2. 外语
  3. (1)In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly sketch something of my personal history. (2)The turning point of my life

(1)In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly sketch something of my personal history. (2)The turning point of my life

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问题     (1)In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly sketch something of my personal history.
    (2)The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic, and sharing my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession. This was understandable in view of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years at Springhill College in Mobile and, though much beloved and respected in the community, earned barely enough to provide for his large family. My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that kept the wolf at bay. As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of precarious existence with uncertain financial reward. My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of music, and to college I went—quite happily, as I remember, for although I loved my violin and spent most of my spare time practicing, I had many other interests.
    (3)Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial reverses and I felt it my duty to leave college and take a job. Thus I launched upon a business career—which I always think of as the wasted years.
    (4)Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business. My whole point is that it was not for me. I went into it for money, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt mat life was passing me by. From being merely discontented I became acutely miserable. My one ambition was to save enough to quit and go to Europe to study music. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for "downtown," distracting my poor mother by bolting a hasty breakfast at the last minute. Instead of lunching with my business associates, I would seek out some cheap cafe, order a meager meal and scribble my harmony exercises. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, accumulated enough to enable me to go abroad. The family being once more solvent, and my help no longer necessary, I resigned from my position and, feeling like man released from jail, sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed minute of it.
    (5)"Enjoyed" is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a free man and I was doing what I was meant to do.
    (6)If I had stayed in business I might be a comparatively wealthy man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up all those intangibles, those inner satisfactions that money can never buy, and that are too often sacrificed when a man’s primary goal is financial success.
    (7)When I broke away from business it was against the advice of practically all my friends and family. So conditioned are most of us to the association of success with money that the thought of giving up a good salary for an idea seemed little short of insane. If so, all I can say is "Gee, it’s great to be crazy."
    (8)Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it.
The point of Para. 4 is about _____.
选项 A、how painfully the author endured his business career for his goal of music
B、how boring the author’s business career was that he could not wait to quit
C、how busy the author’s business career was that he rarely had good breakfasts
D、how depressed the author felt because he had to support the whole family
答案A
解析 第4段前五句讲述了作者对经商的看法。由“不满”到“痛苦不堪”使他当时唯一的希望就是攒钱去欧洲学音乐。该段后面部分讲到他是如何努力并实现自己梦想的。A较好地概括了这两点，故为正确答案。文中提到作者出发前仓促吞下早餐是因为早上忙于练琴而非业务繁忙，故排除C；B、D在文中未提及。
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