William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony(和睦)that was typical 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 art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama(戏剧)and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring 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 progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’ death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel(船)lie
Emptied of its poetry.Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A.It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter |
B.It was shocked by Yeats’s choice |
C.It was a typically wealthy family |
D.It had an artistic atmosphere |
According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A.Yeats founded the first Irish theater |
B.Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry |
C.Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s |
D.Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize |
What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A.Envy | B.Sympathy | C.Emptiness | D.Admiration |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Yeats’s literary achievements | B.Yeats’s historical influence |
C.Yeats’s artistic ambition | D.Yeats’s national honor |
B
THEATRE
City Varieties
The Headrow, Leeds. Tel. 430808
Oct 10—11 only A Night at the Varieties. All the fun of an old music hall with Barry Cryer, Duggle Brown, 6 dancers, Mystina, Jon Barker, Anne Dural and the Tony Harrison Trio; Laugh again at the old jokes and listen to your favourite songs.
Performances: 8 pm nightly.
Admission: ₤5; under 16 or over 60: ₤4
York Theatre Royal St Leonard's Place, York. Tel. 223568
Sept 23—Oct 17 Groping for Words - a comedy by Sue Townsend. Best known for her Adrian Mole Diaries, Townsend now writes about an evening class, which two men and a woman attend. A gentle comedy.
Admission: First night, Mon: ₤2; Tues—Fri: ₤3.25 - 5.50; Sat: ₤3.50 - 5.75.
Halifax Playhouse King's Cross Street, Halifax. Tel. 365998
Oct 10—17 On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson. This is a magical comedy about real people. A beautifully produced, well-acted play for everyone. Don't miss it.
Performances: 7:30 pm.
Admission: ₤2. Mon: 2 seats for the price of one
Grand Theatre Oxford Street,Leeds. Tel.502116
Oct -17 The Secret Diary of A drian Mole,Aged 13. Sue Townsend’s musical play,based on her best-selling book
Performances: Evernings 7:45. October 10-17,at 2:30 pm.No Monday performances.
Admission:Tues—Thurs &2-5;Fn&Sat:$2-6/which theatre offers the cheapest seat?
A.Halifax Playhouse |
B.City Varieites |
C.Grand Theatre |
D.York Theatre Royal |
If you want to see a play with old jokes and songs,which phone number will you ring to book a seat?
A.502116 | B.223568 | C.365998 | D.430808 |
We may learn from the text that Sue Townsed is
A.a writer | B.an actress | C.a musician | D.a director |
阅读理解
After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread, and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.The reason for Robert’s attempts to kill himself was that _________.
A.a terrible traffic accident happened to him |
B.he had to live in a dark and silent world |
C.he was struck by the lightning once more |
D.nobody in the world cared about him |
What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?
A.Sheltering from the rain under a tree. |
B.Driving a car. |
C.Taking a walk with a stick. |
D.Lying on the ground. |
We can infer from the text that ________.
A.there was no accurate explanation for Robert’s recovery |
B.many doctors came because Robert was badly injured |
C.Robert’s wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock |
D.a sudden injury in the head led to Robert’s recovery |
What’s the best title of the whole passage?
A Terrible Electrical Accident
B. Robert Edwards and His Wife
C. What a Sudden Shock
D. An Unforgettable Experience
There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. Some people believe that they can’t help putting on weight as they get older, while others hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths:
I’ll never lose weight---I come from a fat family
Wrong! While we can’t change the body type we are born with, we can’t blame our genes for making us fat. There’s plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercising too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism(新陈代谢). In fact, although fat people consume 消耗more energy than slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.
Exercise is boring
Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively. The key is to develop a balanced and varied多样的 program that’s fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a difference route. If you do yoga, try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge.
No pain, no gain
Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something’s wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If you don’t, rest and seek medical advice.What does the author think about being fat?
A.It is the family genes that make people fat. |
B.People are fat because they consume too little energy. |
C.A diary of exercise can prevent people from becoming fat. |
D.It is the result of people’s unbalanced lifestyle. |
According to the author, how can we make exercise more interesting?
A.By taking varied exercise. |
B.By choosing simple exercise. |
C.By doing regular exercise. |
D.By sticking to(坚持)outdoor exercise. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To state the importance of keeping fit. |
B.To clarify(澄清) some misunderstandings about fatness and exercise. |
C.To test what has long been believed about keeping fit. |
D.To explain some medical facts about being fat and doing exercise. |
I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled(贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled(爬)under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.What made Kate so angry one evening?
A.She couldn’t find her books. |
B.She heard the author shouting loud. |
C.She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
D.She saw the author’s shoes beneath her bed. |
The author tidied up the room most probably because______________.
A.She was scared by Kate’s anger. |
B.She hated herself for being so messy |
C.She wanted to show her care |
D.She was asked by Kate to do so |
How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?
A.By analyzing分析 causes. |
B.By showing differences. |
C.By describing a process过程. |
D.By following time order. |
What might be the best title for the story?
A.My Friend Kate | B.Hard Work Pays Off |
C.How to Be Organized | D.Learning to Be Roommates |
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear(鞋类)in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits(展品)from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
Room 1 The celebrity(名人) footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities’ choice of footwear extremely interesting. |
Room 2 Most of our visitors are amazed and shocked by the collection of “special purpose” shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much! |
Room 3 As well as shoes and boots the museum also exhibits shoe shaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that is similar to a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that like legs! |
The footwear Library People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up Information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear. |
Where would you find a famous singer’s shoes?
A.Room1. | B.Room 2. | C.Room3. | D.The Footwear Library |
All exhibits in each room .
A.share the same theme |
B.have the same shape |
C.are made of the same material |
D.belong to the same social class |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.The oldest exhibits in Room 1 were made in the 1950s. |
B.Room 2 is the most visited place in the museum. |
C.Room 3 has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two. |
D.Researchers come to the Footwear Library for information. |
The purpose of the text is to get more people to .
A.do research | B.design shoes |
C.visit the museum | D.follow celebrities |