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 nickle（五分镍币）. 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.
小题1: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 competiton for the job was fierce.小题2:From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
A．excited
B．interested
C．ashamed
D．disappointed(失望的)小题3: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.小题4: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.小题5: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.
小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:B
小题5:A
题目分析：。本文主要讲述了我在小时候的生活，是在妈妈的逼迫之下开始了我的journalist的生涯。
小题1:C 细节题。根据文章第一段2,3行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.可知我的妈妈希望我做大人物。对我的期望值很高。故C正确。
小题2:D 推理题。根据对话中的“ You just stood there?”“ Didn’t sell a single one.”“ My God, Russell!”
说明妈妈对我这次的表现很失望。故D正确。
小题3:A 细节题。根据文章倒数第二段She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.可知当我拒绝的时候，她就骂我。说明她强迫我做这些事情。故A正确。
小题4:B 推理题。根据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.说明妈妈和我之间有很多的分歧，经常有吵架。故B项正确。
小题5:A 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述了我在小时候的生活，是在妈妈的逼迫之下开始了我的journalist的生涯。故A正确。
点评：本文要求考生在阅读理解整体语篇的基础上，把握文章的真正内涵。要吃透文章的字面意思，从字里行间捕捉有用的提示和线索，这是推理的前提和基础;要对文字的表面信息进行挖掘加工，由表入里，由浅入深，从具体到抽象，从非凡到一般，通过分析、综合、判定等，进行深层处理，符合逻辑地推理。不能就是论事，断章取义，以偏概全。要忠实于原文，以文章提供的事实和线索为依据。
