Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family．As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had “seven fathers,” because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her．Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated(躲避)into books．Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate．
In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine．Her father encouraged her to go to college because he thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband．Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa．At the university’s Writers’ Workshop, however, she felt lonely－a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families．The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her “Creative voice．”
“It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice．I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That’s when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn’t write about．”
Cisneros published her first work, The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine．The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child．The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level．Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children’s book, and a short-story collection．
(1)
Which of the following is TRUE about Cisneros in her childhood?
[ ]
A．
She had seven brothers．
B．
She felt herself a nobody．
C．
She was too shy to go to school．
D．
She did not have any good teachers．
(2)
The graduate program gave Cisneros a chance to ________．
[ ]
A．
work for a school magazine
B．
run away from her family
C．
make a lot of friends
D．
develop her writing style
(3)
According to Cisneros, what played the decisive role in her success?
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”．
“I'm delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout．
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising．”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master's in creative writing from San Francisco State University．She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think．
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed．”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don't feel as if it's better．”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq．The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006．
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not．“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD．
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies．The new edition is scheduled to appear in May．
(1)
According to Rae Armantrout, ________．
[ ]
A．
her 10th book is much better
B．
her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C．
the media is surprised at her works
D．
she likes being recognized by her readers
(2)
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
[ ]
A．
She published a poetry textbook．
B．
She used to teach Denise Levertov．
C．
She started a poets' group with others．
D．
She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley．
(3)
What can we learn about “Versed”?
[ ]
A．
It consists of three parts．
B．
It is mainly about the American army．
C．
It is a book published two decades ago．
D．
It partly concerns the poet's own life．
(4)
Rae Armantrout's colleagues think that she ________．
[ ]
A．
should write more
B．
has a sweet voice
C．
deserves the prize
D．
is a strange professor
(5)
What can we learn from the text?
[ ]
A．
About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed．
B．
Cancer made Armantrout stop writing．
C．
Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD．
D．
“Versed” has been awarded twice．
阅读理解
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”．
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout．
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising．”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University．She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think．
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed．”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better．”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq．The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006．
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not．“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry, ” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD．
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2, 700 copies．The new edition is scheduled to appear in May．
(1)
According to Rae Armantrout, _________．
[ ]
A．
her 10th book is much better
B．
her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C．
the media is surprised at her works
D．
she likes being recognized by her readers
(2)
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
[ ]
A．
She published a poetry textbook．
B．
She used to teach Denise Levertov．
C．
She started a poets’ group with others．
D．
She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley．
(3)
What can we learn about “Versed”?
[ ]
A．
It consists of three parts．
B．
It is mainly about the American army．
C．
It is a book published two decades ago．
D．
It partly concerns the poet’s own life．
(4)
Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she _________．
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