Question

【题目】Eight years before his death in 1896, Alfred Nobel was surprised to read an obituary (讣告) in the local newspaper. It was a strange obituary, for it told Alfred Nobel, the man who was reading it, that he was dead. The newspaper had confused Alfred with his brother, Ludwig, who had recently died.

Nobel was shocked to read that he had passed away, and he was also annoyed by the title of his obituary: “The Merchant of Death is Dead”. Alfred was an armaments manufacturer (武器制造商), and a very rich and successful one. This incident got him thinking about his reputation. What would people think of him after his real death? Would they really say, “That was a man who profited from killing”？

It was this thought that led him to leave his huge amount of money for the founding of the famous Nobel prizes. His aim was to support the ongoing quest (追求) for excellence in the sciences and literature, and the ideal of peace. The first awards were given out in 1901, and since then thousands of men and women have been honored.

The awards let the world know about developments that may have a huge effect, on our lives. Of the most famous awardees, think about Polish chemist Marie Curie, who was the first woman to win a Nobel, in 1903. Sometimes, the prizes are controversial. There is often protest (抗议) at the award of the peace prize when not everyone thinks that the awardees deserve the award. Even the award for literature has sometimes been criticized, although it is often because the award committees neglect important writers. The highly influential novelists James Joyce and Marcel Proust, for example, were never honored by the Swedish Academy.

Still, for the most part the awards don’t cause many complaints. Alfred Nobel founded the prize to recognize those who have had “the greatest benefit on mankind” and few would disagree that most of the prize winners have made contributions that deserved to be honored and remembered.

【1】How did Alfred Nobel feel when he read the obituary in the newspaper?

A. Amused and understanding. B. Sad and worried.

C. Shocked and upset. D. Surprised and confused.

【2】What did Alfred Nobel decide to do after reading the obituary?

A. Stop producing any killing weapons.

B. Donate all his money to charity.

C. Pursue excellence in the sciences.

D. Use his money to set up the Nobel prizes.

【3】Why are James Joyce and Marcel Proust mentioned in the article?

A. To prove the influence of the Nobel prizes on literature.

B. To show the controversy of some Nobel prizes.

C. To explain the standard of giving out the Nobel prizes.

D. To give examples of influential Nobel prize-winners.

【4】What is the author’s opinion toward Nobel prizes?

A. There are too many controversial winners.

B. There should be more female winners.

C. They have honored many worthy winners.

D. The committees should be more selective.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】B

【4】C

【解析】本文介绍诺贝尔奖的创始人Alfred Nobel。

【1】C

细节理解题。根据第一段中Eight years before his death in 1896, Alfred Nobel was surprised to read an obituary (讣告) in the local newspaper. ---The newspaper had confused Alfred with his brother, Ludwig, who had recently died.可知，当Alfred Nobel feel看到报纸上关于他的讣告时，他感到惊讶和困惑。故选C。

【2】D

细节理解题。根据第三段第一句It was this thought that led him to leave his huge amount of money for the founding of the famous Nobel prizes.可知，Alfred Nobel读了讣告之后决定用他的钱来设立诺贝尔奖。故选D。

【3】B

推理判断题。根据第四段中Sometimes, the prizes are controversial. ---The highly influential novelists James Joyce and Marcel Proust, for example, were never honored by the Swedish Academy.由此可推知，在文中提到James Joyce 和 Marcel Proust是为了展示诺贝尔奖的争议。故选B。

【4】C

观点态度题。根据最后一段Alfred Nobel founded the prize to recognize those who have had “the greatest benefit on mankind” and few would disagree that most of the prize winners have made contributions that deserved to be honored and remembered.可知，作者认为他们尊敬了许多有价值的优胜者。故选C。