Question

In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as terrible as my job in an apple plant(工厂). The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.

First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For ten hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.

I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home much more than $ 100 a week.

But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy were the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.

I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.

1.Why did the writer have to take many jobs at that time?

A．To gain some experience

B．To save for his future

C．To support his family

D．To pay for his schooling

2.The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT ______.

A. loading boxes in the freezing cold

B. having limited time for breaks

C. getting no pay for lunch time

D. working and studying at the same time

3.What is the topic discussed in the text?

A. The writer’s hard work in an apple plant.

B. The writer’s eagerness to earn money.

C. The writer’s experience to earn money.

D. The writer’s unhappy school life.

4.How is the text organized?

A. Topic—Argument—Explanation

B. Opinion—Discussion—Description

C. Introduction—Supporting examples—Conclusion

D. Main idea—Comparison—Supporting examples

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析: 本文是一篇议论文。作者为了赚钱挣学费曾经从事了多项工作，其中条件最为恶劣的是在苹果厂的工作，然后举例说明在那工作条件是多么恶劣，作者决定以后再也不会回到那个苹果厂了。

1.第一段第一句In the course of working my way through school,描述可知作者在那时不得不从事多项工作是想赚钱来完成学业，故选D。

2.D细节理解题。根据文章第四段During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone.描述可知恶劣的打工条件包括A. loading boxes in the freezing cold 在寒冷的条件下装盒；B. having limited time for breaks休息时间受限制；C. getting no pay for lunch time 没有报酬的午餐时间。而选项D. working and studying at the same time 边打工边学习不属于恶劣的打工条件。故选D。

3.A细节理解题。根据第一段第一行But none of these jobs was as terrible as my job in an apple plant(工厂).以及下文描写的作者在苹果厂的艰苦的工作经历可知本文讨论的话题就是作者在苹果厂的艰苦的工作。故选A。

4.第一段提出论点Introduction--In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as terrible as my job in an apple plant(工厂).二三四段举例论证Supporting examples--艰苦的工作条件等, 最后一段结论Conclusion--By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.故选C。

考点：考查人生百味类短文阅读