Question

I began working in journalism(新聞工作)when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.

“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.

“ None.”

“ Where did you go?”

“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“ What did you do?”

“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“ You just stood there?”

“ Didn’t sell a single one.”

“ My God, Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分鎳幣). It was the first nickle I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

56. Why did the boy start his job young?           

   A. He wanted to be famous in the future.               B. The job was quite easy for him.

   C. His mother had high hopes for him.                  D. The competition for the job was fierce.

57. From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

   A. excited                       B. interested                               C. ashamed             D. disappointed

58. What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

   A. She forced him to continue.                            B. She punished him.

   C. She gave him some money.                              D. She changed her plan.

59. What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

   A. The war between the boy’s parents.                  

   B. The arguing between the boy and his mother.

   C. The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

   D. The fight between the boy and his father.

60. What is the text mainly about?

   A. The early life of a journalist.                            B. The early success of a journalist.

   C. The happy childhood of the writer.             D. The important role of the writer in his family.

Answer 1

56---60   CDABA     

解析:

56. C

解析:這是一道細節推斷題。根據第一段中的“She wanted me to ‘make something’ of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.”可判斷出男孩年齡很小時就開始參加工作的原因是他媽媽對他抱有很高的希望。

57. D

解析:這是一道細節推斷題。根據他媽媽說的話My God,Russell!可判斷出他媽媽很失望。

58. A

解析:這是一道細節推斷題。根據倒數第二段中的“She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines.”可判斷出當男孩決定放棄工作時，他媽媽強迫他繼續干下去。

59. B

解析:這是一道猜義題。根據倒數第二段中的“She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines. Whenever I said no,she would scold me.”可判斷出畫線單詞this battle指的是他與媽媽之間的爭論。

60. A

解析:這是一道主旨題。這篇短文講述了一位年輕男孩在他媽媽的鼓勵和幫助下，很早就參加了工作，四十年后他成為一名著名的新聞工作者。所以這篇短文是關系一位新聞工作者早期生活的故事。