10．For me，the greatest story of rags to riches is that of Andrew Carnegie，who started life in poverty but became one of the richest men in the world．
Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835，the son of a weaver．In 1848，the family moved to the United States and at 13Carnegie began to work in a cotton mill，earning＄1.5per week．About three years later，he found a better job as a telegraph messenger boy．At work，his superiors were impressed by his abilities and willingness to work hard．In 1853，he gained an office job at the Pennsylvania Railroad Company．This was his first big break．He continued to impress and rose rapidly through the company，gaining more and more responsibility．At the same time，Carnegie loved reading very much and made use of every opportunity to visit the library．He read widely on all subjects，particularly literature．
Carnegie now began to save a little money and，with the help of his employer，began to make some successful investments．He invested in the iron industry and eventually set up in business himself，owing several iron and steel plants．This was where he made his fortune．By the 1890s，the Carnegie Steel Company was the biggest and most profitable business in the world．
Carnegie had always believed that the pursuit of wealth would never end in itself．In his view，successful，wealthy people should redistribute their wealth for the benefit of everyone in society．True to his word，in 1901，at the age of 66，he retired from business and devoted the rest of his life to charity work．
Carnegie's lack of formal education and his poor family background clearly didn't put barriers in the way of success．His rapid rise from poverty to wealthy was due to his willingness to work hard，his intelligence and good business sense，and his talents for making things happen．He died in 1919at the age of 83．
21．What does"gaining more and more responsibility"in the second paragraph most probably mean？D
A．Becoming more and more intelligent．
B．Having a better sense of confidence．
C．Reading more and more books．
D．Being promoted to higher ranks．
22．When did Carnegie get his first big success in his life？B
A．When he took a job as a telegraph messenger boy．
B．When he worked at the Pennsylvania Railroad Company．
C．When he made investments in the iron industry．
D．When he founded the Carnegie Steel Company．
23．What can be learnt from the text？A
A．Carnegie's employers had a high opinion of him．
B．Carnegie made the investments independently after saving enough money．
C．Carnegie believed that we should try to earn as much money as possible．
D．Carnegie could have been more successful if he had been formally educated．
24．Which of the following will be the suitable title for the text？A
A．From Rags to Riches：The Story of Andrew Carnegie
B．Andrew Carnegie：A Wealthy Man
C．Steel&Iron：The Most Profitable Business
D．Intelligence and Good Business Sense：Two Factors in Becoming Wealthy．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了出身贫寒的Andrew Carnegie 凭借自己的勤奋、聪明和良好的商业意识 在事业上获得了巨大的成功．
解答 21．D．细节理解题．根据前面的rose rapidly through the company 可知他在公司的职位晋升很快，因 此选择D项．
22．B．细节理解题．根据文章第二段中的In 1853…his first big break 可知他的首次成功 是当他在the Pennsylvania Railroad Company 得到了办公室工作的时候；故选B．
23．A．细节理解题．根据文章第二、三段的内容At work，his superiors were impressed by his abilities and willingness to work hard可知，他的勤奋、努力赢得了领导的 赏识，也得到了老板的帮助，由此可见他的老板们对他评价很高；故选A．
24．A．标题归纳题．根据全文尤其是第一段For me，the greatest story of rags to riches is that of Andrew Carnegie，who started life in poverty but became one of the richest men in the world可知，本文主要叙述了Andrew Carnegie 从 贫穷走向成功的经过，因此A 项为最佳标题．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
