Reading
A Story of a Chinese Millionaire
Before you start reading, study the following vocabulary:
mistress
fatal turn
to break up
contest
allowance
intention
A married Chinese businessman who could no longer afford five mistresses held a competition to decide which one to keep. But the contest took a fatal turn when one of the women, eliminated for her looks, drove the man and the four other competitors off a cliff. She died, while the other passengers were injured.
The 29-year-old woman was a waitress when she met the businessman at a restaurant. At the time, the businessman was married and had four other mistresses. The women knew of one another, but none wanted to break up with the man and give up their rent-free apartment and a high monthly allowance.
When the economy went down, the businessman decided to keep just one mistress. He staged a private talent show without telling the women his intentions. An instructor from a local modeling agency judged the women on the way they looked, how they sang and how much alcohol they could hold. The first woman was eliminated the first round of the competition based on her looks.
She was very angry, so she decided to exact revenge by telling her lover and the four other women to accompany her on a sightseeing trip before she returned to her hometown. It was during the trip that she drove the car off the cliff.
The businessman had to shut down his company after the crash and pay his dead mistress’s parents compensation for her death. The four other women left him, as did his wife when she learned of the affairs.
Questions
What do the following phrases mean?
- “A monthly allowance” is
- “The contest took a FATAL TURN” means
- “The businessman had to SHUT DOWN his company” means
- “She told them to ACCOMPANY her on a sightseeing trip” means
- “The businessman could NO LONGER AFFORD five mistresses” means
Are the following statements about the text correct?
1. The businessman's wife left him when she heard of the affairs.
2. The businessman informed his mistresses about his plan to stage a private talent show.
3. The woman that drove off the cliff used to be waitress.
4. All of the businessman's mistresses died in the car crash.
5. None of the women wanted to break up with the businessman because they all loved him.