"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．
This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．
Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．
Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．
Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．
In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．
Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．
【小题1】What's the text mainly about?

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．

This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．

Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．

Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．

Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．

In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．

Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．

1.What's the text mainly about?

A．A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works．

B．A literary review on Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes．

C．An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood.

D．A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience．

2.By saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer really means that      ．

A．a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood

B．his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy

C．his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery

D．smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention

3.From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is        ．

A．humorous and trustworthy                B．alcohol-addicted but loves his family

C．poor but warm-hearted                   D．irresponsible but gifted in telling stories

4.What does the underlined word "handouts" mean in the 6th paragraph?

A．Reliefs．                              B．Compensations．

C．Leaflets．                             D．Teaching materials．

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．
This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．
Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．
Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．
Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．
In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．
Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．

1. 1.

   What's the text mainly about?

   1. A.
      A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works．
   2. B.
      A literary review on Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes．
   3. C.
      An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood
   4. D.
      A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience．
2. 2.

   By saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer really means that      ．

   1. A.
      a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood
   2. B.
      his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy
   3. C.
      his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery
   4. D.
      smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention
3. 3.

   From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is        ．

   1. A.
      humorous and trustworthy
   2. B.
      alcohol-addicted but loves his family
   3. C.
      poor but warm-hearted
   4. D.
      irresponsible but gifted in telling stories
4. 4.

   What does the underlined word "handouts" mean in the 6th paragraph?

   1. A.
      Reliefs．
   2. B.
      Compensations．
   3. C.
      Leaflets．
   4. D.
      Teaching materials．

As she walked round the large shop, Edith realized how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas __1__for her father.

She __2__that he were as easy to please as her mother, who was __3__satisfied with perfume(香水). Besides, shopping at this time of the year was a most unhappy job. People stepped on your feet, pushed you with their shoulders and almost __4__ you over in their hurry in order to __5__ something cheap ahead of you.

Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter, where some beautiful ties were on __6__. "They are __7__silk," the shop assistant told her with a smile trying to __8__her to buy one. But Edith knew from past __9__that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.

She moved on slowly and then, quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of men had gathered round a counter. She found some fine pipes(烟斗) on sale and the __10__were very beautiful. Edith did not hesitate(犹豫) for long, although her father __11__ smoked a pipe once in a while, she believed this was __12__ to please him.

When she got home, with her small but __13__present hidden in her handbag, it was time for supper and her parents were already at table. Her mother was in great __14__. "Your father has at last decided to stop smoking," she told her daughter happily. Edith was so __15__that she could not say a single word.

完形填空(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1~15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

As she walked round the large shop, Edith realized how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas   1 for her father.

She wished that he were as easy to   2 as her mother, who was always   3  with perfume (香水). Besides, shoping at this time of the year was a most   4  job. People   5  on your feet, pushed you with their shoulders and almost   6  you over in their hurry in order to find something cheap ahead of you.

Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter, where some beautiful ties were on show . "They are real silk," the shop assistant told her with a smile trying to   7  her to buy one. But Edith knew from past   8  that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.

She moved on slowly and then, quite by chance,  9  where a small crowd of men had gathered round a counter. She found some fine pipes on sale and the shapes were very beautiful. Edith did not hesitate for long, although her father   10  smoked a pipe once in a while, she believed this was   11  to please him.

When she got home, with her small but   12  present hidden in her handbag, it was time for supper and her parents were already at table. Her mother was in great   13  . "Your father has at last decided to stop smoking," she told her daughter happily. Edith was so   14  that she could not  15  a single word.