“I would almost rather see you dead,” Robert S．Cassatt, a leading banker of Philadelphia, shouted when his twenty-year-old eldest daughter announced that she wanted to become an artist．In the 19th century, playing at drawing or painting on dishes was all right for a young lady, but serious work in art was not．And when the young lady's family ranked among the best of Philadelphia's social families, such an idea could not even be considered．That was how Mary Cassatt, born in 1844, began her struggle as an artist．She did not tremble before her father's anger．Instead, she opposed(抗拒)him with courage and at last made him change his mind．
Mary Cassatt gave up her social position(社会地位)and all thought of a husband and a family, which in those times was unthinkable for a young lady．In the end, after long years of hard work and perseverance(坚持), she became America's most important woman artist and the internationally recognized leading woman painter of the time．
(1)
How did Mr. Cassatt react(反应)when his daughter made her announcement?
[ ]
A．
He feared for her life．
B．
He was very angry．
C．
He nearly killed her．
D．
He warned her．
(2)
What in fact was Mr. Cassatt's main reason in opposing his daughter's wish?
[ ]
A．
Drawing and painting was simply unthinkable among ladies in those days．
B．
He did not believe his daughter wanted to work seriously in art．
C．
He believed an artist's life would be too hard for his daughter．
D．
Ladies of good families simply did not become artists in those times．
(3)
What made Mary Cassatt's“struggle”to become a recognized artist especially hard?
[ ]
A．
She was a woman．
B．
Her father opposed her．
C．
She had no social position．
D．
She did not come from an artist's family．
(4)
What can we know from the passage?
[ ]
A．
She never married because she did not want to be just a wife and mother
B．
Robert Cassatt was a cruel man．
C．
She hated playing at drawing and painting．
D．
Career was generally considered the most important in the life of a woman in the U．S．in Mary Cassatt's times
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read：
For washing the car ＄5.00
For making my own bed this week ＄1.00
Going to the provision shop ＄0.50
Playing with little sister ＄0.25
Taking out the rubbish ＄1.00
Getting a good report card ＄5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor ＄2.00
Total ＄14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment．I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind．So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote：
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes．He looked at his mother and said,“Mummy, I love you．”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the“bill”“All paid．”
(1)
What's the best title for this passage?
[ ]
A．
Part-time Job
B．
Mother's Love, No Charge
C．
Payment for House Work
D．
Greedy Mother
(2)
The write wrote the passage in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that children should be paid for their housework
B．
show that children should not be paid for their housework
C．
show a clever way of teaching children
D．
tell children how to spend their spare time
(3)
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
[ ]
A．
Clever
B．
Greedy
C．
Cold－hearted
D．
Selfish
(4)
From the last passage we know that ________
[ ]
A．
the boy got all the money he wanted
B．
the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C．
the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D．
the mother was angry with what the boy said
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
