The small unframed painting called “Fisherman” was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $27,000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession.
Pitt said, “I didn’t know it was so valuable. I’m not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought ‘Fisherman’ in Italy in 1970 for $140. The picture was dirty, and I couldn’t see the artist’s signature. But anyway it wasn’t the picture that I liked. I bought it because of the frame. ”
“It’s a most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I’ll never part with it.”
“When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn’t know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then. ”
“Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone’s signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”
As a result of this explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department.
Pitt was not happy. “I told the truth as I knew it then,” he said, “What else could I say?”
And then the judge agreed with him. “The Customs Department is to be responsible,” he said, “for making a true valuation of goods brought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr. Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If, now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty”.
小题1:When Oliver Pitt bought the picture, ________.
A．it was unframed
B．Maveleone signed the deal
C．he suggested that it was valuable
D．it was the frame that attracted him小题2: From the passage we can infer that if Maveleone had been a well-known artist, _.
A．the painting would have cost much more than $ 140
B．he wouldn’t have sold his painting
C．the customs officer wouldn’t have been cheated
D．Pitt wouldn’t have had the intention to buy any of his paintings小题3: Pitt took off the frame probably in order to _.
A．clean the painting to put it up for sale
B．look for the artist’s signature
C．use it for his wife’s photograph
D．find the painting’s true value小题4:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?
A．In the end Pitt was asked to pay the correct amount of duty.
B．In the end Pitt sold the frame of the painting at an even higher price.
C．In the end the Customs Department had no right to revalue the painting.
D．In the end Pitt’s wife was regarded as an expert because of her wise suggestion.
