导读：2014年6月英语六级考试离我们越来越近，同学们准备的怎么样了。考前的冲刺阶段非常重要，同学们不能懈怠。对于英语六级阅读部分，大家考前多练习一下，增强阅读速度。以下的阅读练习希望对同学们有所帮助。

　　The Fraud

　　Flushed with excitement, Kate stepped into the spatial vestibule and was immediately dazzled by the scene before her. The inlaid marble floor paved the way to a circular staircase rising three levels above her. In a fountain in the center of the entryway stood a bronze dolphin balancing on its tail, its snout pointed to the lofty domed, stained glass skylight forty feet above. A massive chandelier, luminous in the bright sunlight, cast rainbow fairies dancing through the pink, green, and gold floral patterns of the floor and around the snowy white walls.

　　Before she could fully appreciate the beauty of the intricate plaster work decorating the edges of the shallow niches installed in the walls to frame the numerous paintings, or, indeed, to appreciate the canvases themselves, her host, Victor Stone, approached. Small by North American standards, he was perfectly proportioned. Slightly balding at the forehead, his silver hair curved onto the collar of his pale blue shirt at the nape of his neck. Laughing blue eyes startled her with their clarity. A straight, aristocratic nose rose to meet his slightly arched brows. His carefully manicured hands bore a single gold pinkie ring. He held out his hand to take hers.

　　“Thank you so much for coming, Kate.

　　I am glad you could make it,” he said cheerfully. She had never met this charming little man before and knew him by reputation only. Among his contemporaries, he was known as a shrewd entrepreneur, able to diagnose at a glance, the prospects of those seeking his backing. She was anxious to learn why he had invited her to come to meet him at his home.

　　“Thanks for asking me. Nice place you have here. “She felt stupid saying something so absurd, but she was, at that moment, stumped. Her ego wouldn’t let her admit she’d never in her whole life, been so impressed by a foyer. She hoped that he would realize she’d had little experience with the elite, take pity on her, and show her around.

　　“Would you like to see more of the house?” he asked, politely.

　　“Would I? You bet!” She was happy he gave no indication that he thought she was not in his bracket. She left her briefcase on the settee near the door and followed him through the foyer to a stairway to a stairway leading to a lower level of the house.

　　They began the tour in the wine cellar. A heavy, double thick door opened to reveal row upon row of gleaming glass bottles of vintage wines, all lying on their sides, cradled by the solid oak racks. The steady hum of machinery broke the silence of the insulated room. Victor explained that it was necessary to control the ventilation, temperature and humidity of the cellar to achieve optimum conditions for conserving the flavors of the expensive wines.

　　The small but luxurious audio-visual theater was adjacent to the wine cellar. Leather upholstered reclining chairs were casually arrayed about the room, all with an unimpaired view of the retractable screen. The stereo, silent at that moment, was state-of-the-art, with speakers tactically installed for maximizing sound effects. Black walnut wood paneling and a baffled ceiling averted the possibility of overly loud entertainment disturbing others in the mansion. Sliding glass doors led from the lowest level of the living area to the enclosed kidney-shaped swimming pool. Turquoise and white ceramic tiles outlined with gold covered the deck area. Pillars of quartz topped with milk glass spheres provided illumination should anyone choose to swim after dark. A changing booth was discretely hidden behind a screen of ornamental floor plants and cascading vines. Here, too, a baffled ceiling prevented the hollow resonance of the pool room from disturbing others.

　　At the moment, the games room was arranged for gambling. An authentic roulette wheel, a craps table for dice, and various card tables were set up for a benefit evening that was being held the following night. Checkers, chess and other board games augmented the games of chance.

　　I didn’t flatter myself by thinking I hadn’t muddied the waters a bit. I knew I had probably stepped on a few toes, but I was on a roll. I had the momentum and rejoiced in my success. As long as the money kept coming in, anything was permissible.

　　One day, I received a visit from a rather important patron of the arts. He had an interesting proposition for me. He held the patent and trademark for the prototype of an innovative way to determine the age of a painting using ultraviolet light. He would sell them to me for the nominal fee of a nickel if I would reciprocate by doing him a favor. I was to include one of his personal paintings in my next shipment of antiques going to New York. At first, I thought he was mocking me, but he gave me his oath that he just wanted to ensure the painting would arrive at its destination safely, and, because it would be a part of an antique shipment, it would be exempt from import duty. It was a provocative offer, and even though I remained skeptical, I agreed.

　　A few days later, a crated painting arrived and was added to my goods ready for delivery to New York. I had always subscribed to the theory that if something appeared to be too good to be true, it probably was. However, my greed prevailed and the painting was on its way.

　　I was unaware at the time that my fortunes were about to go into a downward spiral. My benefactor, it turned out, was a man with a grudge against me. Irrespective of the fact that I felt a deal we had made years before had been fair, he felt I had cheated him. I was about to be the recipient of his wrath.

　　When my agent in New York went to customs to retrieve the shipment, he was greeted by a squad of police waiting to detain him on charges of smuggling cocaine. It appeared there was a bit of a discrepancy between what I was told was in the crate and the actual contents. The drugs were in a hidden compartment in the crate.

　　I admit it was naive of me to believe I had no enemies, but I didn’t know anyone would go to this degree to prove how much he despised me. Hitherto, I had gone through life thinking that when two people agreed to a deal, if one of them got the better of the other, it was fair, because they did agree. Now I was learning that if you take advantage of some people, even with their permission, you aggravate them to seek revenge. I can’t refute my recklessness.

　　Almost seven years have elapsed since that time. My agent took responsibility for the crime and went to jail for five years. I felt guilty as hell, but I continued to pay him by sending the money to his family. I even withheld extra in a bonus account to give to him when he was released. I also gave up my business and began to help others start their businesses. In time, the guilt I felt subsided. I put my energies into stepping into the breach to help those less fortunate than I. To my amazement, my luck started to fluctuate upward and I flourished. All you see here today, I have accumulated since that time.

　　Now, it seems, my enemy has decided to reclaim his power over me. He has reported the crime and the erroneous imprisonment of my agent and named me as the person responsible for the offence. I had never changed my citizenship, so the F. B. I. wants me deported so they can prosecute me in New York.

　　I hope I can induce you, through your column, to tell my story. Next week I have to appear before a magistrate for the preliminary hearing. If I’m not mistaken, public pressure might enable me to avoid deportation at least. I am more likely to get a fair trial here than there. My record as a good citizen may offset the perception that I may be a criminal. What do you think? Will you help?

　　Kate had listened to this synopsis in silence but her outrage was building. While his story seemed plausible, this plea for her assistance didn’t quite fit. With his financial resources, he could hire the best legal team in the country. She realized she had to detach herself from her first impressions and extract fact from fiction. Why didn’t she believe him? Suddenly, it came to her. Exposition of this version of Victor’s tale would not only gain him public sympathy, it would invalidate any testimony against him.

　　Nothing could constrain her when she realized she had literally been taken in by his story. “If you were innocent, why weren’t you the defendant? If you were innocent all those years ago, why did your agent go to prison for you? Why did it take so long for your enemy to turn you in? The statute of limitations for that offence has expired. I believe this has been a pathetic attempt to get me to mediate your case in the press. I think you have always been an integral player in the criminal world and your past has caught up with you. My cardinal sin was allowing myself to be reeled in by your tales of what a model citizen you are.

　　“Kate could feel herself getting dizzy and light-headed, surprised by the audacity she had, talking to anyone in that manner. Before she lost complete control, she would have to get out of there. She stood, turned, and marched toward the door. As she began to open the front door, she looked back. Victor stood beside his chair, pale and shaken. “You admitted you were a fraud in your youth. You are still a fraud! I will write your story...my version! My guess is that the eventual verdict will be ‘guilty’!” (2402 words)

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