题目内容
Harriet Beecher Stowe
By Noel B Gerson
218 pages. Praeger $8.95
“So this is the little lady who made this big war,”said Abraham Lincoln. The president was meeting the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin for the first time, more than a decade after the book’s publication in 1852.“It was not simply a patronizing(傲慢的)remark”. Harriet Beecher Stowe really was small:“I am a little bit of a woman,”she described herself,“about as thin and dry as a pinch of snuff.”
If Uncle Tom’s Cabin did not quite start a war, it ignited the minds of people North and South, both for and against abolition. Tens of thousands of Americans who had not read the book already knew Simon Legree as the classic slave driver and Uncle Tome the black victim.
Harriet Beecher Stowe was a well-known writer well before Uncle Tom’s Cabin made her rich and famous. For a time, she and her preacher husband Calvin Stowe were too poor to afford a servant. Mrs. Stowe ran her house, cared for her twin daughters(the first two of seven children),churned out genteel, folksy stories and religious essays to help make ends meet.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin changed all that. It was the first great American best-seller. In the initial year in print, it sold 300,000 copies, and eventually more than 3 million American readers bought the book. Worldwide, sales ran to something like 10 million in 40 languages.
In this plain but informative portrait, biographer Gerson notes that author Stowe never visited the deep South before the Civil War. Most of the knowledge of slavery was gained from former slaves whom she met while living in Cincinnati(one of the busiest stops on the Underground Railway), though she did visit a working plantation in Kentucky briefly in 1833.
In spite of the impact on the world of her celebrated novel it turns out that except for the issue of slavery, she had a scant interest in politics.
1.Harriet Beecher Stowe is a book that describes mainly________.
A.the effect of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
B.the family of Mrs. Stowe
C.the reason for the popularity of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
D.the life and works of Mrs. Stowe
2.Abraham Lincoln’s remark concerning Harriet Beecher Stowe was______.
A.patronizing and inspiring
B.important and necessary
C.made in 1852
D.patronizing but quite accurate
3.The cause of the Civil War was really_________.
A.the issue of abolition
B.the uprising of the oppressed class
C.the popularity of the song“Old Black Joe”
D.the anger felt by those who read“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
4.Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote many stories________.
A.to fight for the independence of America
B.to supplement her husband’s income
C.to champion the cause of the slaves
D.to obtain fame as a writer
5.Harriet Beecher Stowe’s knowledge of slavery was________.
A.not accurate
B.based on reports only
C.gathered from both slave drivers and slaves
D.mainly gained from slaves
D D A B D
As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.
【小题1】Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?
A.She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident. |
B.She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family. |
C.She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision. |
D.She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family. |
A.A nursery maid. | B.A house cleaner. | C.A home cook. | D.A family teacher. |
A.The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold. |
B.The delicious food took the writer's attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words. |
C.All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family. |
D.All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs Bloomfield herself. |
A.Mrs Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot |
B.The youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student |
C.the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should |
D.Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children |
Searching for airfares (飞机票价) often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.
Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.
“You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.
There’s no reason for it, Harrison said.
Fares can fluctuate significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.
The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.
There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:
? Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.
? Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to 10 weeks and two to three weeks in advance.
? Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive (独家) sales to travelers who interact (互动) with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.
? The so-called discount (折扣) airlines – JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier – adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal.
1.What can we infer from the first sentence of the text?
A.Passengers are unable to search for airfares. |
B.Airlines often play games with passengers. |
C.Airfares are set in different situations. |
D.It’s difficult for passengers to get the best price. |
2.The underlined phrase “pull the trigger” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.
A.start searching |
B.get the highest price |
C.make a purchase |
D.get on board the plane |
3.By using a lot of figures, the author intends to _______.
A.show there is standard price for every single airline |
B.discover the rules behind airfares |
C.guarantee passengers a low price |
D.prove airfares can vary widely |
4.Passengers are advised to book flights _______.
A.in the middle of the week |
B.on special websites |
C.several months before traveling |
D.with airlines which are famous for offering discount prices |