Question

    Hetty Robinson learnt all about money when very young. As a child, she read the financial pages of the newspaper to her rich father. Her father died when Hetty was 30, and she inherited $1 million. When she herself died in 1916, she left almost $100 million to her two children.

Hetty made her money on the New York stock exchange. She was a financial genius. She made money so easily that people called her the Witch of Wall Street. But although she was one of the richest women in the world, she counted every cent and spent as little as possible. She didn’t own a house, because she didn’t want to pay property taxes. So she and her children lived in cheap hotels.

She spent almost nothing on clothes, and always wore the same long black dress. She washed it herself, but to save soap she only washed the bottom of the dress, where it touched the ground. Other people had their own offices, but Hetty used a desk in the bank where she kept her money, because it didn’t cost anything. She sat in the bank and ate her sandwiches while she bought and sold stocks and shares. If the bank complained, she just moved all her money to another bank.

Hetty’s family paid the price for her meanness. When she was 33 she married a millionaire, Edward Green, and they had two children. But Green lost all his money, so she left him. When her son, Ned, injured his knee, Hetty didn’t want to pay for a doctor, so she took him to a free hospital for poor people. Unfortunately the doctor knew Hetty was rich and he asked for money. Hetty refused and took the boy away. His leg got worse and two years later doctors removed it.

But eventually Ned got his revenge. At the age of 81 Hetty had an argument with a shop assistant about the price of a bottle of milk. She became so angry that she had a heart attack and died. So Hetty’s meanness finally killed her. Ned inherited half his mother’s fortune, and he spent it all on parties, holidays and expensive jewellery.

1.What fact can be learned about Hetty Robinson from the passage?

A.She came from a poor family. B.She worked for a bank.

C.She was nice to her son. D.She died from extreme anger.

2.Hetty Robinson was called the Witch of Wall Street mainly because ________.

A.she was fond of reading financial pages of the newspaper

B.she made a huge fortune easily through stocks and shares

C.she liked wearing the same long black dress every day

D.she turned out to be the richest woman in New York

3.Which of the following best describes Hetty Robinson?

A.Talented but not generous. B.Wealthy and kind.

C.Aggressive but not diligent. D.Curious and lucky.

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。本文介绍了美国一位吝啬的金融天才Hetty Robinson。她被人称为华尔街的女巫，她非常会赚钱，但是却吝啬得一分钱都不舍得多花。81岁时，Hetty和一个售货员就一瓶牛奶的价格发生了争执。她非常生气，心脏病发作而死。

1.细节理解题。根据最后一段第三、四句She became so angry that she had a heart attack and died. So Hetty’s meanness finally killed her.可知，她非常生气，心脏病发作而死。所以海蒂的吝啬最终害死了她。由此可知，由于极度的生气，导致了海蒂·罗宾逊的死亡。故选D项。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段前三句Hetty made her money on the New York stock exchange. She was a financial genius. She made money so easily that people called her the Witch of Wall Street.可知，海蒂在纽约证券交易所赚钱。她是个金融天才。她赚钱如此容易，以至于人们称她为华尔街的女巫。由此可知，她被称为“华尔街女巫”的原因是她通过股票轻而易举地发了大财。故选B项。

3.推理判断题。根据第二段中She was a financial genius.(她是个金融天才)可知，她非常有天赋。根据第二段中的But although she was one of the richest women in the world, she counted every cent and spent as little as possible.(尽管她是世界上最富有的女人之一，但她一分钱都不放过，而且花得越少越好)可知，她是并不慷慨。因此A项（有天赋但不慷慨）符合对Hetty的描述。故选A项。