I began working in journalism(新闻工作) 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 supper time, 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 nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
    Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, 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?

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

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

59、 What does the underlined phrase “this battle” refer to?

60、 What is the text mainly about?

I began working in journalism(新闻工作) 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 nickel(五分镍币).It was the first nickel 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.
【小题1】Why did the boy start his job young?

第二节：完形填空（共 20 小题；每小题 1．5 分，满分 30 分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36----55各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C, 和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Enid's wedding(婚礼) dress arrived at five o'clock in the evening, just seventeen  36  before her marriage!
“I must try it on Mother!” she cried, as she ran   37  .Three minutes later Enid's cries brought her   38  .The dress was much   39   for her. It was like a bag in the front, and the neckline（领口） looked all  40   . Enid was in   41  .
“Take it back to the dressmaker's,” Mrs Bale said. “She must   42  it tonight. Hurry now. Take it off and go.” The dressmaker's shop was closed. “Closed for One Week's Holiday,” said a   43  on the door. Fresh tears rose to Enid's eyes. She ran home again to her mother.
“This is unlucky,” Mrs Bale said.” But what are we going to do?  44  I ask Mrs. Peters to help? She was a dressmaker once. I'm sure she could change it for you.”
Mrs. Peters was   45  in and began to work. She could see  46  was wrong. She had to   47  it narrower at the front, and that was a big job. Then she changed the neckline. In fact she made it again. At ten o'clock the work was finished, and Enid tried the dress on. It fitted her beautifully.
The three women were having a cup of tea   48   the doorbell rang .Mrs. Bale answered it and   49­­   into the worried eyes of a   50  woman. The woman was carrying a large flat   51  .
“Does Miss Enid Bale   52   here?" she asked breathlessly. “Yes, she's my daughter.” “Oh, I am   53   I've found you! There's been a   54   .Your daughter has my wedding dress, and I've got   55   . And I'm getting married tomorrow!” She held out the box to Mrs. Bale.
36. A. weeks         B. minutes              C. days          D. hours
37. A. upstairs         B. outside             C. back home     D. about
38. A. husband        B. daughter            C. mother        D. neighbour
39. A. smaller         B. shorter             C. too big        D. too long
40. A. wrong         B. pleased             C. right          D. waste
41. A. love           B. tears               C. surprise        D. danger
42. A. measure        B. make               C. repair         D. change
43. A. voice          B. sound              C. notice         D. saying
44. A. Will           B. Would              C. Shall          D. Should
45. A. sent           B. brought            C. pushed        D. taken
46. A. neckline        B. all                 C. nothing       D. what
47. A. make                B. keep               C. change        D. take
48. A. then           B. until               C. when         D. while
49. A. came          B. got                C. saw          D. looked
50. A. short pretty       B. fat young           C. slim old        D. little quiet
51. A. cup           B. dress               C. bag          D. box
52. A. live            B. work              C. stay           D. wait
53. A. thankful        B. sorry              C. angry         D. glad
54. A. dress           B. change             C. mistake        D. wish
55. A. yours          B. hers                C. the other       D. others

Jenny ________ have kept her word. I wonder why she changed her mind.

A. must  B. should

C. need D. would

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