克里斯蒂娜·朗德奎斯特/KristeLundquist
In1949yparentsadethebigovefroRockford,Illois,toSouthernCalifornia,alongwiththreeverytychildrenandalltheirhoeholdpossessions.Myotherhadcarefullyedandpackedanypreciofailyheirloos,cdgfourcartonsofherother’shand-pateddnercha.Grandotherhadpatedthislovelysetherself,choosgafet--notpattern.
Unfortunately,sothghappeneddurgtheove.Oneboxofthechadidn’takeit.Itneverarrivedatournewhoe.Soyotherhadonlythree-quartersoftheset—shehadptesofdifferentsizesandspieces,butissgwerethecupsandsaucersandthebowls.OftenatfailygathergsorwhenwewouldallsitdownforaThanksgivgorChristasdner,yotherwouldsaysothgabouttheissgchaandhowshewishedithadsurvivedthetrip.
Whenyotherdied1983,IheritedGrandother’scha.I,too,edthesetonanyspecialoasions,andI,too,wonderedwhathadhappeotheissgbox.
Ilovetoprowlantiqueshopsandfleaarkets,huntgfortreasures.It’sgreatfuntowalkupanddowntheaislesearlythe,watchgasthevendorsspreadtheirwaresontheground.
Ihadn’tbeentoafleaarketoverayearwhen,oneSunday1993,Igottheitchtogo.SoIcrawledoutofbedat5A.M.anddroveanhourthepredawndarkothegiantRoseBowlFleaMarketPasadena.Iwalkedupanddowdooraisles,andafteraupleofhoursIwasthkgaboutleavg.IrouhestrnerandtookafewstepsdowntherowwhenInoticedsochastrewnontheacada.Isawthatitwashand-patedcha...withfet--nots!Iracedovertolookatitorecloselyandggerlypickedupacupandsaucer...fet--nots!ExactlylikeGrandother’scha,withthesadelicatestrokesandthesathgoldbandsaroundtheris.Ilookedattherestoftheites—therewerethecups!Thesaucers!Thebowls!ItwasGrandother’scha!
Thedealerhadnoticedyext,andwhenshecaoverItoldherthestoryoftheissgbox.ShesaidthechahadefroaesalePasadena—theownoverfroArcadia,wherewehadlivedwhenIwasachild.Whenshewasgogthroughthesoftheestate,shehadfoundanoldunopenedcartonstoredthegardenshed,andthechawasit.Shequeshoheheirsaboutthechaandtheysaidthattheyknewnothgaboutit,thattheboxhadbeentheshed“forever.”
IlefttheRoseBowlFleaMarketthatdaydenwithyaazgtreasure.Evennow,sixyearster,Iafilledwithwohat“allthepiecestheuniverse”tubledtogethertoletfdtheissgcha.WhatwouldhavehappenedifIhadslept?WhatgavetheitchtogototheRoseBowlonthatparticurday?WhatifIhadn’tturhatstrner,choosgsteadtoleaveayachgfeet?
LastweekIhadadnerpartyforfifteenfriends.WeedGrandother’scha.Andattheendoftheal,Iproudlyservedffeethosebeautifulcupsandsaucersthathadbeenissgforsolong.
1949年，父母带着我们3个年幼的孩子，从伊利诺伊州的罗克福德搬到了很远的加州南部。母亲把许多珍贵的传家之物小心翼翼地包裹起来，其中包括祖母留下来的4箱手绘瓷器餐具。祖母选用了“勿忘我”的图案，并亲手绘制在了这些瓷器上。
遗憾的是，在搬家的时候发生了一些意外，其中一箱瓷器没能运到新家，此后也没有再找到。因此，母亲失去了那些茶杯、茶托和碗，只剩下3箱大小不一的盘子和一些其他小餐具。在家庭聚会、感恩节或圣诞节大餐时，母亲就会怀念起丢失的瓷器，并说她是多么希望那箱瓷器能够在搬运时平安到达。
1983年，母亲去世了，我继承了祖母的瓷器。就像母亲一样，我会在许多特别的场合拿出来使用，并一直想搞清楚，那箱丢失的瓷器到底发生了什么事情。
我非常喜欢到古董店和跳蚤市场去搜寻宝贝。清晨，去走道里转转，看着小贩们把瓷器摆出来，那真是一种很大的乐趣。
我已经一年多没去逛跳蚤市场了，1993年的星期天，我忽然想去转转。早上5点，我从**爬了起来，在黎明之前，摸着黑开了一个小时的车，到了位于帕萨迪纳的非常大的“玫瑰碗”跳蚤市场。在市场的走道里，我转了几个小时，然后打算离去，在转过最后的一个拐角往前走了几步后，我注意到了碎石路上摆着的几件瓷器。那些是手绘的瓷器，画着“勿忘我”的图案。于是，我跑上前去，拿起一个茶杯和一个茶托，放在眼前仔细看，那真的是“勿忘我”！精致的手法，还有描绘的金边，与祖母的瓷器一模一样。我又看了看其他瓷器，有茶杯、茶托，还有碗！这就是祖母的瓷器呀！
我的兴奋之情引起了卖主的注意，她走了过来，我把丢失的那箱瓷器的故事讲给她听。卖主说，她在帕萨迪纳购买了一处房产，就是在那里发现了这箱瓷器。帕萨迪纳是与阿卡迪亚相邻的一个小镇，我小时候就住在阿卡迪亚镇。卖主说，她在清理物品时，在花园的一个小屋里发现了这个密封的旧箱子，里面就装着这些瓷器。她向那处房产的继承人询问了此事，他们说那个箱子一直就在小屋里放着，并不知道那个箱子里装了什么、从何而来以及它的主人是谁。
带着这些令人惊异的宝贝，我离开了“玫瑰碗”跳蚤市场。6年后的今天，我对此事仍然感到惊奇，觉得这就是“一切机缘的巧合”才使我找回了丢失的瓷器。如果我那天赖床睡到很晚；如果那天我没有去“玫瑰碗”市场；如果我没有路过那个拐角，而是离开那里找个地方休息，那事情又会是怎样呢？
上个星期，我邀请了15位朋友到家里参加聚会，并把祖母的瓷器拿出来使用。用完餐，我用失去很久的茶杯和茶托为大家送上咖啡时，心中燃起了一种自豪感。
(1)ty?a.everythgthatexistsanywhere
(2)preciob.soonewhopurchasesandatasaoryofgoodstobesold
(3)dealerc.obviolyntrivedtochar
(4)universed.verysall
Write
TRUE?ifthestatentagreeswiththeration
FALSEifthestatentntradictstheration
_______(1)Thewriterhadfoursisters.
_______(2)Thewriterhadadnerpartyforfifteenfriends.
1.It’sgreatfunto_________theaislesearlythe,watchgasthevendorsspreadtheirwaresontheground.
清晨，去走道里转转，看着小贩们把瓷器摆出来，那真是一种很大的乐趣。
2.Ilovetoprowlantiqueshopsandfleaarkets,_________treasures.
我非常喜欢到古董店和跳蚤市场去搜寻宝贝。3.Thedealerhadnoticedyext,andwhenshe_________Itoldherthe
storyoftheissgbox.
我的兴奋之情引起了卖主的注意，她走了过来，我把丢失的那箱瓷器的故事讲给她听。
健忘的奶奶TheIceCreaGirl
佚名/Anonyo
Eleanordidn’tknowwhatwaswrongwithGranda.Shewasalwaysfettgthgs,likewheresheputthesugar,whentopayherbills,andwhattitobereadytobepickedupfroceryshoppg.
“What’swrongwithGranda?”Eleanorasked.“Sheedtobesuchady.Nowshelookssadandlostanddoesn’treberthgs.”
“Granda’sjtgettgold,”Mothersaid.“Sheneedsalotoflhtnow,dear.”
“What’sitliketogetold?”Eleanorasked.“Doeseverybodyfetthgs?WillI?”“Noteveryohgswhentheygetold,Eleanor.WethkGrandaayhaveAlzheir’sdisease,andthatakesherfetore.Weayhavetoputheranursghotogetthepropercaresheneeds.”
“Oh,Mo!That’sterrible!She’llissherownlittlehoesouch,won’tshe?”
“Maybe,butthereisn’tuchelsewedo.She’llgetgoodcarethereandakesonewfriends.”
Eleanorlookedsorrowful.Shedidn’tliketheideaatall.
“wegoandseeheroften?”sheasked.“I’llisstalkgtoGranda,evenifshedoesfetthgs.”
“Wegoonweekends,”Motheranswered.“Wetakeherapresent.”“Likeicecrea?Grandalovesstrawberry,icecrea!”Eleanorsiled.
“Strawberryicecreaitis!”Mothersaid.
ThefirsttitheyvisitedGrandathenursgho,Eleanorwaocry.
“Mo,alostallofthepeoplearewheelchairs,”shesaid.
“Theyhavetobe.Otherwisethey’dfall,”Motherexped.“NowwhenyouseeGranda,sileandtellherhowniceshelooks.”
Grandasatallbyherselfaeroftherootheycalledthesunparlor.Shesatlookgoutatthetrees.
EleangedGranda.“Look,”shesaid,“webroughtyouapresent—yourfavorite,strawberryicecrea!”
GrandatooktheDixiecupandthespoonandbegagwithoutsaygaword.
“I’sureshe’senjoygit,dear,”Eleanor’sotherassuredher.
“Butshedoesn’tseetoknow.”Eleanorwasdisappoted.
“Youhavetogiveherti,”Mothersaid.“She’snewsurroundgs,andshehastoakeanadjtnt.”