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三立教育“TheGossipofValleyView,”originallypublishedin1910.ItwasthefirstofApril,andJuliusBarrett,agedfourteen,perchedonhisfather'sgatepost,watchedruefullythelowdescendingsun,andcountedthatdaylost.Hehadnotsucceededinfoolingasingleperson,althoughhehadtriedrepeatedly.Oneandall,oldandyoung,ofhisintendedvictimshadbeentoowaryforJulius.Hence,Juliuswasdisgustedandreadyforanythinginthewayofastratagemoraspoil.TheBarrettgateposttoppedthehighesthillinValleyView.Juliuscouldseetheentiresettlement,fromYoungThomasEverett'sfarm,amiletothewest,toAdeliaWilliams'sweather-greylittlehouseonamoonriseslopetotheeast.HewasgazingmoodilydownthemuddyroadwhenDanChester,homewardboundfromthepostoffice,cameridingsloppilyalongonhisgreymareandpulledupbytheBarrettgatetohandapapertoJulius.Danwasayoungmanwhotooklifeandhimselfveryseriously.Heseldomsmiled,neverjoked,andhadaWashingtonianreputationforveracity.Danhadnevertoldaconsciousfalsehoodinhislife;heneverevenexaggerated.Julius,beholdingDan'ssolemnface,wasseizedwithaperfectlyirresistibledesiretofoolhim.AtthesamemomenthiseyecaughtthedazzlingreflectionofthesettingsunonthewindowsofAdeliaWilliams'shouse,andhehadaninspirationlittleshortofdiabolical.Haveyouheardthenews,Dan?heasked.三立教育flectively.It'skindofafamilyaffair,butthenAdeliadidn'tsaynotto,andanywayit'llbeallovertheplacesoon.SoI'lltellyou,Dan,ifyou'llpromisenevertotellwhotoldyou.AdeliaWilliamsandYoungThomasEverettaregoingtobemarried.Juliusdeliveredhimselfofthistremendousliewithatransparentlyearnestcountenance.YetDan,credulousashewas,couldnotbelieveitallatonce.Gitout,hesaid.It'strue,'ponmyword,protestedJulius.AdeliawasuplastnightandtoldMaallaboutit.Ma'shercousin,youknow.TheweddingistobeinJune,andAdeliaaskedMatohelphergetherquiltsandthingsready.JuliusreeledallthisoffsogliblythatDanfinallybelievedthestory,despitethefactthatthepeoplethuscoupledtogetherinprospectivematrimonyweretheverylastpeopleinValleyViewwhocouldhavebeenexpectedtomarryeachother.YoungThomaswasaconfirmedbacheloroffifty,andAdeliaWilliamswasforty;theywerenotsupposedtobeevenwellacquainted,astheEverettsandtheWilliamseshadneverbeenveryfriendly,althoughnoopenfeudexistedbetweenthem.Nevertheless,inviewofJulius'scircumstantialstatements,theamazingnewsmustbetrue,andDanwasinstantlyagogtocarryitfurther.JuliuswatchedDanandthegreymareoutofsight,fairlywrithingwithecstasy.Oh,butDanhadbeeneasy!ThestorywouldbealloverValleyViewintwenty-fourhours.Juliuslaugheduntilhecameneartofallingoffthegatepost.AtthispointJuliusandDannydropoutofourstory,andYoungThomasenters.三立教育finelittlewomanandwillmakeyouacapitalwife.YoungThomasgruntedanddroveaway.Hehadagooddealofbusinesstodothatday,involvingcallsatvariousplaces—thestoreformolasses,themillforflour,JimBentley'sforseedgrain,thedoctor'sfortoothachedropsforhishousekeeper,thepostofficeformail—andateachandeveryplacehewasjokedabouthisapproachingmarriage.IntheenditratherannoyedYoungThomas.Hedrovehomeatlastinwhatwasforhimsomethingofatemper.Howonearthhadthatfoolstorystarted?Withsuchdetailedcircumstantialityofrugsandquilts,too?AdeliaWilliamsmustbegoingtomarrysomebody,andtheValleyViewgossips,unabletolocatetheman,hadguessedYoungThomas.Overthecourseofthepassage,themainfocusshiftsfromAacharacter’sattemptatapracticaljoketotheeffectfeltbyanothercharacter.Badepictionofasmalltowntotherelationshipsamongthecharactersinthetown.Cacharacter’shumorousbehaviortotheevolutionofastorypassedaroundthetown.Dadescriptionofafriendshiptoadiscussionofaprankperpetuatedbythetown.QUESTION2OF11三立教育’sattitudetowardsJuliusillustratesanimbalancedfriendship.QUESTION3OF11Asusedinline2(“ruefully”),thephrase“ruefully”mostnearlymeansAmournfully.Bapologetically.Crepentantly.Dangrily.QUESTION4OF11Asusedinline18(“veracity.”),“veracity”mostnearlymeansAcandor.Btruthfulness.Cverisimilitude.三立教育’sgullibilitywhenitcomestorumors.DestablishwhyJulius’storywassowidelyaccepted.QUESTION6OF11Whichchoiceprovidesthebestevidencefortheanswertothepreviousquestio