Passage Two
Not long ago, Charles Ericksonand his family decided to do some housecleaning. Sorting through theirpossessions, they came up with some 1,500 old, unwanted items—all sorts ofthings they wanted to get rid of. The Ericksons decided to do what a lot ofother Americans are doing these days —have a “yard sale”. They posted homemadesigns throughout the neighborhood, ran an advertisement in the local newspaper,then set out the unwanted objects on the front yard of their home. Eager buyersbought all but 50 of the items in one weekend, leaving the family $ 511 richer.
Yard sale，garage sale，basement sale — whatever they’re called and wherever they’re held，Americans are having them in ever-increasing numbers.
The variety of things put upfor sale is really wonderful—dishes, books, used clothing, tools, tired, emptybottles, bicycles, furniture. A man in Atlanta, Georgia, even sold a full- sizecopy of a 1931 Ford.
“You wouldn’t believethe things people will buy” says Mrs. Jerry McNeely of Houston, Texas, who hasheld two yard sales with friends. “On the other hand, you wouldn’t believe someof the things people will put out to sell. “
Why would Americans want toshop by searching among someone else’s castoffs?
Rising living costs areconsidered by almost everyone as a reason both for holding sales and forattending them. The seller makes a little extra money and the buyer saves quitea lot, since yard sale items usually are priced at a very small part of theiroriginal cost.
But beyond that, they’re fun.Yard sales have become social events, drawing people of all ages.
Neighbors enjoy meeting newpeople, and some families even serve drinks and cakes. One psychologistsuggests that people are fed up with the computerization of their lives— theymay be searching for their roots. Many of the younger buyers say they areturned off by the poor quality of modern goods and are looking for remnants ofa stronger and firmer era, when things were built to last.
Diana McLellan, a reporter forthe Washington Star-News, wrote,”The yard sale is like the quality of mercy —itblesses him that gives and him that takes. It separates clothes, toys, pots，cups，forks and knives from their reluctant owners and place them inloving new homes. ”
How long will all thisenthusiasm continue? Says one recent seller, “Some day the people who arebuying are bound to be faced with the same problem we had—getting rid of thisthing.”
Yard sale in America refers to____.()
A、a sale of used household goods or personal items, usually held in one’s yard or garage
B、any weekend sale on the market
C、a bargain price market
D、a small shop in the yard
【正确答案】：A
【题目解析】：根据文章第三段可知，答案为A。