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?

A well－dressed man came into a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl (珍珠) for his wife's birthday and that the price didn't matter since business had been  very good for him that year. After examining a number of beautiful and valuable pearls, he chose a nice black one that cost $5,000.He paid for the pearl, shook hands with the jeweller and left.

A few days later the man returned and said his wife had liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality (质量) as she wanted a pair of earrings(耳环) made.“Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl? ” said the man. The jeweller replied, “I would say it's nearly impossible to find an exact one like that pearl.”

The rich man asked the jeweller to advertise (登广告) in the newspapers, and offered $25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the ad (广告) but nobody had a pearl that was just right. Just when the jeweller gave up hope, a little old lady came in. To his surprise, she pulled the wonderful pearl from her handbag. “I don't like to sell it，” she said sadly, “I inherited (继承) it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But now I really need the money.”

The jeweller was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man's hotel to tell him the good news. The rich man, however, was nowhere to be found.

1．From the first paragraph we can guess that the jeweller consider the well－dressed man was ________.

A．an honest jeweller to make friend with

B．a clever cheat with a lot of money

C．a rich businessman and a good husband

D．a poor gentleman who spent money like water

2．He paid $5,000 for the pearl without bargaining ________.

A．because he loved his wife very much

B．in order to get it as quickly as possible

C．since his business had been successful

D．so as to make the jeweller believe him

3．Both the man and the jeweller thought it ________.

A．possible to find an exact one like that pearl

B．difficult to get the matching pearl

C．impossible to advertise in the newspaper

D．easy to buy a similar pearl

4．Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The people who answered the ad wanted to sell their pearls at a high price.

B．The woman was the well－dressed man's wife.

C．The jeweller was lucky enough to buy the little old lady's pearl.

D．The rich man didn't know the little old lady.

5．The jeweller could not find the rich man anywhere because he ________.

A．had moved to another hotel

B．was busy doing business with others

C．had escaped with $20,000

D．had told the wrong telephone number

As one comes to some crossroads, he or she sees a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead. At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road; and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road.
Mr. Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroad. It had a “SLOW” sign. He slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely.
At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled into the side of the road and stopped. A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and a pen in his hand and said, “You didn’t stop at that crossing.”
“But the sign there doesn't say ‘STOP’.” answered Mr. Williams, “It just says ‘SLOW’, and I did go slow.”
The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face. Then he put his notebook and pen away, scratched his head and said, “Well, I’m in the wrong street!”
【小题1】When he was stopped by a policeman, he ____.

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后从36-55各题所给的选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mark was seven when he joined his father and two other elder brothers at sunrise in the fields. __36__ the time he was eight he was helping Dad fix up old furniture. He was given a cent for every nail he __37__ out of old boards.

       He got his first __38__ job at BT’s Restaurant in town, when he reached twelve. His main tasks were__39__tables and washing dishes, __40__sometimes he helped cook.

       Every day after school he would __41__ to BT’s and work till ten. Even on Saturdays he __42__ from two till eleven. At that age it was difficult going to work and __43__ his friends run off to swim or play. He didn’t necessarily like work, but he loved what working __44__ him to have. Because of his __45__ he was always the one buying when his friends and he went to the local shop. That made him __46__.

       Word that he was trustworthy and hard-working __47__ around the town. A local clothing shop offered him credit（赊帐）__48__ he was only in Grade 7. He immediately __49__ a $ 68 sports coats and a $ 22 pair of shoes. He was__50__ only 65 cents an hour, and he already owed the shopkeeper $ 90! So he learned __51__ the danger of easy credit. He paid it __52__ as soon as he could.

       The first job taught him self-control, responsibility and brought him a __53__of personal satisfaction few of his friends had experienced. As his father, __54__worked three jobs, once told him, “If you__55__sacrifice and responsibility, there are not many things in life you cannot have.” How right he was!

A. Before                   B. Within                     C. From                D. By

A. pulled                   B. put                   C. picked               D. pressed

A. usual                     B. real                   C. main                 D. participate

A. sweeping            B. packing             C. clearing             D. empting

A. or                         B. so                     C. but                   D. even

A. head                   B. turn                  C. change                     D. move

A. studied                  B. worked             C. played               D. slept

A. helping                  B. having                     C. watching           D. letting

A. asked                    B. told                  C. promised           D. allowed

A. study                   B. power               C. age                   D. job

A. proud                  B. friendly             C. lucky                D. hopeful

A. ran                      B. got                   C. flew                  D. carried

A. although                  B. while                C. if                      D. since

A. sold                     B. borrowed          C. charged             D. wore

A. keeping               B. making             C. paying                     D. taking

A. gradually             B. greatly                     C. hardly               D. early

A. out                      B. over                  C. away                 D. off

A. point                   B. level                 C. part                  D. sign

A. he                       B. that                   C. who                  D. whoever

A. understand           B. demand             C. offer                 D. fear

The interview he paid little attention to _____ him the chance to work in this company.

A. being cost   B. be cost   C. costing   D. cost