单选题Lack government support, they had to approach sponsors, organizers, and musicians on their own — at first, she claims, in her country.ALacksBLackedCLackingDA lack of
单选题
Lack government support, they had to approach sponsors, organizers, and musicians on their own — at first, she claims, in her country.
A
Lacks
B
Lacked
C
Lacking
D
A lack of
参考解析
解析：
结构应用题。句意：她说在她的国家开始由于因为缺少政府的支持，她们不得不自己去接触一些赞助商，组织者和音乐家。第一个逗号表示的应是原因状语从句，其逻辑主语又和主句主语一致，因此应是动词现在分词形式构成的状语从句；所以C为答案。
相关考题：
Last week Polly decided to give up her job. She is fed up with it, she finds it boring and she wants to change her career. Her employers, 慙ucky Shops? are not too bad. They give her quite good benefits, such as free lunches and paid holidays, but she does not get on with her boss. Her salary is quite good, but, because she is not happy, she wants to look for something else. Last Saturday she talked about it with David and Xiaoyan. They agreed with her. They said she should resign and try another career, so she took action. She looked at advertisements in the paper and picked out three jobs that looked interesting. She had to write out her CV to apply for a job, and she did that on Wednesday evening. Xiaoyan helped her with it. She has a lot of experience of selling and good business training but is worried about her lack of experience in some areas.(1). Polly has decided to ask for a higher salary.A、 RightB、Wrong(2). She doesn’t like her boss.A、 RightB、Wrong(3). Her friends agreed that she should resign.A、 RightB、Wrong(4). She has experience of teaching.A、 RightB、Wrong(5). She’s worried about her lack of experience in some areas.A、 RightB、Wrong
Last week Polly decided to give up her job. She is fed up with it, she finds it boring and she wants to change her career. Her employers,‘Lucky Shops'，are not too bad. They give her quite good benefits，such as free lunches and paid holidays, but she does not get on with her boss. Her salary is quite goad, but，because she is not happy, she wants to lank far something else. Last Saturday she talked about it with David and Xiaoyan. They agreed with her. They said she should resign and try another career, so she took action. She lacked at advertisements in the paper and picked out three jabs that looked interesting. She had to write out her GV to apply for a jab, and she did that an Wednesday evening. Xiaayan helped her with it. She has a lot of experience of selling and goad business training but is worried about her lack of experience in some areas.1. Polly has decided to ask for a higher salary.A. RightB. Wrong2. She doesn't like her bass.A. RightB. Wrong3. Her friends agreed that she should resign.A. RightB. Wrong4. She has no experience of selling.A. RightB. Wrong5. She's worried about her lack of experience in same areas.A. RightB. Wrong
The workers who brought the girl to the orphanage(孤儿院)knew little about her. The streets where they found her had been her home for many years. Her parents were unknown. They left her long ago. At the orphanage, the girl, like all the children there, was taught to read and write. While she was studying at the orphanage, she learned something else-to be independent. At twenty-one，she left the orphanage and began work as a secretary. And then，in 1975, while she was still working as an ordinary secretary, something special happened. She entered the Miss Hong Kong competition and won it. This was the turning point in her life. Now her name, Mary Cheung, was known to everybody. Mary entered the competition because she wanted to show that orphanage girls could be something. Winning the competition gave her the chance to start a new life. This led her first into television and then into business as a manager. When she was working as a manager, she had trouble with her reports. “My English just wasn't good enough.” she says. Luckily, she had a boyfriend (who later became her husband) to help her. Mary studied management at Hong Kong Polytechnic and graduated in 1980. She started her own business in 1985. But she did not stop developing herself. She then studied at the University of Hong Kong. Since 1987, she had spent a lot of time on photography. She has held several exhibitions of her work in many places-China, New Zealand and Paris. She still found time, however, to work on TV, write for newspapers and bring up her family. The girl from the street has come a long way, but her journey is not finished yet.(1).Before Mary Cheung was brought to the orphanage，she had lived in the streets for many years.A.TB.F(2).The sentence "orphanage girls could be something" means that orphanage girls could be popular and successful.A.TB.F(3).Her life changed in 1985.A.TB.F(4).This passage is probably taken from a novel.A.TB.F(5).Mary's boyfriend was good at English.A.TB.F
Mary Cochran went out of therooms she lived with her father, Doctor Lester Cochran, at seven o' clock on aSunday evening. It was June of the year nineteen hundred and eight, and Marywas eighteen years old. She walked along Tremont to Main Street and across the railroadtracks toUpper Main, lined with small shopsand shabby houses, a rather quiet cheerless place on Sunday when there were fewpeople about. She had toldher father she was going to church but did notintend anything of the kind. She did not know what she wanted todo. "T' II get offby myself andthink," she told herself as she walked slowly along. The night,she thought, promised to be too fine to be spent sitting in a church andhearing aman talk of things that had apparently nothing to do with her ownproblem. Her own affairs were approaching a crisis, and it was time for hertobegin thinking seriously of her future.The thoughtful serious stateof mind in which Mary found herself had been induced in her by a conversationshe had with her father on the eveningbefore. Without any preliminary talk andquite suddenly and abruptly, he had told her that he was a victim of heartdisease and might die at anymoment. He had made the announcement as they stoodtogether in his office, behind which were the rooms in which the father anddaughter lived.45. What did she intend to do that night?A. She decided to go to church.B. She decided not to think aboutthe problem.C. She decided to talk over theproblem with her father.D. She had no intention of goingto church.46. What was the cause of Mary' S seriousstate of mind?A. Concern about her future.B. Her talk with her father.C. Worry about her sudden heart attack.D. Going to church made her worry.47. Where did Mary live?A. In the same building as herfather' s office.B. Near the church.C. In a shabby house as her father' soffice.D. She lived in a small shop.48. What was Dr. Cochran' S condition?A. He had a serious heartbreak.B. He had light heart trouble.C. He had a fatal heart disease.D. He had a bad cold.
She felt suitably humble just as she _______ when he had first taken a good look at her city self, hair waved and golden, nails red and pointed.A hadB had hadC would have hadD has had
共用题干第三篇Karen Rusa was a 30-year-old woman and the mother of four children. For the past several months Karen had been experiencing repetitive thoughts that centered around her children's safety. She frequently found herself imagining that a serious accident had occurred;she was unable to put these thoughts out of her mind.On one such occasion she imagined that her son,Alan,had broken his leg playing football at school. There was no reason to believe that an accident had occurred,but she kept thinking about the possibility until she finally called the school to see if Alan was all right. Even after receiving their assurance that he had not been hurt,she described herself as being somewhat surprised when he later arrived home unharmed.Karen also noted that her daily routine was seriously hampered by an extensive series of counting work that she performed throughout each day.Specific numbers come to have a special meaning to her;she found that her preoccupation with these numbers was interfering with her ability to perform everyday activities.One example was grocery shopping. Karen believed that if she selected the first item,some dreadful thing would happen to her first child, if she selected the second item,some unknown disaster wonld fall on her second child, and so on for the four children.Karen's preoccupation with numbers extended to other activities, most notable the pattern in which she smoked cigarettes and drank coffee.If she had one cigarette, she believed that she had to smoke at least four in a row or one of her children would be harmed in some way. If she drank one cup of coffee,she felt compelled to drink four. Karen acknowledged the unreasonableness of these rules,but,nevertheless,maintained that she felt more comfortable,when she observed them earnestly.When she was occasionally in too great a hurry to observe these rules, she experienced considerable anxiety in the form of a subjective feeling of dread and fear. She described herself as tense,uneasy and unable to relax during these periods.The author used the example of the grocery shopping to______.A:demonstrates her children's safety was closely related to the item she selected in the storeB:account for Karen's inability to perform everyday activitiesC:show how specific numbers were related to the safety of her childrenD:further explains that Karen was suffering from a psychological illness
共用题干第三篇Karen Rusa was a 30-year-old woman and the mother of four children. For the past several months Karen had been experiencing repetitive thoughts that centered around her children's safety. She frequently found herself imagining that a serious accident had occurred;she was unable to put these thoughts out of her mind.On one such occasion she imagined that her son,Alan,had broken his leg playing football at school. There was no reason to believe that an accident had occurred,but she kept thinking about the possibility until she finally called the school to see if Alan was all right. Even after receiving their assurance that he had not been hurt,she described herself as being somewhat surprised when he later arrived home unharmed.Karen also noted that her daily routine was seriously hampered by an extensive series of counting work that she performed throughout each day.Specific numbers come to have a special meaning to her;she found that her preoccupation with these numbers was interfering with her ability to perform everyday activities.One example was grocery shopping. Karen believed that if she selected the first item,some dreadful thing would happen to her first child, if she selected the second item,some unknown disaster wonld fall on her second child, and so on for the four children.Karen's preoccupation with numbers extended to other activities, most notable the pattern in which she smoked cigarettes and drank coffee.If she had one cigarette, she believed that she had to smoke at least four in a row or one of her children would be harmed in some way. If she drank one cup of coffee,she felt compelled to drink four. Karen acknowledged the unreasonableness of these rules,but,nevertheless,maintained that she felt more comfortable,when she observed them earnestly.When she was occasionally in too great a hurry to observe these rules, she experienced considerable anxiety in the form of a subjective feeling of dread and fear. She described herself as tense,uneasy and unable to relax during these periods.Which of the following solutions could most probably cure Karen of the illness?A:Her children were all right. B:She stopped counting numbers.C:She consulted a psychoanalyst. D:She quit smoking.
共用题干第三篇Karen Rusa was a 30-year-old woman and the mother of four children. For the past several months Karen had been experiencing repetitive thoughts that centered around her children's safety. She frequently found herself imagining that a serious accident had occurred;she was unable to put these thoughts out of her mind.On one such occasion she imagined that her son,Alan,had broken his leg playing football at school. There was no reason to believe that an accident had occurred,but she kept thinking about the possibility until she finally called the school to see if Alan was all right. Even after receiving their assurance that he had not been hurt,she described herself as being somewhat surprised when he later arrived home unharmed.Karen also noted that her daily routine was seriously hampered by an extensive series of counting work that she performed throughout each day.Specific numbers come to have a special meaning to her;she found that her preoccupation with these numbers was interfering with her ability to perform everyday activities.One example was grocery shopping. Karen believed that if she selected the first item,some dreadful thing would happen to her first child, if she selected the second item,some unknown disaster wonld fall on her second child, and so on for the four children.Karen's preoccupation with numbers extended to other activities, most notable the pattern in which she smoked cigarettes and drank coffee.If she had one cigarette, she believed that she had to smoke at least four in a row or one of her children would be harmed in some way. If she drank one cup of coffee,she felt compelled to drink four. Karen acknowledged the unreasonableness of these rules,but,nevertheless,maintained that she felt more comfortable,when she observed them earnestly.When she was occasionally in too great a hurry to observe these rules, she experienced considerable anxiety in the form of a subjective feeling of dread and fear. She described herself as tense,uneasy and unable to relax during these periods.The main idea of the passage is to______.A:describe a woman who suffered from a psychological diseaseB:warn the readers against any imaginationC:explain the reason why Karen had such fanciful thoughtsD:present a case for the readers to study
Mary was frustrated by the lack of appreciation shown of her work.A:puzzled B:disturbedC:disappointed D:criticized
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great amhition:to De the lucky?customer who did not have to pay for her shopping.For this was what the notice just inside the?entrance promised.It said:"Remember,once a week,one of our customers gets free goods.This?May Be Your Lucky Day!"For several weeks Mrs.Edwards hoped,like ninny of her friends,to be the lucky customer.Unlike her friends,she never gave up hoping.The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which?she did not need.Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed.She dreamed of?the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say:"Madam,this is Your Lucky Day.Everything in your basket is free."One Friday morning,after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car,she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea.She dashed back to the supermarket,got the tea and went towards the cash-desk.As she did so,she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her."Madam,"he said,holding out his hand,"I want to congratulate you!You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"Mrs.Edwards__________.A.is always very luckyB.had no friendsC.hoped to get free shoppingD.gets disappointed easily
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great amhition:to De the lucky?customer who did not have to pay for her shopping.For this was what the notice just inside the?entrance promised.It said:"Remember,once a week,one of our customers gets free goods.This?May Be Your Lucky Day!"For several weeks Mrs.Edwards hoped,like ninny of her friends,to be the lucky customer.Unlike her friends,she never gave up hoping.The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which?she did not need.Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed.She dreamed of?the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say:"Madam,this is Your Lucky Day.Everything in your basket is free."One Friday morning,after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car,she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea.She dashed back to the supermarket,got the tea and went towards the cash-desk.As she did so,she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her."Madam,"he said,holding out his hand,"I want to congratulate you!You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"Mrs.Edwards went back to the supermarket quickly because she had to__A.buy another thingB.talk to the managerC.pay for her shoppingD.find her shopping
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great amhition:to De the lucky?customer who did not have to pay for her shopping.For this was what the notice just inside the?entrance promised.It said:"Remember,once a week,one of our customers gets free goods.This?May Be Your Lucky Day!"For several weeks Mrs.Edwards hoped,like ninny of her friends,to be the lucky customer.Unlike her friends,she never gave up hoping.The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which?she did not need.Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed.She dreamed of?the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say:"Madam,this is Your Lucky Day.Everything in your basket is free."One Friday morning,after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car,she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea.She dashed back to the supermarket,got the tea and went towards the cash-desk.As she did so,she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her."Madam,"he said,holding out his hand,"I want to congratulate you!You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"Mrs.Edwards must have beenA.pleasedB.delightedC.proudD.disappointed
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great amhition:to De the lucky?customer who did not have to pay for her shopping.For this was what the notice just inside the?entrance promised.It said:"Remember,once a week,one of our customers gets free goods.This?May Be Your Lucky Day!"For several weeks Mrs.Edwards hoped,like ninny of her friends,to be the lucky customer.Unlike her friends,she never gave up hoping.The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which?she did not need.Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed.She dreamed of?the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say:"Madam,this is Your Lucky Day.Everything in your basket is free."One Friday morning,after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car,she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea.She dashed back to the supermarket,got the tea and went towards the cash-desk.As she did so,she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her."Madam,"he said,holding out his hand,"I want to congratulate you!You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!"The housewives learnt about the information of free goodsA.on TVB.from the managerC.at the supermarketD.from the newspaper
共用题干Helen and MartinWith a thoughtful sigh,Helen turned away from the window and walked back to her favourite armchair.______(1) her brother never arrive?For a brief moment,she wondered if she really cared that much.Over the years Helen had given______(2) waiting for Martin to take an interest in her.Her feelings for him had gradually______(3) until now,as she sat waiting for him,she experienced no more than a sister's ______(4) to see what had ______(5) of her brother.Almost without______(6) ,Martin had lost his job with a busy publishing company after spending the last eight years in New York as a key figure in the US office.Somehow the two of them hadn't______(7) to keep in touch and,left alone,Helen had slowly found her______(8) in her own judgment growing.______(9) the wishes of her parents,she had left university halfway______(10) her course and now,to the astonishment of the whole family,she was______(11) a fast-growing reputation in the pages of respected art magazines and was actually earning enough to live______(12) from her paintings.Of course,she______(13) no pleasure in Martin's sudden misfortune,but she couldn't______(14) looking forward to her brother's arrival with______(15) satisfaction at what she had achieved.8._________A:dependenceB:confidenceC:certaintyD:courage
共用题干Pop Music in AfricaYoung musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music.The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today,such as hip-hop,rap,rock,jazz,or reggae.The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world,but at the same time is distinctly African.It is different also in another way:Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today.Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians.He grew up in Nairobi,Kenya,in a family of musicians.As a teenager,he listened to pop music from the United States,and later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.Now he has produced a CD in Kenya.Eric's most popular song,“Land of‘A Little Something'”is about Kenya's problem of bribery,or paying others for illegal favors.He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to make Kenya a better place to live.Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga from Tanzania.Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women.At the age of fifteen she lost her home,but she was luckier than other homeless young people.She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street.By the time she was eighteen years old,she had become a star.Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania,especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.Baaba Maal,from Senegal,also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment.He says that in Senegal,storytellers have always been important people.In the past,they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive.Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility.They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better.The words of his songs are important,in fact.They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans,as well as the rights of women,love for one's family, and saving the environment.One of South Africa's most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie.She is sometimes com-pared to Madonna,the American pop star,because she likes to shock people in her shows.But she also likes to make people think.She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid.Now that apartheid has ended,her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life.To sing about these,she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.In recent years,people outside of Africa have also begun to listen to these young musicians.Through music,the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and,at the same time,influencing the rest of the world.Witness Mwaijaga writes about the problem of women partly because______.A:she has had a difficult life herselfB:there are many problems in TanzaniaC:she has had an easy life herselfD:there are no other women singers
共用题干Pop Music in AfricaYoung musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music.The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today,such as hip-hop,rap,rock,jazz,or reggae.The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world,but at the same time is distinctly African.It is different also in another way:Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today.Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians.He grew up in Nairobi,Kenya,in a family of musicians.As a teenager,he listened to pop music from the United States,and later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.Now he has produced a CD in Kenya.Eric's most popular song,“Land of‘A Little Something'”is about Kenya's problem of bribery,or paying others for illegal favors.He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to make Kenya a better place to live.Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga from Tanzania.Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women.At the age of fifteen she lost her home,but she was luckier than other homeless young people.She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street.By the time she was eighteen years old,she had become a star.Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania,especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.Baaba Maal,from Senegal,also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment.He says that in Senegal,storytellers have always been important people.In the past,they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive.Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility.They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better.The words of his songs are important,in fact.They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans,as well as the rights of women,love for one's family, and saving the environment.One of South Africa's most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie.She is sometimes com-pared to Madonna,the American pop star,because she likes to shock people in her shows.But she also likes to make people think.She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid.Now that apartheid has ended,her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life.To sing about these,she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.In recent years,people outside of Africa have also begun to listen to these young musicians.Through music,the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and,at the same time,influencing the rest of the world.The musicians mentioned in this passage all______.A:write about serious problemsB:studied in the United StatesC:lost their homes at a young ageD:write songs in a new pop style
Shelly had prepared carefully for her biology examination so that she could be sure of passing it on her first endeavor.A: intentionB: attemptC: purposeD: desire
Shelly had prepared carefully for her biology examination so that she could be sure of passing it on her first endeavor .A: intentionB: attemptC: purposeD: desire
Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States，yet she had only just begun painting in her late seventies.As she once said of herself：“I would never sit back in a rocking-chair，waiting for someone to help me.”She was born on a farm in New York State.At twelve she left home and was in a service until at twenty-seven，she married Thomas Moses，the tenant of hers.They farmed most of their lives.She had ten children，of whom five survived;her husband died in 1928.Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery pictures as a hobby，but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time.Her pictures were first sold at an exhibition，and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted.Three of the pictures were shown in the Museum of Modern Art，and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York.Between the 1930‘s and her death she produced some 2，000 pictures：careful and lively pictures of the country life she had known，with a wonderful sense of color and form.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage A.Grandma MosesB.The Children of Grandma MosesC.Grandma Moses：Her Best PicturesD.Grandma Moses and Her First Exhibition
阅读下列短文，然后根据短文的內容從每小题的四个选项中选出可填入相应空白处的最佳选择，并把它前面的大写字母填入左边括号里。AGrandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States，yet she had only just begun painting in her late seventies．As she once said of herself：“I would never sit back in a rocking-chair，waiting for someone to help me．”She was born on a farm in New York State．At twelve she left home and was in a service until at twenty-seven，she married Thomas Moses，the tenant of hers．They farmed most of their lives．She had ten children，of whom five survived；her husband died in 1928．Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery pictures as a hobby，but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time．Her pictures were first sold at an exhibition，and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painteD．Three of the pictures were shown in the Museum of Modern Art，and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York．Between the 1930‘s and her death she produced some 2，000 pictures：careful and lively pictures of the country life she had known，with a wonderful sense of color and form．（）Which of the following would be the best title for the passage A.Grandma MosesB.The Children of Grandma MosesC.Grandma Moses：Her Best PicturesD.Grandma Moses and Her First Exhibition
单选题What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola?AIt had caused embarrassment to the British government.BIt had greatly promoted her popularity.CIt had brought her closer to the ordinary people.DIt had affected her relations with the British government.
单选题The party’s reduced vote was ______ of lack of support for its policies.AindicativeBpositiveCrevealingDevident
单选题Lack government support, they had to approach sponsors, organizers, and musicians on their own — at first, she claims, in her country.ALacksBLackedCLackingDA lack of
单选题No sooner had Elizabeth accepted the job to teach AP biology at her daughter’s private school but her former boss persuaded her to return to work at the laboratory.Abut her former boss persuaded her to returnBhowever she was persuaded by her former boss that she shouldCbut her former boss had her persuaded into returningDwhen she was persuaded to return by her former bossEthan her former boss persuaded her to return
单选题______ her pen in ink, when she heard the tramping of little feet along the hall, and then a pounding at her door.ANo sooner has she dippedBScarcely had she dippedCAs soon as she had dippedDHardly she has dipped
单选题By no means _____ to her parents.Athis is the first time has she liedBthis is the first time does she tell a lieCis this the first time she has liedDis this the first time she was lying
问答题Practice 7 When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true, too. She had a little thin face and a little thin body, thin light hair and a sour expression. Her hair was yellow, and her face was yellow because she had been born in India and had always been ill in one way or another. Her father had held a position under the English Government and had always been busy and ill himself, and her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people. She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who was made to understand that if she wished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as much as possible. So when she was a sickly, fretful, ugly little baby she was kept out of the way, and when she became a sickly, fretful, toddling thing she was kept out of the way also. She never remembered seeing familiarly anything but the dark faces of her Ayah and the other native servants. And as they always obeyed her and gave her her own way in everything, because the Mem Sahib would be angry if she was disturbed by her crying, by the time she was six years old she was as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived. The young English governess who came to teach her to read and write disliked her so much that she gave up her place in three months, and when other governesses came to try to fill it they always went away in a shorter time than the first one. So if Mary had not chosen to really want to know how to read books she would never have learned her letters at all.