In Stockholm, the Swedish Academy has chosen the British author Doris Lessing for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature.
The selection of Doris Lessing for a Nobel was popular among the hundreds of journalists gathered for the announcement in Stockholm.
Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy Horace Engdahl said with skepticism, fire and visionary power Lessing has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny.
Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia - modern-day Iran - to British parents, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer’s wife and her black servant.
A member of the British Communist Party during the 1950s and a campaigner against nuclear arms and South African apartheid, Lessing was for years banned from that country and from Rhodesia.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism. A disjointed study of the mind of the main character, Anna Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics and communism, relationships with men and sex, and Jungian analysis and dream interpretation.
Lessing’s themes shifted to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s she was fascinated with the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism. Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditionalist critics, but she has continued to win new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing’s selection.
"She is one of the truly great writers - of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction," Engdahl said. "She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature."
At 87, Doris lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature laureate since the first prizes were awarded in 1901. Each Nobel Prize is this year accompanied by a check for approximately $1.4 million.
【小题1】How old was Doris Lessing when she published her first novel?

In Stockholm, the Swedish Academy has chosen the British author Doris Lessing for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature.
The selection of Doris Lessing for a Nobel was popular among the hundreds of journalists gathered for the announcement in Stockholm.
Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy Horace Engdahl said with skepticism, fire and visionary power Lessing has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny.
Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia - modern-day Iran - to British parents, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer’s wife and her black servant.
A member of the British Communist Party during the 1950s and a campaigner against nuclear arms and South African apartheid, Lessing was for years banned from that country and from Rhodesia.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism. A disjointed study of the mind of the main character, Anna Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics and communism, relationships with men and sex, and Jungian analysis and dream interpretation.
Lessing’s themes shifted to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s she was fascinated with the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism. Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditionalist critics, but she has continued to win new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing’s selection.
"She is one of the truly great writers - of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction," Engdahl said. "She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature."
At 87, Doris lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature laureate since the first prizes were awarded in 1901. Each Nobel Prize is this year accompanied by a check for approximately $1.4 million.

1. 1.

   How old was Doris Lessing when she published her first novel?

   1. A.
      14
   2. B.
      26
   3. C.
      31
   4. D.
      50
2. 2.

   Which of the following about The Grass is Singing is true?

   1. A.
      It is mainly about racial conflict between the whites and the blacks in the US.
   2. B.
      The main characters are a white farmer’s wife and her black servant.
   3. C.
      It was published in Africa.
   4. D.
      It was Doris Lessing’s most famous novel.
3. 3.

   We can infer from the passage that __________.

   1. A.
      Journalists are very interested in the election of Doris Lessing’s for Nobel Prize.
   2. B.
      Doris Lessing regard The Golden Notes as a pioneering work of feminism.
   3. C.
      Doris Lessing has written about many different subjects.
   4. D.
      Many writers have the courage to stick to the equality between the male and female experience.
4. 4.

   The underlined wordschool in the last but one paragraph means________.

   1. A.
      institution for educating children
   2. B.
      college or university
   3. C.
      department of a university
   4. D.
      group of writers, thinkers
5. 5.

   Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

   1. A.
      Doris Lessing wins Nobel Prize for literature.
   2. B.
      The greatest British female writer.
   3. C.
      The oldest Nobel Prize winner.
   4. D.
      2007 Nobel Prize announced in Stockholm.

In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing since the earliest days has been square dancing．In early times, when men and women worked in groups to build a barn（building where animals are kept） or harvest crops, they danced when the work was done．The music came from a violin from the most part, but if there was no one to play an instrument, placcing was used to produce the rhythm （loud and soft sounds made in a certain order） by which to dance．The early settlers danced in a store, in a barn, or in a farm kitchen．

A square is formed by four couples who stand facing the center of the square．Each couple stands on one side of the square, the boy on the left and girl on the right．

    The caller is an important part of the dance since he tells the dancers which steps to do．If the dancers do not know the steps, he teaches them．It takes time for a learner to be a good caller, and good callers are always in demand．

    These are the names of some of the steps the dancers do．Form a square; Circle; Honour your partner; Promenade （walk about slowly）, Swing your partner; Form a star．There are many more．As the caller tells the dancers what to do next, they move to form the pattern he calls．

Large or small numbers of people can dance at one time．Sometimes 800 or 1,000 people may be dancing at the same time．Or there may be only one square of eight people．

    Tumecoses are worn by some who square dance．This makes the dancing more colorful to watch．The tumecoses vary from place to place．Women often were full skirts of various colors with a pretty blouse．Men have colored shirt and western trousers which they．wear only when square dancing, In some country areas, everyone wears his best clothes．

    Today in all parts of the United States you will find some school, club, or other group that is square-dancing for fun．

1．In the past, people danced ________．

    A．when they were doing their work                    B．before they did their work

    C．after they finished their work'                D．before a big party

2．In the first paragraph, the word "plac" means ________．

A．hit the hands together to make a sound 

B．a kind of thing like radios

C．shout at the top of one's voice        

D．knock something to make a sound

3．Which of the following statements is true?

    A．The caller is the most beautiful person in square dancing．

    B．The caller knows everything about square dancing．

    C．It is not difficult to learn to be a good caller．

    D．The caller play an important part in square dancing．

4．If 1,000 people dance at the same time, how many squares can be formed?

    A．Only on big square．                      B．1,000 squares．

    C．More than 100 squares．                   D．Less than 100 squares．

5．In the sixth paragraph, the word "tumecoses" means ________．

    A．special clothes                            B．a kind of hat with flowers on it

    C．a ring worn on the finger                   D．clothes worn when working

In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing since the early days has been square dancing. In early times, when men and women worked in groups to build a barn (谷仓) or harvest crops, they danced when the work was done. The music came from the violin for the most part, but if there was no one to play a musical instrument, clapping（拍手）was used to produce the rhythm（节奏）by which to dance. The early settlers danced in a store, in a barn, or in a farm kitchen.

       A square is formed by four couples who stand facing the centre of the square. Each couple stand on one side of the square, the boy on the left and the girl on the right.

       The caller is an important part of the dance, since he tells the dancers which steps to do. If the dancers do not know the steps, he teaches them. It takes time to learn to be a good caller, and good callers are always in demand.

       These are the names of some of the steps the dancers do: Form a square; Circle; Honour your partner; Swing your partner; Form a star. There are many more. As the callers tell the dancers what to do next, they move to form the pattern（图形）he calls.

       Large or small numbers of people can dance at one time. Sometimes 800 or 1,000 people may be dancing at the same time. Or there may be only one square of eight people.

       Special clothes are worn by some when dancing. This makes the dance more colourful to watch. The special clothes are different from place to place. Women often wear full skirts of various colours with a pretty blouse. Men have coloured shirts and western trousers that they wear only when square dancing. In some country areas, everyone wears his best clothes.

       Today in some parts of the United States you will find some schools, clubs, or groups square dancing for fun.

56. From the passage we know that square dancing came from_______.

  A. the clubs            B. the schools  　        C. the countryside       D. big cities

57. How many steps do the dancers usually do while square dancing?

  A. At most four.                                                B. At least five.           

  C. At most eight.                                                  D. At least one thousand.

58. Which of the following statements is true?

  A. The caller is the most beautiful person in square dancing.

  B. It’s easy to learn to be a good caller.

  C. The caller plays an important part in square dancing.

  D. There are always enough good callers.

59. For what purpose do the American men and women dance?

  A. For money.                                B. For fun.

  C. To celebrate their harvest.                    D. To show their beautiful clothes.

60. If 800 people dance at the same time，how many squares can be formed?

  A. 100 squares.       B.200 squares.      C. 400 squares.        D. One big square.