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Steinbeck, John, 1902-68, American writer, born in Salinas, Calif., studied at Stanford. He is probably best remembered for his strong sociological novel The Grapes of Wrath, considered one of the great American novels of the 20th century. Steinbeck's early novels-Cup of Gold (1929), The Pastures of Heaven (1932), and To a God Unknown (1933)-attracted little critical attention, but Tortilla Flat (1935), an affectionate（亲切的）yet realistic novel about the lovely, Spanish-speaking poor of Monterey, was enthusiastically received.
A merciful understanding of the world's poor was to be Steinbeck's mark. The novel In Dubious Battle (1936) defends striking immigrant agricultural workers in the California fields. In the novel Of Mice and Men (1937; later made into a play), Steinbeck again presents immigrant workers, but this time in terms of human worth and integrity（完好）－a theme he also used in The Moon Is Down (1942; later made into a play), about Norwegian resistance to the Nazis. The Grapes of Wrath (1939; Pulitzer Prize), while treating the hard situation of dispossessed Dust Bowl farmers during the 1930s, presents a universal picture of victims of disaster. Steinbeck's description of the westward migration of the Joad family, and their following struggles in the agricultural industry of California, is realistic and moving, and he presents his inferior characters with nobility.
Steinbeck's other works are diverse, ranging from the literal account of a voyage, The Sea of Cortez (1941; written with the marine biologist E. F. Ricketts),to a moral story, The Pearl (1948); to a French folk piece, The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957). Love of his native land shines through the delicately nostalgic story "The Red Pony" in The Long Valley (1938). The somewhat emotional attitude of Tortilla Flat appears again in Cannery Row (1945), The Wayward Bus (1947), and Sweet Thursday (1954).
1. How many novels adapted into a play are mentioned in the passage ?_________.
A. Nine B. Seven C. Four D. Two
2.Accoding to the passage , which of the following is true?
A. The Grapes of Wrath, is considered one of the great novels of this century.
B. Only in the novel In Dubious Battle Steinbeck referred to immigrant workers.
C. In The Grapes of Wrath, farmers living in Dust Bowl possess almost nothing.
D. All Steinbeck’s late works are related to his love of his native land.
3.We can learn from the passage that Steinbeck ________.
A. did not draw much attention until Tortilla Flat was published
B. wrote all his novels in terms of human worth and integrity
C. presented poor but noble characters in all his novels
D. showed his love for his native land in The Short Reign of Pippin IV
4.The passage is mainly about Steinbeck’s ________.
A. works B. life C. fame D. prize
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1
John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公开指责) mother – love or hating moonlight.”
I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Obama can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19–inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life–changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime–time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.
1.What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______________.
A．Americans are believed to be the offspring of fishermen
B．it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing
C．all Americans are expert at fishing
D．those who dislike fishing would not love their mother
2.．The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______________.
A．when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck
B．when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell
C．after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama
D．after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A．The author is at most 21 years old.
B．The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life.
C．The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school.
D．President Obama often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job.
4.．According to the author, __________________.
A．people can get to know VIPs when fishing.
B．people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing
C．Fishing is a way of communication
D．Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people
5.．What is the purpose of the writing?
A．To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.
B．To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.
C．To make others understand the industry of fishing.
D．To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.
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British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
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British wri
ter John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He b
ecame much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred f
or the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
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British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
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Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. He was an American writer of novels and short stories, whose works are the typical writings of the Jazz Age, a term he created himself.
Born into an upper middle-class Irish Catholic family, Fitzgerald was named after his famous second cousin, Francis Scott Key. He was also named after his deceased sister Louise Scott, one of two sisters who died shortly before his birth. He spent 1898–1901 in Syracuse and 1903–1908 in Buffalo, New York, where he attended Nardin Academy. When his father was fired from his company, the family returned to Minnesota, where Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy from 1908 to1911.
He is widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered to be a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. He finished four novels, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender Is the Night and his most famous classic novel, The Great Gatsby. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon was published after his death. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that dealt with themes of youth.
His first literary work, a detective story, was published in a school newspaper when he was 12. When he was 16, he was forced to leave St. Paul Academy for neglecting his studies. He attended Newman School, a prep school in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1911–1912, and entered Princeton University in 1913 as a member of the Class of 1917. There he became friends with future critics and writers Edmund Wilson (Class of 1916) and John Peale Bishop (Class of 1917), and wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club. He was also a member of the University Cottage Club, which still displays Fitzgerald’s desk and writing materials in its library. A poor student, Fitzgerald left Princeton to enlist (入伍) in the US Army during World War I; however, the war ended shortly after Fitzgerald’s enlistment.
Fitzgerald had been an alcoholic (酒鬼) since his college days, leaving him in poor health by the late 1930s. Fitzgerald suffered a mild attack of tuberculosis in 1919, and died of a heart attack in 1940.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The “Lost Generation” of the 1920s.
B. How Fitzgerald got his name.
C. The life and works of Fitzgerald.
D. Fitzgerald and the Jazz Age.
2.What led to Fitzgerald’s early death according to the passage?
A. His poverty.
B. His heavy drinking.
C. The poor working conditions.
D. The pressures of work.
3.Which is the most famous work of Fitzgerald?
A. This Side of Paradise.
B. The Beautiful and Damned.
C. Tender Is the Night.
D. The Great Gatsby.
4.What’s the right order of the events related to Fitzgerald?
a. He attended Nardin Academy.
b. He entered Princeton University.
c. He attended St. Paul Academy.
d. He joined the US Army during World War I.
A. a,c,b,d B. a,d,b,c
C. b,d,a,c D. b,a,c,d
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Bob Dylan, born on May 24, 1941, is an American songwriter, singer, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when his songs showed social unrest. Early songs such as Blowing in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changing promoted the American civil rights and anti-war movements.
Dylan’s songs include a wide range of political, social and literary influences. They challenged existing pop music conventions and appealed to the growing counterculture. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song, from folk, blues, and country to rock and roll, and to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, even jazz and the Great American Songbook. He has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been called the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but songwriting is considered his greatest contribution.
As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation (引言）for his influence on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
1.Which word best describes Dylan’s music according to Paragraph 2?
A. Various. B. Talented. C. Personal. D. Popular.
2.What is Dylan better recognized as?
A. A performer. B. A singer. C. An artist. D. A songwriter.
3.What made Dylan get the Nobel Prize?
A. His poems about music. B. His American song tradition.
C. His language style of the songs. D. His influence on America culture.
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Donald John Trump, born on June 14, 1946, is an American businessman. As the Republic Party’s nominee for president in the 2016 election, he defeated Hillary Clinton in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Trump is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, which is the principal holding company for his real estate (Trump is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, which is the principal holding company for his real estate(房地产) ventures and other business interests. During his career, Trump has built office towers, hotels, casinos, golf courses, and other branded facilities worldwide.
Trump was born and raised in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. In 1971 he was given control of his father Fred Trump’s real estate and construction firm and later renamed it The Trump Organization. Trump has appeared at the Moss USA pageants, which he owned from 1996 to 2015, and has made cameo(配角) appearances in films and television series. He sought the Reform Party presidential nomination(提名) in 2000, but withdrew before voting began. He hosted and co-produced The Apprentice, a reality television series on NBC, from 2004 to 2015. As of 2016, he was listed by Forbes as the 324th wealthiest person in the world, and 156th in the United States.
In June 2015, Trump announced his candidacy(候选人资格) for president as a Republican and quickly emerged as the front runner for his party’s nomination. In May 2016, his remaining Republican rivals suspended(暂停) their campaigns, and in July he was formally nominated for president at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump’s campaign has received unprecedented media coverage and international attention. Many of his statements in interviews, on Twitter, and at campaign rallies(集会) have been controversial or false. Several rallies during the primaries were accompanied by protests or riots.
1.What do we know about Donald John Trump?
A. His career is limited in America.
B. It was a surprise that he defeated Hillary Clinton.
C. His business has expanded all over the world.
D. His father was against him being a politician.
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A. Introduction to Trump’s life. B. Introduction to Trump’s family.
C. The secret of Trump’s success. D. Trump’s dream.
3.Which of the following is WRONG for Donald John Trump once?
A. He once acted as a leading actor in films.
B. He once worked as a host.
C. He owns a lot of money.
D. He majored in economics in university.
4.According to the last paragraph, we can conclude at the campaign ________.
A. Trump owed his success to his family
B. at a point all Americans protested against Trump
C. Trump had no Republican rivals
D. all people didn’t agree with the remarks Trump made
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William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin in 1865. His childhood ___ the harmony that was ____ of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited(继承) excellent taste in ____ from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally ____ literature, ____ drama and poetry.
Yeats had strong ____ in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the ____ task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments,____, were not received ____ at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed ____ in his poetical drama.
___ with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much ____ notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life ____, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide ____.
He had not ____ a major public life ____ winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he ____ writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be ____ as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who ____ his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’s death in 1939, W.H.Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an ____ guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie.
Emptied of its poetry.
1.A.held B.lacked C.expected D.desired
2.A.typical B.special C.awkward D.capable
3.A.art B.poetry C.drama D.literature
4.A.carried on B.decided on C.put on D.based on
5.A.regularly B.instantly C.particularly D.finally
6.A.desire B.energy C.access D.faith
7.A.fresh B.stupid C.small D.difficult
8.A.therefore B.however C.besides D.otherwise
9.A.possibly B.honorably C.favorably D.doubtfully
10.A.failure B.fame C.pleasure D.success
11.A.Connected B.Occupied C.Compared D.Tired
12.A.admiring B.amusing C.amazing D.envying
13.A.finished B.produced C.created D.progressed
14.A.praise B.spread C.recognition D.assessment
15.A.enjoyed B.accepted C.purchased D.taken
16.A.before B.since C.until D.after
17.A.abandoned B.continued C.appreciated D.recommended
18.A.respected B.admired C.valued D.favored
19.A.prohibits B.attempts C.recommends D.produces
20.A.appealed B.advocated C.advanced D.honored
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Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature yesterday, honored for work that "with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, describes the landscape of the dispossessed(被流放者)," the Swedish Academy said.
The 56-year-old author, who immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987, first gained public attention in 1982 with a collection of short stories titled Niederungen, or Lowlands in English, which was promptly censored(审查通过) by her government.
In 1984 an uncensored version was smuggled to Germany where it was published and her work describing life in a small, German-speaking village in Romania was popular with the readers there. That work was followed by Oppressive Tango in Romania.
"The Romanian national press was very critical of these works while, outside of Romania, the German press received them very positively," the Academy said. "Because Mueller had publicly criticized the dictatorship(独裁) in Romania, she was prohibited from publishing in her own country.” In 1987 she immigrated to Germany with her husband two years before dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled from power.
Mueller's parents were members of the German-speaking minority in Romania and father served in the Waffen SS during World War II. After the war ended, many German Romanians were deported(放逐) to the Soviet Union in 1945, including her mother, who spent five years in a work camp in what is now Ukraine.
Most of her works are in German, but some works have been translated into English, French and Spanish, including The Passport, The Land of Green Plums, Traveling on One Leg and The Appointment.
Mueller has given guest lectures at universities, colleges and other venues in Paderborn, Warwick, Hamburg, Swansea, Gainsville (Florida), Kassel, Gottingen, Tubingen and Zurich among other places. She lives in Berlin. Since 1995 she has served as a member of Deutsche Akademie fur Sprache und Dichtung, in Darmstadt."
Mueller is the 12th woman to win the literature prize. Recent female winners include Austria's Elfriede Jelinek in 2004 and British writer Doris Lessing in 2007.
The award includes a $1.4 million prize and will be handed out on December 10
51．Herta Mueller was awarded Nobel Prize in literature because of____________.
A．her public criticism upon the dictatorship in Romania
B．her works with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose
C．her works describing the life of the dispossessed in Germany
D．the popularity of her works with the readers in the German-speaking village
52．Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
A．German Romanians were treated unfairly in Germany in the 1940s.
B．Her parents were dispossessed to Ukraine after the World War II.
C．Her first work was published in Germany in the early 1980s.
D．Her works were all translated into versions in different languages.
53．It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that _____.
A．people then in Romania had the right to say whatever was true.
B．Herta Mueller left her home country after the dictatorship was ended.
C．Herta Mueller immigrated to Germany together with her parents.
D．Romanian citizens lived a hard life without democracy in the 1980s.
54．According to the passage, which of the following works has an English version?
A．Lowlands in English B．Oppressive Tango in Romania.
C．Traveling on One Leg D．The Land of Green Plums
55．What is the passage mainly about?
A．Mueller made great contribution to literature through hard work
B．Mueller won the Nobel Prize for her great literature works.
C．Mueller gained great popularity by describing dictatorship.
D．Mueller was treated badly in Romania and immigrated to Germany.
ter John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He b
ecame much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
or the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.