Question

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children. Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way, in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins, when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth. They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation(煩惱). Thinking about the matter gave me more chargrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.
This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind, so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself, “Don’t give too much for the whistle, ” and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle.” When I saw some men too eager for court favor, wasting his time at court gatherings, giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favor, I said to myself---“This man gives too much for the whistle.” When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs, neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He says, indeed,” said I, “too dear for his whistle.”
If I knew a miser（守財奴） who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship, for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth--- “Poor man,” said I, “ you pay too dear for your whistle.” When I met a man of pleasure, who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time, perhaps neglecting his health, “ Mistaken man, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle.” If I saw someone fond of appearance who has fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings, all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, and ends his career in a prison. “Alas,” said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.” In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their puffing a false value on things --- to giving “too much for their whistle.”
小題1:How did the author get the whistle?

A．He bought it in a toy shop for children.

B．He got it as a birthday present.

C．He exchanged all his coppers for it from another boy.

D．He got it from his brothers, sisters and cousins.

小題2:When the author recalled(回憶) the whistle, he felt______________.

A．pleased

B．charmed

C．chagrin

D．worth

小題3:Which situation would not the author say “ too dear for the whistle?”

A．People were tempted to buy something they did not need.

B．Men were too eager for court favor, wasting his time.

C．People were fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs.

D．People were devoted to a career he loved so much.

小題4:Which Chinese equivalent can best describe “ too dear for the whistle”?

A．得不償失

B．皆大歡喜

C．物超所值

D．名副其實(shí)

小題5:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．A story in my childhood.

B．Too dear for whistle.

C．A lesson from a whistle.

D．We should have a right attitude towards temptation（誘惑）.

Answer 1

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:A
小題5:B

圍繞主題Too dear for whistle.（得不償失），作者闡述了個人觀點(diǎn)。
小題1:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第一段3,4行I handed over all my money for one.
小題2:猜測詞義題。第一段最后一句Thinking about the matter gave me more chargrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.說明作者很懊惱。
小題3:推理題。ABC三種情況在第二段中都提及了。D項是褒義。
小題4:猜測詞義題。根據(jù)文章尤其是第二段的幾個例子可知這個詞語的意思是A。
小題5:主旨大意題。文章的主題就是得不償失。