Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict(冲突) in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer’s wife and her black servant.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism(女权运动). A separated study of the mind of the main character, Amma Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics and relationships with men and sex.
Lessing’s themes changed to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s the was extremely interested in the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism(苏菲教派). Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditionalist critics, but she has continued to win new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing’s selection.
“She is one of the truly great writers-of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction,” Engdahl said. “She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse(冲动) to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature.”
At 87, Doris Lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature winner sine the first prizes were awarded in 1901.
【小题1】What would be the best title for this passage?

A.Doris Lessing writes The Golden Notebook
B.Doris Lessing is a pioneer of modern feminism
C.Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature
D.Doris Lessing is concerned about Africa
【小题2】It can be inferred from the passage that      .
A.there are only two characters in The Grass is Singing
B.The Golden Notebook is regarded as Lessing’s masterpiece by herself
C.life in Africa in her early age lays a solid foundation for her writing
D.Doris Lessing is strongly against traditional culture in Africa
【小题3】According to the fourth paragraph,       .
A.Lessing began to believe in Christ in the 1970s
B.Lessing’s science fiction won readers
C.Lessing had won two literary medals for her writings
D.Lessing changed her themes to meet the needs of traditional critics
【小题4】According to the Horace Engdahl, Lessing wins Nobel Prize mainly because       .
A.she has rich experience in living in Africa
B.she is a head master of an important school
C.she encourages women writers to struggle against men
D.she makes great contributions to equal rights for women

We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟). The name is new,but the idea is old. Young people and their parents don’t understand each other. The world has always kept changing. During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”  There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now. Old Mr. Ellis thinks he understands what has happened. “When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place. My life was very pleasant. But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat. I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too. We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. ”“Our children grew up in a world at war. They didn’t know when the fighting would stop. They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys. They didn’t want to think about the future. They thought nothing could be done about it.” “Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas. They are trying to make the world better. They are trying to help other people. They’re making people listen to them. I am proud of their generation.”

1. The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so   that when everything is turned upside down he will _____.

A. lie on his stomach       B. lie on his back

C. stand quietly           D. sit in peace

2.Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?

A. Mr. Ellis’ generation             B. His children’s generation

C. His grandchildren’s generation     D. None of the above.

3. What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?

A. Unacceptable. B. Awful.  C. Funny. D. Common.

 

The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life.

    Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures.

    In the late 19th century, the strings (弦乐器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers.

    Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach.

    Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.

1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?

    A. The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter.

    B. The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia.

    C. The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life.

    D. The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ.

2.How long is the history of the people’s celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?

    A. About 100 years.     B. Less than two centuries.

    C. About 370 years.     D. Over five centuries.

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the blocks in Rio de Janeiro?

    A. They are always wearing costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos.

    B. They always parade through countryside villages singing and dancing.

    C. There are no more than 50 blocks today.

    D. They don’t parade before the show.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

    A. The famous carnivals in the world.

    B. How the carnival was introduced in Brazil.

    C. The carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

D. The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro.

 

We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟). The name is new,but the idea is old. Young people and their parents don’t understand each other. The world has always kept changing. During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”  There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now. Old Mr. Ellis thinks he understands what has happened. “When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place. My life was very pleasant. But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat. I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too. We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. ”“Our children grew up in a world at war. They didn’t know when the fighting would stop. They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys. They didn’t want to think about the future. They thought nothing could be done about it.” “Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas. They are trying to make the world better. They are trying to help other people. They’re making people listen to them. I am proud of their generation.”

  1. 1.

    The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so   that when everything is turned upside down he will _____

    1. A.
      lie on his stomach
    2. B.
      lie on his back
    3. C.
      stand quietly
    4. D.
      sit in peace
  2. 2.

    Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?

    1. A.
      Mr. Ellis’ generation
    2. B.
      His children’s generation
    3. C.
      His grandchildren’s generation
    4. D.
      None of the above
  3. 3.

    What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?

    1. A.
      Unacceptable
    2. B.
      Awful
    3. C.
      Funny
    4. D.
      Common
阅读理解。
     We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟). The name is new, but the idea
is old. Young people and their parents don't understand each other. The world has always kept
changing. During the second century after Christ a wise man said, "Bury me on my face because
in a little while everything will be turned upside down."
    There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now. Old
Mr. Ellis thinks he understands what has happened.
    "When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place. My life was very pleasant. But
when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn't have enough
to eat. I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too. We went to
meetings and talked a lot, but it didn't seem to make much difference. "
    "Our children grew up in a world at war. They didn't know when the fighting would stop. They
wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys. They didn't want to think about the future.
They thought nothing could be done about it."
    "Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas. They are trying to make the world
better. They are trying to help other people. They're making people listen to them. I am proud
of their generation."
1. The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so that when everything
is turned upside down he will _____.
A. lie on his stomach        
B. lie on his back
C. stand quietly        
D. sit in peace
2. Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?
A. Mr. Ellis' generation      
B. His children's generation
C. His grandchildren's generation  
D. None of the above.
3. Which generation is/was more efficient in making the world better one?
A. Mr. Ellis' generation.          
B. His children's generation.
C. His grandchildren's generation.
D. None of the above.
4. What is the writer's attitude towards the generation gap?
A. Unacceptable.    
B. Awful.    
C. Funny.      
D. Common.

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