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【阅读理解】Reading: The Clockmaker's Choice
Mara was a clockmaker in a small town.
She liked to work alone.
Her shop was old, and its walls seemed to constitute a museum of time.
Since childhood, she had been accustomed to the tick of gears.
That sound did not engross her.
It calmed her.
Her craft was contemporary, though her tools were not.
Externally, the shop looked plain.
Inside, it was an epitome of precision.
Every part was identifiable by shape and size.
A mistake in one small ion of metal could make the whole system fail.
She had one apprentice, Leo.
He was sophisticated and quick.
But he was also proud.
Regarding her slow methods, he often said, "You must multiply your output."
"Use machines."
"Otherwise, you will vanish."
He said this not with anger, but with righteous certainty.
Mara did not argue.
She would only say, "Each clock has a hidden law."
"That law must underlie every choice."
Leo would then sigh.
He wanted acclaim.
She wanted fulfillment.
By spring, a new factory opened nearby.
It was innovative and convenient.
Its products were cheap and available everywhere.
Potential buyers began to encroach on Mara's market.
Sales dropped.
A significant drop, in fact.
Sadly, this coincided with a rise in rent.
The factory's owner, Mr. Hale, came to see her.
He said, "I can augment your income."
"Just sell my clocks here."
"Besides, you can keep your workshop."
Mara saw the advantage.
But she also saw the risk.
To accept would entail a loss of autonomy.
She would become a mere consumer of his fashion.
She would no longer compose her own designs.
That thought made her ill at ease.
Then came the turn.
Leo left to work for Hale.
He took three of her best tools.
For a week, Mara felt prey to doubt.
The situation seemed grim.
But she did not give up.
She began to make one special clock.
It was not for mass sale.
It was for a discerning client who venerated old ways.
She used no plastic.
She used brass and steel.
She would linger over each detail.
She would glide her file along a gear until it was perfect.
Her hands would astound even herself.
The final piece was not just a clock.
It was a statement.
At the town fair, she displayed it.
A collector saw it and bid high.
He said, "This is not a product."
"It is a responsibility."
The sale gave her enough money to stay open.
She did not defeat Hale.
She did not wish to.
She simply chose a different orientation.
Her small victory was not about domination.
It was about duration.
A clock, she thought, must not only tell time.
It must also respect it.
And that, she concluded, was a valuable thing.
Questions
1. What did Leo do after leaving Mara's shop?
A. He opened his own factory. B. He became a clock collector. C. He went to work for Mr. Hale. D. He moved to another town.
2. Why did Mara refuse Mr. Hale's offer?
A. She thought his clocks were too expensive. B. She disliked Mr. Hale personally. C. She wanted to keep her independence in design. D. She planned to sell her shop anyway.
3. What does the word "venerated" in the passage mean?
A. Criticized strongly B. Respected deeply C. Copied exactly D. Ignored completely
4. What can be inferred about Mara's attitude toward success?
A. She believed mass production was the only way. B. She valued quality and autonomy over market dominance. C. She regretted not using machines earlier. D. She wanted to become richer than Mr. Hale.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The training of a young apprentice. B. How a factory owner helped a small business. C. The importance of using modern machines in clockmaking. D. A clockmaker's choice to stay true to her craft.