I began working in journalismwhen I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She want

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

With my load of magazines I headed toward BellevilleAvenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner ofBelleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, makingsure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THESATURDAY 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 aSaturday 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 thePost.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle（五分镍币）. It was the first nickle I earned.

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

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. Ididn’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 asschool was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. WheneverI said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as longas I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’slife, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But neverdid she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as mewould go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

1.Why did the boy start his job young?

A．He wanted tobe famous in the future.

B．The job wasquite easy for him.

C．His motherhad high hopes for him.

D．The competitonfor the job was fierce.

2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, welearn that the mother was _______.

A．excited           B．interested         C．ashamed          D．disappointed(失望的)

3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to giveup?

A．She forcedhim to continue.               B．She punishedhim.

C．She gave himsome money.                D．She changedher plan.

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

A．The warbetween the boy’s parents.　

B．The arguingbetween the boy and his mother.

C．The quarrelbetween the boy and his customers.　

D．The fightbetween the boy and his father.

5.What is the text mainly about?

A．The earlylife of a journalist.

B．The earlysuccess of a journalist.

C．The happychildhood of the writer.

D．The importantrole of the writer in his family.

试题答案

【答案】

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.B

5.A

【解析】

试题