The library books about raising children sat on the couple's coffee table. The bedroom awaited the arrival of six babies. But in the end, police say Sarah and Kris Everson never had the sextuplets. All they had was a big lie.
From the beginning, the couple's dramatic story just didn't add up. They strangely withheld information for more than a month, and all of the hospitals near their home said that they had not delivered any sextuplets.
But police say the mystery has been solved. The whole story was a hoax aimed at getting other people to pay the couple's bills.
A newspaper wrote a story in which the Eversons said Sarah had given birth to four boys and two girls on March 8, and that the babies were in the hospital. They said they had been keeping news of the births secret because someone in Kris' family was trying to kill the Eversons and their new babies. They even set up a fake bedroom to convince people that they really had six children.
People who heard the Eversons' sad story set up a Web site to ask for donations to help pay for the babies' care. People donated a car, appliances and money. Some people were even working to find the family a new house.
But because the Everson's story seemed so strange, the police questioned them at the police station, at which time they revealed the story was a hoax. They were released, but will have to go to court. The Web site asking for donations was taken down. (AP)
從圖書館借來的育兒書籍擺放在咖啡桌上，還有為新生六胞胎預備的臥房，但最後警方卻表示，莎拉跟克里斯*艾弗森這對夫婦根本沒有六胞胎，這一切不過是天大的謊言。
這對夫妻充滿戲劇性的故事打從一開始就有蹊蹺，他們詭異地隱瞞消息一個多月，而且其住所附近所有醫院均表示沒有接生任何六胞胎。
警方表示謎團已真相大白，整件事不過是這對夫婦要別人為他們付帳單所設下的騙局。
在報紙一則新聞中，艾弗森夫婦說莎拉已在三月八日產出四名男嬰和兩名女嬰，嬰兒都還在醫院。他們表示，隱瞞嬰兒出生的消息是因為克里斯家族有人企圖殺害兩夫婦和新生兒，為了讓民眾相信他們真的有六胞胎，他們甚至佈置了一間假臥房。
閱讀測驗
1. Why did the Eversons play this trick?
a. They wanted to be in the newspaper.
b. They wanted money from donations.
c. People were trying to kill them.
2. What was one of the reasons that some people doubted the Eversons' story?
a. Sextuplets are very rare.
b. They had played tricks before.
c. No hospitals had delivered sextuplets.
3. What was NOT donated to the Eversons?
a. Food.
b. Money.
c. A car.
4. The Eversons ...
a. are now in jail.
b. will have to go to court.
c. have been forgiven by their community.
耳聞這個傷感故事的民眾架設了募款網站，幫助艾弗森一家籌措育嬰費用。有人捐助汽車、家電用品和金錢，甚至有人設法為他們尋找新家。
但這個故事因為太詭異，艾弗森夫婦在警局遭警方盤問，他們坦承這是一項騙局後獲釋，但必須出庭應訊，而募款網站已被撤銷。 （美聯社／翻譯：鄭湘儀）
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