阅读短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A brave maid

A woodenvasefrom 1._______Ming Dynasty at the 2._______（enter）to the reception hall amazed everyone.The artists 3._______（design）itin a rare style and selected valuable jewels to decorate it.People thought highly of 4._______（it）fancy colour of honey and the beautiful paintings on it.

The vase used to belong 5._______a former castle.But when the country was at war,the enemy troops exploded the castle.Debates on how the vase survived went on and on.In order to remove people’s 6._______（doubtful）,a team of no less than 20 people carried out an informal 7._______（investigate）. The evidences they found showed that a maid took the vase apart and asked a sailor 8._______

（sink）it in a local well.She never gave away the secret even under the cruel trial of the enemies 9._______were in search of treasures.

It is worth 10._______(give)this brave maid a fortune in return.

译文助读

勇敢的女仆

接待大厅入口处的明朝木制花瓶使每个人都惊奇不已。艺术家以一种罕有的风格设计它，并挑选了贵重的珠宝装饰它。人们高度赞赏它那蜂蜜般的奇特颜色，还有上面绘制的绘画。

这个花瓶曾经属于一座从前的城堡，但在战争期间，敌人的军队炸毁了城堡，于是，关于这个花瓶是如何幸存下来的争论就一直在持续着。为了解开人们的疑问，一个不少于20人的调查队开展了一次非正式的调查。他们找到的证据表明，有个女仆把花瓶拆开，然后让一名水手把它沉到当地的一个水井里。她从来没有泄露这个秘密，即使是在搜寻财宝的敌人残酷的审讯下。

这位女仆真值得被给予一大笔钱作为对她的回报。

晨背点津

好词靓句

1.think highly of看重；器重

2.used to do过去常常做……（而现在不）

3.belong to属于……

4.be at war处于交战状态

5.less than少于

6.take apart拆开

7.in search of寻找

8.be worth（doing） 值得……

9.in return作为报答；回报