"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．

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案。

A shopkeeper in England was sent a telegram 1 him of the news 2 his 3 won 100,000 pounds in the Irish Sweepstakes(爱尔兰大马赛). He 4 to be home nursing a heart condition, and his wife opened the message. 5 that the 6 news might 7 a heart failure to her husband, she invited the family 8 to dinner and asked him 9 on the good news with professional tact(策略).After dinner, the doctor 10 his patient to one side.

“How are you 11 on with your business?” the doctor began.

“It could be better. I could use a few hundred pounds,” said the shopkeeper.

“Well,”the doctor said 12 ,“you have a sweepstakes ticket. What would you do if you 13 1,000 pounds?”

“Nobody 14  wins,”the an answered with a sigh(叹息).“But if I win, I will send my family to the seashore, and 15 off our debts.”

“ 16 you win 50,000 pounds…”

“I would buy this house and a villa(别墅) 17 the country.”

“What would you do if you won 100,000 pounds?”

The man looked up.“ Listen, my friend,” he said 18 .“I swear(发誓)I would give you half of it.”

19 this, the doctor gasped(喘粗气), opened his mouth, and dropped 20 .

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"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?

I had just enough energy for a bit of wine in the Irish Bar, where the sweet Irish music relaxed me to the point ________ I had to take myself up to bed.

I had just enough energy for a bit of wine in the Irish Bar, where the sweet Irish music relaxed me to the point ________ I had to take myself up to bed.

A. which 　　　　　 B. that 　　　　 C. where 　　　　 D. as