Question

Hetty Robinson learnt all about money when very young. As a child, she read the financial (金融的) 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 (股票) 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 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 (报应). 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 was nice to her son.

C. She died from extreme anger.

B. She worked for a bank.

D. She came from a poor family.

2.Why was Hetty Robinson called the Witch of Wall Street?

A. She turned out to be the richest woman in New York.

B. She liked wearing the same long black dress every day.

C. She was fond of reading financial pages of the newspaper.

D. She made a large amount of money easily through stocks and shares.

3.Which of the following best describes Hetty Robinson?

A. Gifted but not generous.B. Wealthy and selfless.

C. Easy-going but selfish.D. Curious and lucky.

4.Which is the best title of this passage?

A. A Mean Genius

B. A Financial Success

C. A Lifelong Bad Luck

D. A Good Way to Earn Money

Answer 1