A Stradivarius violin is unmatched in tonal quality and responds more quickly and easily to the touch than any other violins. Unfortunately, the secrets for making such a superb instrument were lost in 1737 with the death of Antonio Stradivarius, the master craftsman who built them. Many attempts have been made to reproduce an instrument of such quality, but all have failed. It is believed that the secret lies in the wood that was used and the distinctive varnish, which ranges from orange to a deep reddish-brown colour. Only around 650 Stradivarius violins are believed to be in existence today, and the price for such a rare instrument is well in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even a cheap Stradivarius costs around a quarter million dollars. It is not surprising that a Stradivarius is sought after by great violinists and musical instrument collectors alike. 1. The passage is about __________. A. the unknown secrets for making a Stradivarius B. the history of Stradivarius C. the preciousness of a Stradivarius D. the price of a Stradivarius 2. The main qualities of the Stradivarius are its A. age and number B. violinists and musical instrument collectors C. tone and response D. orange to reddish-brown colour 3. According to the passage, how many Stradivarius violins are there? A. 1,737 B. 650 C. 250,000 D. 100,000 4. According to the passage, a Stradivarius that costs a quarter million dollars is A. the rarest kind B. the most expensive one C. a cheap reproduction D. an inexpensive one 5. Which sentence is not true? A. When Antonio Stradivarius died, the secrets for making a Stradivarius were lost. B. People have failed to produce an instrument which is as good as a Stradivarius. C. The secret lies in the wood that was used and the distinctive varnish. D. Hundreds of thousands of dollars is the approximate price of any Stradivarius.