Notes on the text
課文注釋

1 a delicate shade of green，淡綠色。

2 If you were to ask，這里用was/were加動詞不定式來表示過去預計發生并且發生了的事情。

3 come into the possession of，占有，得到。

4 cure someone of…，治好某人的……。

5 on the spot，當??

6 put out，煩惱，不安，不高興。

7 out of stock，脫銷。

8 keep a straight face，板著面孔，一本正經。

參考譯文

我的堂兄哈里在他的書房里一直擺著一只形狀古怪的大瓶子。盡管那只瓶子呈淡綠色，但細心的客人很快就會發現瓶里裝的是一種看上去黏稠、顏色發灰的東西。要是你問哈里瓶里裝著什么，他會告訴你是香水泥。如果你表示懷疑或驚奇，他會立即請你聞一聞，然后取出一些抹在你的皮膚上。這一簡單的試驗會消除你可能存有的一切疑慮。瓶里裝的的確是香水泥。哈里是如何得到這種稀奇古怪的東西的，這里有個有趣的故事，而且他挺愛把它講給別人聽。此外，得到這瓶香水泥還治好了他多年的一個壞習慣。

哈里曾認為走進一家名貴化妝品商店，荒唐地提出要買一種根本不存在的商品是件很開心的事兒。他會當場編造出一些稀奇古怪的貨名。他走進商店后，會提出要一種名叫“香影”的新型香水或者什么“不溶浴皂”。要是女售貨員告訴他從未聽說過這些東西，他會裝出十分遺憾和不安的樣子。他愛聽售貨員說他想像出來的那種東西暫時脫銷，于是他就煞有介事地許諾改天再來光顧。當然，他再也不會來了。我實在想像不出哈里在這些表演中是怎樣裝出一本正經的樣子的。

毋須暗示哈里就會向你講起他買下那瓶珍貴香水泥的經過。一天，他去倫敦一家高級商店要買一種叫“密諾萊特”的東西，店員露出詫異的神色。哈里又慢慢地、一字一頓地說了一遍這個詞，那個女售貨員還是迷惑不解地搖了搖頭。哈里便進一步解釋“密諾萊特”是一種質地堅硬、狀似琥珀的東西，可以用來除去雀斑。他的解釋顯然對女售貨員有些啟示。她一個貨架接著一個貨架地尋找，拿出各種各樣稀奇古怪的化妝品，但沒有一樣能夠符合哈里的'要求。哈里裝出不高興的樣子時，女售貨員答應為他定貨。哈里為他的騙術而感到洋洋得意，又提出要買香水泥。他原想女售貨員會驚奇地望著他，不知所措，沒料到這回該輪到他自己吃驚了。因為那女售貨員聽完哈里的話后，馬上眼睛一亮，拿出幾瓶東西放在柜臺上讓哈里挑?９?鎦緩萌鮮洹Ｋ?舫鲆桓隹瓷先プ钚〉鈉孔櫻?魃韉匚柿思邸Ｋ?煨易約褐黃品蚜?0英鎊便得以脫身。他把那只寶貴的瓶子放在腋下夾著，溜之大吉。從那以后，他認識到自己發明的小小惡作劇是要付出很大代價的。在他書房的書柜里擺著的那瓶形狀古怪的香水泥就是他第一次也是最后一次購買的稀有化妝品。

Multiple choice questions
多項選擇題

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 The essence of the joke, from Harry's point of view, was that ______ .

a．he would take up the shop assistants' time without having to buy anything

b．he enjoyed inventing fanciful names for outlandish products

c．the shop assistants usually tried very hard not to disappoint him

d．he was amused at the idea that he knew something the shop assistants didn't

2 On Harry's visits to expensive cosmetics shops, he ______ .

a．always thought up a name for some nonexistent item before going into the shop

b．would walk out angrily if the assistant did not entertain his request

c．was delighted if the shop assistant believed the product actually existed

d．seldom bought the products he asked for as they were out of stock

3 When Harry was presented with several bottles of perfumed mud, he ______ .

a．was surprised, as he had only expected one such bottle to be produced

b．told the shop assistant he was defeated

c．felt obliged to offer twenty pounds for the smallest bottle

d．picked up the smallest bottle, hoping it wouldn't be too expensive

Structure 結構

4 The bottle is filled with what ______ a thick, greyish substance. (1. 4)

a．must be

b．seems to be

c．would be

d．would appear

5 He thought ______ funny to ask for goods that do not exist. (11. 12-13)

a．that was

b．it being

c．it

d．they were

6 He requested goods that do not exist, ______ he would invent names on the spot. (1. 13)

a．when

b．to which

c．for what

d．for which

7 He loved ______ that the product was out of stock. (11. 15-16)

a．when he was told

b．it when he was told

c．it to be told

d．that he was told

8 It was then that Harry decided the game he had invented might prove expensive and ______ since. (11. 30-31)

a．he has not played it

b．had not played it

c．he does not play it

d．did not play it

Vocabulary 詞匯

9 He likes to relate how he came into possession of this ______ stuff. (11. 9-10)

a．foreign

b．rural

c．weird

d．unlikely

10 This explanation evidently ______ something to the woman…(1. 23)

a．sensed

b．reminded

c．informed

d．meant

11 Harry put on his act of being ______ annoyed… (11. 24-25)

a．slightly

b．little

c．barely

d．grossly

12 He felt that for a mere twenty pounds, he had ______ . (11. 29-30)

a．got a real bargain

b．made a fortunate choice

c．little to lose

d．had a lucky escape