Question

“Don’t care”— so they say—fell into a goose-pond; and “I won’t” is likely to come to no better an end. At last，my grandmother tells me that was how the Miller had to quit his native town，and leave the tip of his nose behind him.

It all came of his being allowed to say “I won’t” when he was quite a little boy. His mother thought he looked pretty when he was pouting（撅嘴），and that willfulness gave him an air which distinguished him from other people’s children. And when she found out that his lower lip was becoming so big that it spoilt his beauty，and that his willfulness gained its way twice and stood in his way eight times out of ten，it was too late to change him.

Then she said，“ Dearest Abinadab，do be better-mannered ! ”

And he replied (as she had taught him)，“I won’t.”

He always took what he could get，and would neither give nor give up to other people.

He quarreled with his friends till he had none left，and he quarreled with the tradesmen of the town till there was only one who would serve him，and this man offended him at last. “I’ll show you who’s master!” said the Miller. “ I won’t pay a penny of your bill-not a penny.” “ Sir ，” “ said the tradesman，“ my giving you offence now，is no just reason why you should refuse to pay for what you have had and been satisfied with. I must beg you to pay me at once.” “ I won’t，”said the Miller，“ and what I say I mean. I won’t. I tell you，I won’t.”

So the tradesman summoned (传唤) him before the justice，and the justice decided that he should pay the bill and the costs of the suit.

“I won’t，”said the Miller.

So they put him in prison，and in prison he would have remained if his mother had not paid the money to obtain his freedom. By and by she died，and left him her blessing and some very good advice，which would have been more useful if it had come earlier.

68. The underlined sentence in the first paragraph means “to say ‘I won’t ’ is ______.”

A. as good as to say ‘Don’t care’                 B. as bad as to say ‘Don’t care’

C. less good than to say ‘Don’t care’            D. much better than to say ‘Don’t care’

69. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. the mother died because the Miller was in prison

B. the Miller’s willfulness did more good than harm to his growth

C. the mother’s allowing the Miller to say “I won’t” badly influenced him

D. the Miller refused to pay the tradesman for being unsatisfied with the trade

70. The writer thinks the mother’s advice was ______.

A. late                     B. useless                     C. timely               D. honest

71. What will probably be talked about after the story?

A. How the Miller saved his trade.                 B. How the Miller started his new trade.

C. How the Miller offended his customers.    D. What made the Miller leave his native town.

Answer 1

BCA        D