题目内容
The story of Madame Tussaud is as fascinating as that of the exhibition itself. From a housekeeper's daughter to a successful business woman, her life has all the marks of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Madam Tussaud was born in 1761 and named Marie Grosholtz. Her father was killed in battle only two months before Mane's birth. For the first five years of her life, Marie lived in Berne with her mother, who worked as housekeeper for Dr Philippe Curtius. A doctor, with a talent for wax modeling, Curtius became her teacher.
It was Curtius who opened the original wax exhibition in Paris in 1770 and introduced Marie to some famous people. At only 17, she modeled the famous writer Francois Voltaire, followed by a portrait of American statesman Benjamin Franklin when he was in Paris as US ambassador. Both figures are still on display at Madame Tussaud's, London today.
Her work at Curtius successful wax exhibition led to an invitation to the court of Louis XVI and his queen. For nine years she lived at the palace of Versailles guiding the artistic education of the king's sister. Meanwhile the French Revolution was about to erupt. Aware of the political nrest,Philippe Curtius called Marie back to Paris. Marie7 s connection with the royal family made her guilty. Both she and her mother were arrested. After she was set free, Marie was forced to make death masks (a death mask is a model of a dead person's face, made by coving their face with a soft substance and letting it become hard) of executed (被处决的) nobles. Many were former friends at court, including her former employers, the king and queen.
By 1800 Marie was married with two young children and a poor business inherited from Curtius. Madame Tussaud made the decision to take her exhibition on tour. In 1802, she left France. For the next 33 years, Madame Tussaud traveled the British Isles, exhibiting her growing collection of portraits. In those pre-television days, this was the only way most people had direct contact with the famous people of the time. The exhibition became permanently based in London in 1835, moving to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. Her last work, a remarkable self – portrait that is still on show, was completed only eight years before her death aged 89.
【小题1】The underlined part in Para. 1 implies that Madame Tussaud’s life was .
| A．complicated | B．successful | C．peaceful | D．lonely |
| A．Curtius’ recommendation | B．her gift for wax modeling |
| C．her mother’s help | D．her friendship with the king’s sister |
| A．she had worked for Dr Philippe Curtius |
| B．she had modeled the French royal family |
| C．she had worked at the place of Versailles |
| D．she had refused to make death masks |
| A．how Marie’s was modeling business became successful |
| B．how Marie balanced her family and work |
| C．the establishment of Madame Tussaud’s, London |
| D．the popularity of Madame Tussaud’s wax exhibition |
a. She hadn’t seen his father since she was born.
b. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.
c. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.
d. She guided the artistic education of the king’s daughter.
e. In 1842, she completed her last work.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
【小题1】A
【小题1】B
【小题1】C
【小题1】A
【小题1】A
解析
阅读快车系列答案One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, they came to the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.
“Could you possibly give us a room here?” the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town.“All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said.“But I can’t send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on.“Don’t worry about me; I’ll make out just fine.” the clerk told them. So the couple agreed.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk,“You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn’t easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round—trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.“That,” said the older man,“is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.”“You must be joking,” the young man said.“I can assure you I am not,” said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.
The older man’s name was William Waldorf Astor, and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf—Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C.Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world’s most glamorous hotels.
【小题1】The purpose of the author writing this story is to_______.
| A．give people a good laugh | B．cover some facts |
| C．promote the business of Waldorf—Astoria Hotel | D．deliver a lesson |
| A．The story took place at about one a.m.. |
| B．The old couple was too poor to afford a luxurious room. |
| C．The clerk was willing to help those in need. |
| D．The clerk received an unexpected invitation from the old man. |
| A．rooms | B．suites | C．meetings | D．hotels |
| A．Every little thing helps. |
| B．Make hay while the sun shines. |
| C．Man proposes； God disposes(处理,决定). |
| D．One good turn deserves another. |