As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets (资产) of approximately US $ 6. 3 billion.

    Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia (百科全书) by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and math and his favorite pastime was “thinking”.

    Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13, when one was installed at his school. At that time, computers were large, awkward (笨重的) machines. Operators were required to learn complex (复杂的) computer languages before the machines could be used. Even then a great deal of time and effort was needed to perform the simplest functions. Before long Gates was an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autumn, majoring math. But he was still obsessed (占据心思) with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls.

    By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it.

    BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft.

    His next project was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased (购买) by 113M in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world.

    As chief executive office of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize (批评) his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to most people now, Gates is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble (谦恭) and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fast food restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say. “All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it. “

1．When he was a teenager, Bill Gates wanted to be a  ________.

    A. teacher

    B. doctor

    C. businessman

    D. professor

2．When Gates went to Harvard, he ________.

    A. was interested only in math

    B. spent most of his time in computer laboratories

    C. developed the first computer software program

    D. divided his time between his math studies and the computer laboratories

3．Before the development of BASIC, ________.

    A. no one was interested in computer software

    B. software programs were not considered commercial projects

    C. software programs were very expensive

    D. no one wanted to pay for computer software

4．When the writer says, “Bill was regarded as an unfashionable boring computer nut”, he means ________.

    A. Bill was so strong-minded that no one could change his mind

    B. the only thing that could interests Bill on his life was computer

    C. Bill was such a boring young man that nobody would like to talk to him

    D. Bill couldn't work out the boring computer problems

5．Most people think Gates is ________.

    A. a crazy person

    B. a person obsessed with making money

    C. someone who spends money freely

    D. a quite common, normal person