When I was a child of seven years old, my

题目内容：

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(烦恼). 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（守财奴） 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.”

小题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.小题2:When the author recalled(回忆) the whistle, he felt______________.

A．pleased

B．charmed

C．chagrin

D．worth小题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.小题4:Which Chinese equivalent can best describe “ too dear for the whistle”?

A．得不偿失

B．皆大欢喜

C．物超所值

D．名副其实小题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（诱惑）.

最佳答案：

小题1:C

小题2:C

小题3:D

小题4:A

小题5:B

答案解析：

围绕主题Too dear for whistle.（得不偿失），作者阐述了个人观点。

小题1:细节题。根据第一段3,4行I handed over all my money for one.

小题2:猜测词义题。第一段最后一句Thinking about the matter gave me more chargrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.说明作者很懊恼。

小题3:推理题。ABC三种情况在第二段中都提及了。D项是褒义。

小题4:猜测词义题。根据文章尤其是第二段的几个例子可知这个词语的意思是A。

小题5:主旨大意题。文章的主题就是得不偿失。

考点核心：

人物传记类文章的文体特征：

人物传记是记叙文体的一种，主要描写某人的生平事迹、趣闻轶事、生活背景、个性特征、成长奋斗历程等，包含记叙文的时间、地点、人物、事件等要素。其特点是以时间的先后或事件的发展为主线，空间或逻辑线索贯穿文章始终，脉络清楚，可读性较强。