When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon (丝带)around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio(小儿麻痹症)at the age of seven. Her spine (脊柱)become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last. What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in paragraph 1 most nearly mean?
A.a far better artist |
B.a far more gifted artist |
C.a much stronger person |
D.a much more famous person |
The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by .
A.polio |
B.back injuries |
C.the operations she had |
D.her bent spine |
Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the .
A.1950s | B. 1930s | C.1940s | D.1970s |
What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
A.Devotion | B.Sympathy | C.Worry | D.Encouragement |
It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for "Six days shall you labor and do all your work" was taken seriously back then. Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning. Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets, they had sent him to the kitchen for more string(线). It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.
My mother looked at the sitting room, its furniture disordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she cast a look toward the window. "Come on, girls! Let's take string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute."
On the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something wrong, together with her girls.
There never was such a day for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, just for the joy of sending it up again.
Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. "Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven," I thought confusedly.
It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to the house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was, we didn't mention that day afterward. I felt a little embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep "the things that cannot be and yet they are."
The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to "go park, see duck."
"I can't go!" I said. "I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that far."
My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from the peas she was shelling(去皮). "It's a wonderful day," she offered, "really warm, yet there's a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?"
I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The locked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. "Come on," I told my little girl. "You're right, it's too good a day to miss."
Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath (余波) of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of — what dark and horrible things?
"Say!" A smile sipped out from his lips. "Do you remember — no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me."
I hardly dared speak. "Remember what?"
"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp (战俘营), when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?"Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because she thought_________.
A.she was too old to fly kites |
B.she should have been doing her housework then |
C.her husband would make fun of her |
D.her girls weren’t supposed to play the boy’s game |
By "we were all beside ourselves," the writer means that they all _________.
A.felt confused | B.looked on |
C.went wild with joy | D.forgot their fights |
What did the writer think after the kite-flying?
A.The boys must have had more fun than the girls. |
B.All the others must have forgotten that day. |
C.Her parents should spend more time with them. |
D.They should have finished their work before playing. |
Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?
A.She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother. |
B.She thought it was a great day to play outside. |
C.She had finished her work in the kitchen. |
D.She was reminded of the day they flew kites. |
The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that _________.
A.the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories |
B.his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life |
C.childhood friendship means so much to the writer |
D.people like him really changed a lot after the war |
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. “We have one more gift for you.” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained. “I worked so hard for my bike and it’s not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn’t have to do anything for it. ” My dad smiled. “She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’ s not really for her,” he said. What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me. He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend.What do we know about the author’s bike?
A.It was worth $120. |
B.Allen bought it for him. |
C.It was very fashionable. |
D.He didn’t like it actually. |
Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
A.He had paid off his debt. |
B.He had learned to ride a bike. |
C.He could also own Liz’s bike. |
D.He could sell his bike to Liz. |
Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
A.His sister got a new record player. |
B.His father didn’t care about him. |
C.The record player wasn’t new. |
D.His sister got a better gift. |
Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt ________.
A.moved | B.satisfied |
C.puzzled | D.disappointed |
The author finally realized that ________.
A.the new bike actually belonged to him |
B.the new bike wasn’t bought by his father |
C.his father actually gave him a more valuable gift |
D.his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact |
Butterflies are some of the most fascinating and beautiful insects in the world. Adult butterflies will live about 2 to 4 weeks. They use their senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste to survive in the world, find food and mates, lay eggs in an appropriate place, migrate, and avoid hungry enemies.
Butterflies have large compound eyes(复眼), which allow them to see in all directions without turning their heads. Like most insects, butterflies are very nearsighted, so they are more attracted to a sea of flowers than individual plants. Butterflies do not “see” colors such as red, green, and yellow, but they can sense sunlight, which indicates the direction the sun is shining, as well as ultraviolet light(紫外线), which is present on many flowers and guides butterflies to honey sources.
Butterflies have a very well-developed sense of smell, but it is not in their nose, since they don't have one. Sense receptors are located in their antennae(触角), feet, and many other parts of the body. They can help butterflies find their favorite flower honey food, and mates.
Butterflies' feet have sense organs that can taste the sugar in flower honey, letting the butterflies know if something is good to eat or not. Some females also carefully choose host plants by tasting to find appropriate places to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies feed their babies using a long tube. Butterflies force blood into the tube to straighten it out, allowing them to feed. Butterflies get all their food from this tube.
Butterflies don't have ears. Instead they “hear” sounds through their wings by sensing changes in sound vibrations(振动).
Butterflies may possess senses we don't even know about yet, because their body structure is very different from ours, and therefore difficult to understand, when observed through our own human senses.What can we learn from the 2nd paragraph?
A.Butterflies have good eyesight. |
B.Butterflies can see in all directions and don't need to turn heads. |
C.Butterflies are sensitive to bright colors including red and yellow. |
D.Butterflies cannot sense the ultraviolet light. |
How do butterflies hear sounds?
A.Using their feet to sense the vibration of things |
B.Using their ears to listen directly |
C.Using their wings to sense the sound vibrations |
D.Using their antennae to judge the sound |
Why do female adult butterflies carefully choose the host plants?
A.To find high-qualified honey. |
B.To have a good place for living. |
C.To make it easier for them to hide from the enemies. |
D.To find a proper place for their eggs. |
What does the last paragraph imply?
A.There’s a long way to understand butterflies well |
B.Butterflies give great help to human beings |
C.Butterflies are the most beautiful insects in the world |
D.Butterflies possess more senses than humans |
The text mainly focuses on ________.
A.butterflies' living habits | B.butterflies' beauty |
C.butterflies' daily activities | D.butterflies' senses |
Butterflies(蝴蝶) are some of the most fascinating (迷人的) and beautiful insects in the world. Adult butterflies will live about two to four weeks. They use their senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste to survive in the world, find food and mates, lay eggs in a proper place, migrate (迁移) and avoid hungry enemies.
Butterflies have large compound eyes (复眼), which allow them to see in all directions without turning their heads. Like most insects, butterflies are very near-sighted, so they are more attracted to many flowers. Butterflies do not “see” colors such as red, green and yellow, but they can sense sunlight, which shows the direction in which the sun is shining, as well as ultraviolet light (紫外线), which is present on many flowers and guides butterflies to find honey sources.
Butterflies have a very well-developed sense of smell, but it is not in their nose, since they don’t have one. Sense receptors (感受器) are in their antennae (触角), feet and many other parts of the body. They can help butterflies find their favorite flower honey, food and mates.
Butterflies’ feet have sense organs that can taste the sugar in flower honey, letting the butterflies know if something is good to eat or not. Some females also carefully choose host plants by tasting to find proper places to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies feed their babies using a long tube. Butterflies force blood into the tube to straighten it out, allowing them to feed. Butterflies get all their food from this tube.
Butterflies don’t have ears. Instead they “hear” sounds through their wings by sensing changes in sound vibrations (振动).
Butterflies may possess senses we haven’t known about till today, because their body structure (结构) is very different and difficult to understand, when observed through our own human senses.(325 words)What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A.Butterflies have good eyesight. |
B.Butterflies can see in all directions and don’t need to turn heads. |
C.Butterflies are sensitive (敏感的)to bright colors including red and yellow. |
D.Butterflies cannot sense the ultraviolet light. |
How do butterflies hear sounds?
A.Using their feet to sense the vibration of things |
B.Using their ears to listen directly |
C.Using their wings to sense the sound vibrations |
D.Using their antennae to judge the sound |
Why do female adult butterflies carefully choose the host plants?
A.To find high-qualified honey. |
B.To have a good place for living. |
C.To make it easier for them to hide from the enemies. |
D.To find a proper place for their eggs. |
What does the last paragraph imply?
A.There’s a long way to understand butterflies well |
B.Butterflies give great help to human beings |
C.Butterflies are the most beautiful insects in the world |
D.Butterflies possess more senses than humans |
The text mainly focuses on __________.
A.butterflies’ living habits |
B.butterflies’ beauty |
C.butterflies’ daily activities |
D.butterflies’ senses |
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability .
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person’s place and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favour, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We would enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humour, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest and understanding, I know I’m lucky that I’ve found a friend!(358 words) What does the underlined word “reliability”(Para.4) mean in Chinese?
A.说谎 | B.勇敢 | C.胆小 | D.可靠 |
According to the author, the most important quality in choosing a friend is _________.
A.understanding | B.honesty |
C.reliability | D.a sense of humour |
If you have fair weather friends, _________.
A.they will give you all that they have when you need help |
B.you will be refused when you get into trouble |
C.you will become rich |
D.you can be sure that you get real friends |
Good friends need to _________.
A.always point out each other’s mistakes |
B.be helped with money |
C.understand each other’s feelings |
D.have money or luck |
This passage mainly discusses _________.
A.the qualities of a friend |
B.where to choose friends |
C.how to get along with friends |
D.the importance of having a friend |