Paul Zindel’s death on March 27,2003 ended the brilliant life of a famous writer. Not only did Paul Zindel win a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Prize for his 1970 play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, but be was one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary(当代的) literature for young adults(成人). The Pigman, published in 1968, is still one of the most well-known and widely-taught novels in the genre. The American Library Association has named it one of the 100 Best of the Best Books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992, and Zindel’s autobiography, The Pigman and Me, was among the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century. Six of Zindel’s books, in fact, have been voted the Best Books for Young Adults, and most of his recent horror books-such as The Doom Stone and Rats-have been chosen as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Clearly, he was a writer who knew how to interest contemporary children. Recognizing that, the American Library Association in 2002 honored Paul Zindel with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize for his lifetime achievements, and later that same year he was presented with the ALAN Prize for his contributions to Young Adult Literature. With his passing, young readers, teachers, and librarians have lost a great friend.

56.Which of Paul Zindel’s books was the most popular with young adults in the 20th century?

    A.The Pigman.                  B.The Doom Stone.

    C.The Pigman and Me.              D.The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.

57.Why was Paul Zindel honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize?

    A.His books were widely read by children.

    B.His books were interesting and helpful to adults.

    C.He made great contributions to contemporary literature.

    D.He wrote a number of horror books for young adults.

58.When did Paul Zindel win the ALAN Prize?

    A.In 2002.                         B.In 2003.

    C.Between 1967 and 1992.            D.Between 2002 and 2003.

59.Choose the correct statements from the following according to the passage.

    a.The Pigman and Me was one of the Best Books for teenagers.

    b.Zindel was one of the earliest writers who wrote for adults only.

    c.The Doom Stone and Rats are not popular with young adults.

    d.Zindel was given four prizes for literature before he died.

    e.At least eight of Zindel’s books were very popular in his times.

    A.c, d, e         B.a, b, c       C.a, b, d         D.a, d, e

Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.

She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次) are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”

So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 a.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. “It’s  better than it was  last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”

The hours she’ s chosen to work meant that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.

Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”

The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself——and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”

Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret. “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”

Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______

A. she wanted to earn more money to support her family

B. she had suffered a lot of mental pressure

C. she needed the right time to look after her children

D. she felt tired of taking care of patients

Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because Margaret _______.

A. they never clean their offices

B. they look down upon cleaners

C. they never do their work carefully

D. they always make a mess in their offices

When at work, Margaret feels _______.

A. light-hearted because of her fellow workers

B. happy because the building is fully lit

C. tired because of the heavy workload

D. bored because time passed slowly

The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.

A. help care for her children

B. regret what they had said

C. show sympathy for her

D. feel disappointed in her

      Paul Zindel’s death on March 27,2003 ended the brilliant life of a famous writer. Not only did Paul Zindel win a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Prize for his 1970 play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, but be was one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary(当代的) literature for young adults(成人). The Pigman, published in 1968, is still one of the most well-known and widely-taught novels in the genre. The American Library Association has named it one of the 100 Best of the Best Books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992, and Zindel’s autobiography, The Pigman and Me, was among the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century. Six of Zindel’s books, in fact, have been voted the Best Books for Young Adults, and most of his recent horror books-such as The Doom Stone and Rats-have been chosen as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Clearly, he was a writer who knew how to interest contemporary children. Recognizing that, the American Library Association in 2002 honored Paul Zindel with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize for his lifetime achievements, and later that same year he was presented with the ALAN Prize for his contributions to Young Adult Literature. With his passing, young readers, teachers, and librarians have lost a great friend.

56.Which of Paul Zindel’s books was the most popular with young adults in the 20th century?

       A.The Pigman.                 B.The Doom Stone.

       C.The Pigman and Me.             D.The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.

57.Why was Paul Zindel honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize?

       A.His books were widely read by children.

       B.His books were interesting and helpful to adults.

       C.He made great contributions to contemporary literature.

       D.He wrote a number of horror books for young adults.

58.When did Paul Zindel win the ALAN Prize?

       A.In 2002.                                     B.In 2003.

       C.Between 1967 and 1992.               D.Between 2002 and 2003.

59.Choose the correct statements from the following according to the passage.

       a.The Pigman and Me was one of the Best Books for teenagers.

       b.Zindel was one of the earliest writers who wrote for adults only.

       c.The Doom Stone and Rats are not popular with young adults.

       d.Zindel was given four prizes for literature before he died.

       e.At least eight of Zindel’s books were very popular in his times.

       A.c, d, e                 B.a, b, c               C.a, b, d                 D.a, d, e

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”                                                                                                                       (335 words)
【小题1】Which of the following is true of amusics?

A.Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.
B.They love places where they are likely to hear music.
C.They can easily tell two different songs apart.
D.Their situation is well understood by musicians.
【小题2】According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.
A.dislikes listening to speeches
B.can hear anything nonmusical
C.has a hearing problem
D.lacks a complex hearing system
【小题3】In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.
A.her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier
B.she were seventeen years old rather than seventy
C.her problem could be easily explained
D.she were able to meet other amusics
【小题4】What is the passage mainly concerned with?
A.Amusics’ strange behaviours.
B.Some people’s inability to enjoy music.
C.Musical talent and brain structure.
D.Identification and treatment of amusics.

Did you ever wonder who invented products like Liquid Paper, Kevlar or paper bags? Most would think a man invented these items. Guess what? Women invented each of these. What? You don’t believe me? Well, read this:

Liquid Paper was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham in 1951 and originally called Mistake Out. Being a typist, Bette was increasingly irritated with being unable to erase her typing mistakes. The messy business left her hands black and the paper dirty. Bette was good at painting and remembered that an artist paints over mistakes. She applied that same principle to typing mistakes and Liquid Paper was born, making Bette into a self-made millionaire.

Kevlar, yes, the Kevlar of the bullet proof vest(防弹衣)—what police officers and soldiers wear, was invented by Stephanie Kwolek. Stephanie worked for the DuPont Company as a research chemist. She was asked to find a high-performance fiber. Originally, this fiber was intended to be used for car tires (轮胎). However, the fiber she developed in 1964 was amazing and is still used in products such as sailboats, skis, shoes, and yes, bullet proof vests. In 1995 Stephanie was named to the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame.

Margaret Knight invented a machine that revolutionized the making of paper bags. Paper bags had been made like envelopes but Margaret developed a machine that would fold and paste(粘)a flat-bottom paper bag, the very same type we still use today. Margaret’s family was poor and she started working at the age of nine. Her first invention at the age of twelve was a safety tool for a loom(织布机). Later she worked for the Columbia Paper Bag Company. It was there that she worked on improving the making of paper bags. She was issued her patent(专利)in 1870.

So next time you use a new product or an old one, will you wonder who made it? Do some research on the web and answer a few questions like: Who invented it? How was it invented? You may be surprised at some of the stories you uncover.

1.The underlined word “irritated” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to_________.

  A.annoyed             B. excited              C. delighted            D. nervous

2.What do we know about Margaret?

  A.She was a member of the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame.

  B.Her first invention was made when she was twenty.

  C.Her invention was designed to produce envelopes.

  D.She began working when she was very young.

3.which of the following best shows the structure of the passage? (①=paragraph 1, ②=Paragraph 2,… ⑤=paragraph 5)

 

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A.How inventions were made

  B.Amazing inventions by women

  C.Women and modern technology

  D.You can also be an inventor

 

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