Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for
two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, "Versed".
     "I'm delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even
the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win," said Armantrout.
     "For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention,
suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising."
     Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with
noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master's in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She
is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used
and raises questions to make the reader think.
     In March, she won the National Book Critics Award for "Versed."
     "This book has gotten more attention," Armantrout said, "but I don't feel as if it's better."
     The first half of "Versed" focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war
against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout
was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
     Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. "Rae
Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry," said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
     "Versed", published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier
works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.

1. According to Rae Armantrout, _____.

A. her 10th book is much better
B. her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C. the media is surprised at her works
D. she likes being recognized by her readers

2. Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?

A. She published a poetry textbook.
B. She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C. She started a poets' group with others.
D. She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.

3. What can we learn about "Versed"?

A. It consists of three parts.
B. It is mainly about the American army.
C. It is a book published two decades ago.
D. It partly concerns the poet's own life.

4. Rae Armantrout's colleagues think that she _____.

A. should write more
B. has a sweet voice
C. deserves the prize
D. is a strange professor

5. What can we learn from the text?

A. About 2,700 copies of "Versed" will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. "Versed" has been awarded twice.

      Winston Churchill was born into a famous family. His father was a successful politician. However, as a
boy, Churchill was considered a slow learner in school.
     Later he entered the Army and saw action in various countries.
     In October 1900, Churchill began his political career. For the next sixty years Churchill's work as a great
politician was both brighter and more difficult than his father had been.
     In 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Churchill prepared to fight. In 1940 he became the Prime Minster of
England.
     France fell. The Germans fought their way through Western Europe. It looked as if Britain was about to
lose the war. Was it not possible to ask for peace, and listen to Hitler?
     Churchill spoke, "I have nothing to offer but blood, hard work, tears and sweat (汗)...You ask what is our
policy (政策)? I will tell you, it is to fight, by sea, by land and air, with all our force and with all the strength
that God can give us. You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory."
     The Germans began moving their armies to the French coast and prepared to go to war with the British.
The British had not enough guns to go round. Churchill gave the answer:"We shall defend our island, whatever
the cost may be, we shall fight on the coasts, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the field
and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never give up." 
     By his courage and hard work Churchill heartened his people and other nations fighting together against
Hitler. Victory finally came when the Germans lost World War Ⅱ.
     Churchill died in 1965 and was given a State Funeral (国葬). This was a fitting payment to one of all the
greatest men the world had ever seen.

1. Churchill _____ before he became a politician.

A. was a slow student
B. was an army man
C. helped his father in his career (职业; 生涯)
D. had little interest in politics

2. The Germans attacked Britain _____.

A. after France was defeated
B. before French fell
C. soon after Poland was attacked
D. before Churchill became the Prime Minister

3. The underlined word "heartened" probably means _____ in this passage.

A. surprised
B. encouraged
C. asked for
D. called for

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Churchill had worked as a politician for more than sixty years.
B. The writer admired and respected Churchill very much.
C. Churchill was not so clever as his father.
D. Churchill was one of the most inspiring, brave and wise leaders in the British history.

5. We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. finally Hitler had to give in to Churchill
B. Churchill asked to be given a State Funeral before he died
C. the countries which won World War II held a State Funeral in honor of the statesman
D. Churchill was a man of great determination

     When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, "Be sure and take a typing course
so when this show business thing doesn't work out, you'll have something to rely on." Mary responded in
typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, "the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a
typing course," she recalls.
     The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently,
when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mom, "I don't know how to use a
computer," she admits.
     Unlike her 1995 autobiography, After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress
and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病): All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. "I felt there
was a need for a book like this," she says. "I didn't want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that
things get better when we're self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease."
     But she hasn't always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40
years ago, when she received two pieces of Iife-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying
and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a
box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up-again-and take control
of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her
addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet.
     Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses
to fall into self-pity. "Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other," she insists. "It doesn't
do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make
things better by helping others. I've come to realize the importance of that as I've grown up this second time.
I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be."

1. Why did Mary feel regretful?

A. She didn't achieve her ambition.
B. She didn't take care of her mother.
C. She didn't complete her high school.
D. She didn't follow her mother's advice.

2. We can know that before 1995 Mary _____.

A. had two books published
B. received many career awards
C. knew how to use a computer
D. supported the JDRF by writing

3. Mary's second book Growing Up Again is mainly about her _____.

A. living with diabetes
B. successful show business
C. service for an organization
D. remembrance of her mother

4. When Mary received the life-changing news, she _____.

A. lost control of herself
B. began a balanced diet
C. tried to get a treatment
D. behaved in an adult way

5. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A. Mary feels pity for herself.
B. Mary has recovered from her disease.
C. Mary wants to help others as much as possible.
D. Mary determines to go back to the dance floor.

     Many people believe Henry Ford invented the automobile (汽车). But Henry Ford did not start to build his
first car until 1896. That was eleven years after two Germans developed the world's first automobile. Many
people believe Henry Ford invented the production line that moved a car's parts to the worker, instead of
making the worker move to the parts. That is not true, either. Many factory owners used methods of this kind
before Ford. What Henry Ford did was to use other people's ideas and make them better. And he made the
whole factory a moving production line.
     In the early days of the automobile, almost every ear maker raced his cars. It was the best way of gaining
public notice. Henry Ford decided to build a racing car. Ford's most famous race was his first one. It was also
the last race in which he drove the car himself.
     The race was in 1901, at a field near Detroit. All of the most famous cars had entered, but only two were
left: the Winton and Ford's. The Winton was famous for its speed. Most people thought the race was over
before it began.
     The Winton took an early lead. But halfway through the race, it began to lose power. Ford started to gain.
And near the end of the race, he took the lead. Ford won the race and defeated the Winton. His name appeared
in newspapers and he became well-known all over the United States. Within weeks of the race, Henry Ford
formed a new automobile company. In the 1903, a doctor in Detroit bought the first car from the company.
That sale was the beginning of Henry Ford's dream. Ford said:"I will build a motor car for the great mass of
people. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for one person to operate and care for. It will
be built of the best materials. It will be built by the best men to be employed. And it will be built with the
simplest plans that modem engineering can produce. It will be so low in price that no man making good money
will be unable to own one."
     The Model T was a car of that kind. It only cost $850. It was a simple machine that drivers could depend
on. Doctors bought the Model T. So did farmers, even criminals. They considered it the fastest and surest
form of transportation. Americans loved the Model T. They wrote stories and songs about it. Thousands of
Model T's were built in the first few years.

1. What do we know about Henry Ford from Paragraph 1?

A. He made good use of ideas from others.
B. He produced the first car in the world.
C. He knew how to improve auto parts.
D. He invented the production line.

2. Why did Henry Ford take part in the 1901 car race?

A. To show off his driving skills.
B. To draw public attention.
C. To learn about new technology.
D. To raise money for his new company.

3. "That sale" in Paragraph 4 refers to _____.

A. the selling of Ford cars at reduced prices
B. the sale of Model T to the mass of people
C. the selling of a car to a Detroit doctor
D. the sales target for the Ford Company

4. What was Henry Ford's dream according to the text?

A. Producing cars for average customers.
B. Building racing cars of simple design.
C. Designing more car models.
D. Starting more companies.

     Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to
win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
     Born in September, 1987, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies' two daughters. Along with nine other
children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was
one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
     Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When
World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities (设备) to help save the
lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in
France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military's Medal by the French
government.
     In 1918, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot
joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and
were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
     Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize,
along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her
work with radioactivity (辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.

1. Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?

A. Because she received a degree in mathematics.
B. Because she contributed to saving the wounded.
C. Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic.
D. Because she worked as a helper to her mother.

2. Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?

A. At the Curie Institute.
B. At the University of Paris.
C. At a military hospital.
D. At the College of Sevigne.

3. When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?

A. In 1932.
B. In 1927.
C. In 1897.
D. In 1926.

4. In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?

A. Irene worked with radioactivity.
B. Irene combined family and career.
C. Irene won the Nobel Prize once.
D. Irene died from leukemia.

     Arthur Miller (1915-2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20^th 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 l930s.
     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 his worth. 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 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
56^th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.

1. 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.

2. The play Death of a Salesman _____.

A. exposes the cruelty of the American business world
B. discusses the ways to get promoted in a company
C. talks about the business career of Arthur Miller
D. focuses on the skills in doing business

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

     Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of the most private women in the world, yet when she
went to work as an editor in the last two decades of her life, she revealed (展现) herself as she did nowhere
else.
     After the death of her second husband, Greek shipping magnate (巨头) Aristotle Onassis, Jacqueline's
close friend and former White House secretary Letitia Baldrige made a suggestion that she consider a career
(职业) in publishing. After consideration, Jacqueline accepted it. Perhaps she hoped to find there some ideas
about how to live her own life. She became not less but more interested in reading. For the last 20 years of
her life, Jacqueline worked as a publisher's editor, first at Viking, then at Doubleday, pursuing (追求) a late-
life career longer than her two marriages combined. During her time in publishing, she was responsible for
managing and editing more than 100 successfully marketed books. Among the first books were In the Russian
Style and Inventive Paris Clothes. She also succeeded in persuading TV hosts Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell
to transform their popular television conversation into a book, The Power of Myth. The book went on to
become an international best-seller. She dealt too with Michael Jackson as he prepared his autobiography (自
传), Moonwalk.
     Jacqueline may have been hired for her name and for her social relations, but she soon proved her worth.
Her choices, suggestions and widespread social relations were of benefit both to the publishing firms and to
Jacqueline herself. In the books she selected for publication, she built on a lifetime of spending time by herself
as a reader and left a record of the growth of her mind. Her books are the autobiography she never wrote, Her
role as First lady, in the end, was overshadowed by her performance as an editor. However, few knew that
she had achieved so much.

1. We can learn from the passage that Jacqueline _____.

A. because fond of reading after working as an editor
B. was in charge of publishing 100 books
C. promoted her books through social relations
D. gained a lot from her career as an editor

2. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that _____.

A. Jacqueline's ended up as an editor rather than as First Lady
B. Jacqueline's life as First Lady was more colorful than as an editor
C. Jacqueline was more successful as an editor than as First Lady
D. Jacqueline's role as First Lady was more brilliant than as an editor

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Jacqueline's two marriages lasted more than 20 years.
B. Jacqueline's own publishing firm was set up eventually.
C. Jacqueline's views and beliefs were reflected in the books she edited.
D. Jacqueline's achievements were widely known.

4. The passage is mainly _____.

A. an introduction of Jacqueline's life both as Fist Lady and as editor
B. a brief description of Jacqueline's lifelong experiences
C. a brief account of Jacqueline's career as an editor in her last 20 years
D. an analysis of Jacqueline's social relations in publishing