Arthur Miller (1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria-Hungary, drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
　　Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
　　When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
　　Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.
67．Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
　A. He suffered from severe hunger in his home country.
　B. He was attracted by the “Great American Dream.”
　C. He hoped to make his son a dramatist.
　D. His family business failed
68．What can we learn about Willy Loman?
　A. He treats his employer badly.
　B. He runs the Wagner Company.
　C. He is a victim of the American system.
  D. He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues.
69．After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman________.
　A. achieved huge success
　B. won the first Tony Award
　C. was warmly welcomed by salesmen
　D. was severely attacked by dramatists
70．What is the text mainly about?
　A. Arthur Miller and his family.
　B. The awards Arthur Miller won.
　C. The hardship Arthur Miller experienced.
　D. Arthur Miller and his best-known play.

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.

On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I –can do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”

On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.

So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.

Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about him clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.

North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.

Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”

8. One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that

____.

　 A. clothes dryers are more efficient　　 B. clothesline drying reduces home value

　 C. clothes dryers are energy-saving　　 D. clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states

9. Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

　 A. He is a kind-hearted man.　　　　 B. He is an impolite man.

　 C. He is and experienced gardener.　　 D. He is a man of social responsibility.

10. Who are in favor of clothesline drying?

　 A. housing businesses.　　　　　　　 B. Environmentalists.

　 C. Homeowners Associations.　　　　 D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.

11. What is mainly discussed in the text?

　 A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.

　 B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.

　 C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.

　 D. Different varieties of clotheslines.

1. What are they talking about?

    A. Information they read in newspaper.

    B. News about a friend.

C. A classroom lecture.

2. What is the man's opinion of David?

A. He is lucky.　　   

B. He is a good businessman.

C. He shouldn't have moved.

3. What kind of business does the man probably own?

    A. A shop.　　　　　　 B. A hotel.　　　　　　　　  C. A factory.

　　　 Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he’s skied more of the North Pole by himself than any other British man. His old schoolmates would not believe the change.

　　　 Next October, Saunders, 27, heads south from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, a 2900-kilometre journey that has never been completed on skis.

56. What change happened to Saunders after he was 15 years old?

A. He became good at most sports. 　　　　　　　　 B. He began to exercise his body.

C. He joined a sports team.　　　 　　　　　　　　　 D. He made friends with a runner.

57. The underlined word “exploits” probably means ______.

A. journeys　　　　　　　　　 B. researches　 　　　　　 C. adventures　　　　　　　 D. operations

58. Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Saunders?

A. He ran his first marathon. B. He skied alone in the North Pole.

C. He rode his bike in a forest. D. He planned an adventure to the South Pole.

A. acdb　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. cdab　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. acbd　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. cabd

59. What does the story mainly tell us about Saunders?

A. He is a success in sports.　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. He is the best British skier.

C. He is Ridgway’s favorite student.　　　　　　　　　 D. He is a good trainer at school.