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

 

The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato’s Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated (高雅时尚的) brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories (装饰品) that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices (零售价).

The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like.

Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but “this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores”, because of the economy.

If you're selling

Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment (寄售), Plato's Closet buys on the spot.

Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition.

Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.

There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card.

Secondhand success

Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.

Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.

Price comparison

Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37.

Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90.

Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89.

Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365)

1.What is the difference between Plato's Closet and other resale shops?

A.They offer service for people of different ages.

B.The offerings in Plato's Closet are more expensive.

C.Plato's Closet only offers high-end brands for women.

D.Plato's Closet also sells books to the customers.

2.Which of the following about Plato's Closet is NOT true?

A.Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch are the two hottest brands in Plato's Closet.

B.Only young people can buy proper clothes and accessories in Plato's Closet.

C.Goods in Plato's Closet are sold at up to 70 percent off retail prices.

D.Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.

3.In Plato s Closet, which of the following is not accepted?

A.Items you sell must be. in very good condition.

B.You can bargain with buyers about the prices of goods.

C.The clothes you sell should be less than two years old.

D.You can sell your goods on the spot instead of on consignment.

4. If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato's Closet, you can save_______.

A.57.9 dollars

B.44 dollars

C.77 dollars

D.25 dollars

 

I take the train to work every morning from a train station near my house. I can get to the station quite  _36__ because there’s a short cut(捷径)to the station. But in the summer, it can get quite smelly because of all the   37. So I always try to   38   through it. Today I was trying to do so as usual __39__ something made me stop for a moment. I saw the most beautiful __40__ by an old woman walking in front of me with the help of a white __41__.

She was short and   42   and had white hair. She was walking __43__ as each step took some effort. I hadn’t specially noticed her   44 , until she stopped near a rubbish bin(垃圾箱).

She slowly placed her walking stick ___45__ the rubbish bin. Then she leaned (斜倚着) on it with her right hand. She bent down and _46__ the rubbish. She clearly found it  _47___ and it took her a while. She _48__ some rubbish with her left hand and slowly straightened herself up again. All the while she used the rubbish bin to __49   herself. She threw the rubbish inside the bin and then   50  walking. It all took her great effort.

There’s no much rubbish and no one ever does ___51__ about it. I was moved to _52__ this old woman make such a great effort to keep even a small part of it __53__! I haven’t been able to __54__ thinking about that all day.

I want to follow her example. I’ve decided to pick up rubbish of the __55__ if I meet from now on. I hope people will do the same as I do.

1.

A.hard

B.early

C.easily

D.late

 

2.

A.rubbish

B.boxes

C.bottles

D.paper

 

3.

A.walk

B.pass

C.go

D.rush

 

4.

A.so

B.therefore

C.when

D.because

 

5.

A.back

B.act

C.mark

D.color

 

6.

A.bike

B.stick

C.dog

D.umbrella

 

7.

A.weak

B.rich

C.clever

D.sad

 

8.

A.quickly

B.happily

C.angrily

D.slowly

 

9.

A.at midnight

B.at dusk

C.at last

D.at first

 

10.

A.in

B.around

C.against

D.under

 

11.

A.searched for

B.threw away

C.reached for

D.looked for

 

12.

A.unable

B.difficult

C.different

D.impossible

 

13.

A.picked up

B.dropped down

C.put in

D.lifted up

 

14.

A.warm

B.help

C.support

D.hide

 

15.

A.continued

B.started

C.enjoyed

D.remembered

 

16.

A.something

B.anything

C.everything

D.nothing

 

17.

A.feel

B.see

C.have

D.let

 

18.

A.busy

B.beautiful

C.dirty

D.clean

 

19.

A.keep

B.stop

C.mind

D.regret

 

20.

A.wall

B.desk

C.ground

D.classroom

 

 

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 p.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.”

1. 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

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

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

3. 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

4. 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

 

 

选择恰当的主题句

Read the following text and choose the most suitable topic sentence from A—E for each paragraph. There is an extra one which you do not need.

A. l don’t really know my daughter,for she isn’t easy to get on with.

B. We were closest when she was about four,which I think is a wonderful age for a child.

C. I’m very pleased to have Carmen.

D. My first wife and I only had one child.

E. I’ve always wanted the best for her.

Family Matters

Oliver Darrow, actor, talks about his daughter, Carmen.

72   It might have been nice to have more. I would have liked a son,but we just had Carmen.

I see her as my best friend. I think she always comes to me first if she has a problem. We have the same sense of humour and share many interests,except that she’s crazy about animals,obsessed with them-she has always had dogs,cats,and horses in her life.

73    That’s when they need their parents most.But as soon as Carmen went to school,she seemed to grow up and grow apart from her family, and any father finds it difficult with a teenage daughter. She was very moody and had an odd group of friends. There was an endless stream of strange young men coming to our house. I remember I once got annoyed with her in front of her friends and she didn’t talk to me for days. 

74  We sent her to a good school, but she wasn’t happy there. She left because she  wanted to become an actress. So with my connections I got her into drama school. but she didn’t like that either. She worked for a while,doing small roles in films, but she must have found it boring because she gave it up,though she never really said why. She got married a few years ago; her husband’s a vet.  They must be happy because they work together. and she loves animals.

We have the same tastes in books and music,When she was younger I used to take her to the opera-that’s nay passion-but she can’t have liked it very much because she hasn’t come with me for years. I don’t think she goes to the cinema or watches TV much. She might watch my films. but I don’t know. It’s not the kind of thing she talks to me about.

75  .She’s a good daughter, but I don’t think she likes my new wife very much because she doesn’t visit us very often. I’m looking forward to being a grandfather one day. I hope she’ll have a son.

 

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