They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded(嵌满) trunks dotted around the UK’s woodland. The strange phenomenon of old trees with coins fixed firmly all over their bark has been spotted on trails from the Peak District to the Scottish Highlands. The coins are usually knocked into felled (砍伐的) tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.
These fascinating spectacles often have coins from centuries ago buried deep in their bark and warped by the passage of time. The tradition of making offerings to gods at wishing trees dates back hundreds of years, but this bination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare. It used to be believed that god’s spirits lived in trees, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts — as is still done today at Christmas. The act is like tossing money into ponds for good luck, or the trend for couples to attach “love padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance. Some pubs, such as the Punch Bowl in Askham, Cumbria, have old timbers with splits in them into which coins are forced for luck. There are seven felled tree trunks with coins pushed into them in the picturesque village of Portmeirion, in Wales.
Meurig Jones, an estate manager at the tourist destination, told the BBC, “We had no idea why it was being done when we first noticed the tree trunk was being filled with coins. I did some detective work and discovered that trees were sometimes used as ‘wishing trees’. In Britain it dates back to the 1700s — there is one tree somewhere in Scotland which apparently has an old coin stuck into it. ” He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away. If someone then takes the coin out though, it’s said they then bee ill. We haven’t made it known at all, it’s just happened,” he added. “It’s quite amazing really.” In Scotland, there is also a legend about a kissing tree. If a young man could drive a nail into a tree with one blow, he earned a kiss from his sweetheart.
【小题1】What was the real reason why in UK people knocked coins into the old trees?A．It was hoped that it would bring them good future and make the trees more beautiful. B．Nobody knew why there was such a strange custom that it could make them lucky. C．It might e from the tradition of making offerings to gods hundreds of years ago.D．It was said that god’s spirits lived in trees and doing so could please the gods of the trees.【小题2】The underlined part in Paragraph 2 may mean .A．this bination of the man-made and the natural is far from realistic.B．the mysterious phenomenon of old trees with coins is rarely seen in the world. C．people wanted to make the works of art with the help from the forces of nature. D．the appearance of trees would be nicer than their original.【小题3】The passage mainly tells us that .A．some people attached “love padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romanceB．a particular way in which people made good wishes is still popular in the UKC．visitors tossed money into ponds for good luck just as they knocked coins into the treesD．a long history of a strange phenomenon of old trees with coins in the UK【小题4】Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage? A．Who Says Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees? B．Do Trees with Some Coins Bee Valuable?C．Is It Really Amazing to Have Coins Fixed into Trees? D．What Is the Purpose of Knocking Coins into Trees?C
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(答案→)C
解析：本文主要讲述了在英国仍然存在的这种向树干上嵌入硬币的方式仍然很受欢迎，是一种向上帝表达自己的愿望的做法。
【小题1】C 细节题。根据第一段最后3行The coins are usually knocked into felled (砍伐的) tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.说明人们这样做是一个传统，希望给自己带来好运。故C正确。
【小题2】D 推理题。根据本句this bination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare.以及下一句, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts — as is still done today at Christmas.说明这样做以后树的样子会更漂亮，更好看，故D正确。
【小题3】B 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段可知现在英国在树上嵌入硬币装饰树木的向上帝表达愿望的方式仍然存在，故B项正确。
【小题4】A 主旨大意题。根据文章1,2行They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded(嵌满) trunks dotted around the UK’s woodland.可知这种表达愿望的发生仍然存在着。故A项符合上下文。