题目内容
It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery. Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey. There were no Christmas carolers (唱颂歌的人) walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up (用木板封住的) houses and broken windows. Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets. It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place.
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit. Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door. In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner. Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair. She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years.
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled. "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in. The children climbed around, wearing only diapers (尿布). There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet. There was no Christmas tree or decorations. My heart sank. It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family. We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand.
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying. "We are just getting by." I opened my arms and gave her a hug.
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door. I realized how warm I felt inside.
This was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other.
1.From Paragraph 1, we can infer that Camden may be a place where ________.
A. the living conditions were terrible B. people had no belief
C. there was no sign of life D. little sunshine was received
2.What impression did the woman leave on the author?
A. She was shy and cold to visitors. B. She was confident and energetic.
C. She wasn't good at dressing herself up. D. She looked much older than her age.
3.By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant __________.
A. they were waiting for help B. they were looking for food and clothing
C. they were going to move away D. they were living a very poor life
4.The passage mainly tells us that _______________.
A. the poor can also help others B. assisting the poor needs actions
C. people should help each other D. having more children causes poverty
1.A
2.D
3.D
4.C
【解析】略
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戏剧) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
【小题1】Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A.It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter. |
B.It was shocked by Yeats’s choice. |
C.It was a typically wealthy family. |
D.It had an artistic atmosphere. |
A.Yeats founded the first Irish theater. |
B.Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry. |
C.Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s. |
D.Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize. |
A.Envy. | B.Sympathy. |
C.Emptiness. | D.Admiration. |
A.Yeats’ literary achievements. |
B.Yeats’ historical influence. |
C.Yeats’ artistic ambition. |
D.Yeats’ national honor. |