第4部分：阅读理解（第31～45题，每题3分，共45分）

　　下面有３篇短文，每篇幅短文后有5道题，每题材后面有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择一个最佳答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。

　　第一篇　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My Fast Job

　　I was six when I joined my father and two elder brothers at sunrise in the hayfields of Eufaula, Oklahoma. By the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up low-income rental properties. He gave me a penny for every nail I pulled out of old boards.

　　I got my first real job, at JM's Restaurant in town, when I was 12. My main responsibilities were clearing tables and washing dishes, but sometimes I helped cook.

　　Every day after school I would head to JM's and work until ten. Saturdays I worked from two until eleven. At that age it was unlucky going to work and watching my friends run off to swim or play. I didn't necessarily like work, but I loved what working allowed me to have. Because of my job I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local bar Tastee Freez. This made me proud.

　　Word that I was honest and hardworking got around town. A local clothing store extended credit to me although I was only in the seventh grade. I immediately charged a $ 68 sports coat and a $ 22 pair of trousers. I was making only 65 cents an hour, and I was already $ 90 in debt! So I learned early the danger of easy credit. I paid it off as soon as I could.

　　My first job taught me discipline, responsibility and brought me a level of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced. As my father, who worked three jobs, once told me, "If you understand sacrifice and commitment, there are not many things in life you can't have." How right he was!

　　31 When the author was a child, he was made to help his father work because

　　A the restaurant was short of hands.

　　B his family belonged to the low-income group.

　　C he wanted to earn some money.

　　D he was stronger than his two brothers.

　　32 At the age of 12, the author got a job at a restaurant and often worked till late at night because

　　A he liked that work.

　　B he didn't like playing.

　　C he was hard-working.

　　D he felt rewarded by doing that work.

　　33 The word "Word" in the sentence "Word that I was honest and-hard-working got around town in the fourth paragraph means

　　A statement.

　　B advice.

　　C news.

　　D promise.

　　34 When the author was in the seventh grade, he was in debt because

　　A he did not work any more.

　　B he bought clothes on credit.

　　C he was charged too much for the sports coat.

　　D he made little money at that time.

　　35 What does the author want to tell the reader by this text?

　　A If you know sacrifice and responsibility, you can have many things in life.

　　B Children from poor families usually have a very unhappy childhood.

　　C Children should be made to work and earn some money by themselves.

　　D You will learn discipline and responsibility by working early in life.