Question

Most people say that they do not usually feel confident. But exciting things can happen when we actually believe in ourselves. Here is a man who believed in his own ability even as a boy, and that confidence helped shape his adult life.

At the turn of the last century, a young boy quit school to help with the family expenses. When he was fifteen, he became interested in automobiles(汽车) and worked in a garage. He subscribed to a correspondence course on automobiles and, after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table in the lamplight.

When he felt ready, he walked into the Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus, Ohio. When Mr. Frayer noticed him, he asked, “Well, what do you want?”

“I just thought I’d tell you I’m coming to work here tomorrow morning,” the boy replied. 

“Oh! Who hired you?”

“Nobody yet, but I’ll be on the job in the morning. If I’m not worth anything, you can fire me.”

Early the next morning the boy returned to the plant. Noticing the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt, the boy got a broom and set out to clean the place.

Because of his self-confidence and work ethic, the boy’s future was predictable. He went on to stand out in many fields, including automobile racing, piloting World War I planes and founding one of America’s largest airline companies ---- Eastern Airlines.

People who become more confident habitually encourage themselves. Without confidence, we are not likely to move far in the direction of our dreams. It is important that we always believe in ourselves. In order to reach victory, we must believe in ourselves even when we make mistakes

1.How did the boy learn knowledge concerning automobiles?

A. He attended school in the daytime.

B. He studied hard at home.

C. He read books in the garage where he worked.

D. He turned to some instructors for help.

2.We can learn from the boy’s words that _____.

A. he wanted to show off his competence

B. he looked down upon others

C. he was very generous

D. he believed in himself

3.Due to his efforts and confidence, the boy _____.

A. made World War I planes

B. learned much knowledge in a garage

C. achieved everything in his life

D. set up Eastern Airlines

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To inspire us with self-confidence.

B. To tell us an interesting story.

C. To inspire us to work hard.

D. To stress the importance of realizing our dreams.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.D

4.A

【解析】文章主要通过讲述一个自信的小男孩最终颇有成就的故事点出自信，鼓励人们要相信自己。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段“worked in a garage”在汽车修理厂工作，和“after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table in the lamplight.” 在车库里呆了一整天，在厨房的灯光下学习。可知B正确，A选项“attended school in the daytime”意为“在白天上学”，C选项“read books in the garage”意为“在车库读书”，D选项“turned to some instructors for help”意为“向导师寻求帮助”，均不符合文意，故排除A，C，D。故选B。

2.推理判断题。选项B中的“looked down upon others（看不起别人）”，选项C中的“generous（慷慨大方的）”以及选项A中的“show off his competence（炫耀他的能力）”在原文没有提及。根据第四段小男孩说的话“I’m coming to work here tomorrow morning.”和第六段“Nobody yet, but I’ll be on the job in the morning. If I’m not worth anything, you can fire me”可推知这小男孩认为自己能够胜任工作，即使是在没被人确定雇佣的情况下也带着信心和勇气准备第二天开始工作，故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段 “Because of his self-confidence and work ethic”和“founding（创办） what was to become one of America’s largest airline companies — Eastern Airlines”因为他的自信与工作理念，他创办了美国最大的航空公司之一东方航空。可知选项D“set up the Eastern Airlines”正确。A选项“made World War I planes”与原文“piloting（驾驶）”不符，B选项原文未提及，C选项“achieved everything”中的“everything”过于绝对，故排除A，B，C。故选D。

4.写作目的题。由全文内容可知，文章主要通过讲述一个自信的小男孩最终颇有成就的故事点出自信这一主题，并在最后一段如这句话“It is important that we always believe in ourselves.”鼓励人们要相信自己，故选A。