of the study.
Thefollowing days were the same as before. The only change was that the boy hadnever told a lie since then.
Noscolding. It looks unimaginably queer. In fact, the three chocolates are thealarm in the boy's heart all the time. Sometimes, no punishment itself is akind of punishment.
Howdid the boy feel when he found the note on his bed?

Frenchmenattach great importance to education. They regard the cultivation of children asa social obligation. French education mixes warm romantic humor into itscareful and severe education. I have ever heard such a story:
It tookplace in an ordinary French family. One day, when the boy was playingbasketball,the ball hit a vase off the shelf with its mouth knocked off a largepiece. The vase was an antique handed down through generations from BourbonDynasty. To cover the great trouble, the boy glued the pieces together and putthe vase back to its place panic-stricken.
Thatevening his mother noticed the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked her boyif he had broken the vase. Being scared of punishment, the boy said by a suddeninspiration that a cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off theshelf. His mother was quite clear that her son waslying, for all the windowswere closed before her leaving. However, she just said that it seemed it washer carelessness not to have the window tightly closed.
Beforegoing to bed, the boy found a note on his bed, on which he was asked to go tothe study.The boy had thought he had gotten by under false pretences, but thenfelt he couldn't dodge the misfortune. Now that he had already lied, he made uphis mind no matter what his mother said, he would disavow to the end.
Onseeing her son enter in fear, his mother took out a chocolate box and gave onepiece of the chocolates to her son. "Baker, this chocolate is a reward foryou, for you created a cat with your special imagination." Then, she putanother chocolate in his hand. "This chocolate is a reward for yourability to restore. But the glue you used is for restoring paper materials; torestore a vase needs higher special technique. Tomorrow, let's bring the vaseto the artists to see how they make a
craftworkintact as it was." With that, she took the third chocolate. "The lastchocolate stands for my apology. I shouldn't have laid a vase in a place whereit could so easily fall down. I wish you hadn't been scared, my littlesweetheart."
"But,Mom, I ..." The boy tried to make something clear, but he awkwardlyuttered nothing but some words. "Our talk is over. Good night,Baker!" She gave a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of the study.
Thefollowing days were the same as before. The only change was that the boy hadnever told a lie since then.
Noscolding. It looks unimaginably queer. In fact, the three chocolates are thealarm in the boy's heart all the time. Sometimes, no punishment itself is akind of punishment.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

Frenchmenattach great importance to education. They regard the cultivation of children asa social obligation. French education mixes warm romantic humor into itscareful and severe education. I have ever heard such a story:
It tookplace in an ordinary French family. One day, when the boy was playingbasketball,the ball hit a vase off the shelf with its mouth knocked off a largepiece. The vase was an antique handed down through generations from BourbonDynasty. To cover the great trouble, the boy glued the pieces together and putthe vase back to its place panic-stricken.
Thatevening his mother noticed the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked her boyif he had broken the vase. Being scared of punishment, the boy said by a suddeninspiration that a cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off theshelf. His mother was quite clear that her son waslying, for all the windowswere closed before her leaving. However, she just said that it seemed it washer carelessness not to have the window tightly closed.
Beforegoing to bed, the boy found a note on his bed, on which he was asked to go tothe study.The boy had thought he had gotten by under false pretences, but thenfelt he couldn't dodge the misfortune. Now that he had already lied, he made uphis mind no matter what his mother said, he would disavow to the end.
Onseeing her son enter in fear, his mother took out a chocolate box and gave onepiece of the chocolates to her son. "Baker, this chocolate is a reward foryou, for you created a cat with your special imagination." Then, she putanother chocolate in his hand. "This chocolate is a reward for yourability to restore. But the glue you used is for restoring paper materials; torestore a vase needs higher special technique. Tomorrow, let's bring the vaseto the artists to see how they make a
craftworkintact as it was." With that, she took the third chocolate. "The lastchocolate stands for my apology. I shouldn't have laid a vase in a place whereit could so easily fall down. I wish you hadn't been scared, my littlesweetheart."
"But,Mom, I ..." The boy tried to make something clear, but he awkwardlyuttered nothing but some words. "Our talk is over. Good night,Baker!" She gave a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of the study.
Thefollowing days were the same as before. The only change was that the boy hadnever told a lie since then.
Noscolding. It looks unimaginably queer. In fact, the three chocolates are thealarm in the boy's heart all the time. Sometimes, no punishment itself is akind of punishment.
Whatwould be the best title for the passage?

Frenchmenattach great importance to education. They regard the cultivation of children asa social obligation. French education mixes warm romantic humor into itscareful and severe education. I have ever heard such a story:
It tookplace in an ordinary French family. One day, when the boy was playingbasketball,the ball hit a vase off the shelf with its mouth knocked off a largepiece. The vase was an antique handed down through generations from BourbonDynasty. To cover the great trouble, the boy glued the pieces together and putthe vase back to its place panic-stricken.
Thatevening his mother noticed the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked her boyif he had broken the vase. Being scared of punishment, the boy said by a suddeninspiration that a cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off theshelf. His mother was quite clear that her son waslying, for all the windowswere closed before her leaving. However, she just said that it seemed it washer carelessness not to have the window tightly closed.
Beforegoing to bed, the boy found a note on his bed, on which he was asked to go tothe study.The boy had thought he had gotten by under false pretences, but thenfelt he couldn't dodge the misfortune. Now that he had already lied, he made uphis mind no matter what his mother said, he would disavow to the end.
Onseeing her son enter in fear, his mother took out a chocolate box and gave onepiece of the chocolates to her son. "Baker, this chocolate is a reward foryou, for you created a cat with your special imagination." Then, she putanother chocolate in his hand. "This chocolate is a reward for yourability to restore. But the glue you used is for restoring paper materials; torestore a vase needs higher special technique. Tomorrow, let's bring the vaseto the artists to see how they make a
craftworkintact as it was." With that, she took the third chocolate. "The lastchocolate stands for my apology. I shouldn't have laid a vase in a place whereit could so easily fall down. I wish you hadn't been scared, my littlesweetheart."
"But,Mom, I ..." The boy tried to make something clear, but he awkwardlyuttered nothing but some words. "Our talk is over. Good night,Baker!" She gave a soft kiss on his forehead and walked out of the study.
Thefollowing days were the same as before. The only change was that the boy hadnever told a lie since then.
Noscolding. It looks unimaginably queer. In fact, the three chocolates are thealarm in the boy's heart all the time. Sometimes, no punishment itself is akind of punishment.
Whatdoes the author intend to tell us?