Arthur Miller (1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria-Hungary, drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream.” |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman________.
| A．achieved huge success |
| B．won the first Tony Award |
| C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
| D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Arthur Miller and his family. |
| B．The awards Arthur Miller won. |
| C．The hardship Arthur Miller experienced. |
| D．Arthur Miller and his best-known play. |
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.
| A．make people live more easily |
| B．smooth away daily problems |
| C．deal with life changes |
| D．cure types of illnesses |
The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.
| A．lies in the social medical care systems which support them |
| B．has much to do with the amount of support they get from others |
| C．depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
| D．is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?
| A．takes place of | B．makes up of |
| C．lessens the effect of | D．gets rid of |
Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.
| A．instrumental support | B．informational support |
| C．social companionship | D．the strengthening of self-respect |
What is the subject discussed in the text?
| A．Interpersonal relationships. |
| B．Kinds of social support. |
| C．Ways to deal with stress. |
| D．Effects of stressful conditions. |
From the earliest times，man has been interested in art．People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures．
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris，France．The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries．
The Louvre has not always been a museum．The first building was a fort（炮台）．In 1190，it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower．It had a moat to keep out his enemies．
Over the years，the number of buildings around the castle grew．By 1350，the castle was no longer needed as a fort．The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens．
During times of peace，new treasures were brought in．During days of war，many treasures were stolen，and the buildings were damaged．
When Francis I became king of France in 1515，he brought in artists from many countries．One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy．Da Vinci's “Mona Lisa” is the best known painting in the museum today．
In 1793，the Louvre became a public museum，just as it is now．It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy．On the whole，this passage is mainly about___．
| A．an art museum called the Louvre |
| B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
| C．a king of France named Francis I |
| D．the best known painting in Louvre |
Which of the following is not true？
| A．The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago． |
| B．French kings and queens once lived in it． |
| C．The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190． |
| D．Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years． |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？
| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is． |
| B．It keeps people out of the palaces． |
| C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art． |
| D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist． |
From the passage we know that _____．
| A．it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
| B．old forts always make the best museums |
| C．great art should be shared with all the people |
| D．king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
In the third paragraph the word “moat” probably means_____．
| A．a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
| B．a long and deep ditch dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
| C．a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
| D．a long and high wall around the castle |
Alsten Chase has written a book about Yellowstone National Park. He is worried about the damage the fires can do to the park. He is also concerned(关心) about the park rules.
These rules say that nature should decide what happens to the park. Alsten also writes that the elk herd(马鹿群) has grown too big. The elks walk on the riverbanks. They eat the new grass and roots of baby trees. The beavers (河狸) need the trees to build dams.
The dams raise the water levels. Higher water levels put more water into the soil. Moist soil helps plants grow faster. The plants offer homes and food to other animals.
Chase thinks that the park rules would work only in a park with natural settings. He believes that Yellowstone has had an artificial setting for a long time. The native people left. The wolves were taken away and other animals were removed．The areas of land were fenced off and other animals added．He thinks the park rules that let herds grow too big and the fires burn are hurting the nature of the park.
The park manager thinks the rules are good and that the park will be fine. Chase thinks the way the people run the park should be changed.In Chase’s opinion, too many elks in the park will ___.
| A．cause great fires | B．break the balance of nature |
| C．destroy the dams | D．do no damage at all |
Chase thinks that the park is ____.
| A．no longer in a natural state | B．still in a natural stat |
| C．well protected | D．well managed |
After the book by Alsten Chase is published, the park will probably ___.
| A．be quickly changed | B．be completely replaced |
| C．no longer work | D．continue to work |
Anyone who wants to buy a gun in California will have to wait for 2 weeks. Four people waited for 15 days to buy guns. Then they robbed a store and shot 3 people .
Congress(国会) is now trying to pass a law that will make everyone wait to buy a gun. Many people do not want this law. Others are glad it might happen. California is one of the longest waiting times for someone to buy a gun. A gun dealer said that this waiting time does not seems to do much good．He has not seen crime(犯罪) go away because of it.
One good thing that has happened with the waiting time to buy a gun is a smaller number of suicide (自杀) . a lot of suicides are with a gun. In California, there are less suicides by gun than in other places. One reason to make people wait to buy a gun is to make sure the guns are not sold to criminals(罪犯). Last year, this check stopped 2,400 guns from being sold to criminals. This check does not stop anyone else from buying a gun.
Many criminals buy guns on the street and not in a store… some people think that a law like this will not do any good．But other people think that if only one person is stopped from getting a gun, then this law is worth it.A long waiting time to buy in California has led to ___.
| A．a good gun control | B．less suicides by gun |
| C．less shop robbery | D．a sharp fall of gun sales |
If congress passed the law, ____.
| A．no one could kill himself |
| B．there would be no gun deals |
| C．one would see more crimes go away |
| D．criminals couldn’t easily get guns in a store |
From the passage we can infer that ___.
| A．California is the only state to have a waiting time to buy guns |
| B．Congress will surely fail to pass the law to have a waiting time to buy guns |
| C．Different states can have some different laws in the United States |
| D．No laws can cover all the states in the United States of America |
One of the most successful singers of the twentieth century , Ella Fitzgerald, has made several different styles of her own. She was born in Virginia but was brought up in Yonkers, New York. Chick Webb noticed her in a competition when she was sixteen. He asked her to sing with his band(乐队) , and when he died in 1939, she took over.
Unlike Besie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald taught herself the sentimental music so popular in the 1930’s—songs like “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”—- and her recordings became best sellers. During the 1940’s she developed her own “scat singing”, for songs like “Flying Home” and “Lady Be good”.
Ella Fitzgerald was the perfect musical partner for her friend, the trumpets(号手) Louis Armstrong, matching him in warmth and artistry. “ I just like music,” she has said．“To me, it’s a story. There is only one thing better than singing… it’s singing.” Where did Fitzgerald spend most of her childhood?
| A．Virginia | B．Yonkers |
| C．New York City | D．Louisian. |
Who was the first to discover Ella Fitzgerald’s talent?
| A．Fitzgerald’s father. | B．Louis Armstrong. |
| C．Bessie Smith. | D．Chick Webb. |
When Fitzgerald was sixteen, Chick Webb asked her to ____.
| A．marry him. | B．hire him. |
| C．take over his band． | D．perform with band. |
What does the passage imply about Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstorng?
| A．They were the inventors of “scat singing.” |
| B．They played the same musical instruments. |
| C．They performed well together. |
| D．They were a married couple. |
The “friend” in the last paragraph referred to ____.
| A．Ella Fitzgerald | B．Louis Armstrong |
| C．Bessie Webb | D．Chick Webb． |