AndrewCarnegie,oncetheworld’srichestperson,wasbornin183...

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AndrewCarnegie,oncetheworld’srichestperson,wasbornin183...

Andrew Carnegie, once the world’s richest person, was born in 1835 to a weaver’s family in Scotland. As a child, he was expected to follow his father’s profession. But the industrial revolution destroyed the weavers’ craft, and the family had to leave for new possibilities in America.

In 1848 the Carnegies arrived in Pittsburgh, then the iron-manufacturing center of the country. Young Carnegie took odd jobs at a cotton factory and later worked as a messenger boy in the telegraph office. He was often asked to deliver messages to the city theater, where he would stay to watch plays by great playwrights. He also spent most of his leisure hours in a small library that a local benefactor(捐助者) made available to working boys.

After the Civil War, Carnegie saw great potential in the iron industry. He devoted himself to the replacement of wooden bridges with stronger iron ones and earned a fortune. He further introduced a new steel refining process to convert iron into steel. By 1900, Carnegie Steel produced more of the metal than all of Great Britain.

However, Carnegie often expressed his uneasiness with the businessman’s life. Wishing to spend more time receiving instruction and reading systematically, he once wrote, “If I were to continue much longer in the state of being overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make more money in the shortest time, it would degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery.” The strong desire for intellectual(智力的) pursuit led him to sell his company and retire at 64.

Fond of saying that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced,” Carnegie then turned his attention to giving away his fortune. He abhorred charity; instead, he used his money to help others help themselves. He established over 2,500 public libraries, and sponsored numerous cultural, educational and scientific institutions. By the time he died in 1919, he had given away 350 million dollars.

1.Andrew Carnegie moved to the United States because         .

       A.his father was offered a good job in Pittsburgh

       B.he did not want to follow his father’s profession

       C.there were serious political problems in Scotland

       D.his family could not make a good living in their hometown

2.When did Carnegie begin to show his interest in artistic and intellectual pursuit?

       A.After he retired from his business.

       B.When he was a young boy back in Scotland.


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       C.After he earned his fortune from his iron business.

       D.When he worked as a messenger boy in Pittsburgh.

3.Which of the following best characterizes how Carnegie managed his business?

       A.He was willing to make new changes.

       B.He set out to beat all t he other competitors.

       C.He was happy to make more money in the shortest time.

       D.He did not hesitate in making investments in his hometown.

4.The underlined word “abhorred” is closest in meaning to         .

       A.hated                  B.enjoyed               C.practiced             D.encouraged

5.How did Carnegie handle his fortune after his retirement?

       A.He left it to his family and friends after he died.

       B.He gave it to poor people and charity organizations.

       C.He used it to support organizations of higher learning.

       D.He invested it in developing new technology in steel refinement.

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