Susan Sontag (1933 ------ 2004) was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything----- to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American culture life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.
Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong watchwords (格言), but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poorly-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In Notes Camp, the 1964 essay that first made her name, she explained what was then a little-known set of difficult understandings, through which she could not have been more famous. Notes on Camp, she wrote, represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’”.
By conviction she was a sensualist (感觉论者), but by nature she was a moralist, and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the latter side of her that came forward. In Illness as Metaphor ------published in 1978, after she suffered cancer ------ she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed (被压抑的) personalities, a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact, re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit.
In America, her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California, won the National Book Award in 2000. But it was as a tireless, all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame.
“Sometimes,” she once said, “I feel that, in the end, all I am really defending… is the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.” And in the end, she made us take it seriously too.
1.It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that Sontag _________.
A.was a symbol of American cultural life |
B.developed world literature, film and art |
C.published many essays about world culture |
D.kept pace with the newest development of world culture |
2.She first won her name through _________.
A.publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review |
B.her story of a Polish actress |
C.her explanation of a set of difficult understandings |
D.her book Illness as Metaphor |
3.From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s, we can learn that ________.
A.she was more of a moralist than a sensualist |
B.she was more of a sensualist than a moralist |
C.she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness |
D.she would like to re-examine old positions |
4.According to the passage, Susan Sontag would agree to the ideas except _________.
A.We should try hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. |
B.Cancer can be defeated because it is a special problem of repressed personalities. |
C.‘Form’ should be over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ should be over ‘morals. |
D.We should defend the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness. |
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A.A lifelong watchword: seriousness |
B.Susan Sontag is the symbol of American culture |
C.How Susan Sontag became famous |
D.An introduction to Susan Sontag and her watchword |
America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families. Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily. Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably. For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!
1.The writer of this passage must be ______.
A.an American |
B.a Chinese |
C.a professor |
D.a student |
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families. |
B.Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives. |
C.Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy. |
D.Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break. |
3.From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.
A.warmly welcomed at the airport |
B.offered a ride to his home |
C.treated hospitably at his home |
D.treated to dinner in a restaurant |
4.The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.
A.strict with time |
B.serious with time |
C.careful with time |
D.willing to spend time |
5. A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.
A.Friendships between Chinese |
B.Friendships between Americans |
C.Americans’ hospitality |
D.Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships |
Wings of Angel
I used to hate myself because I wasn't "normal". Everyone else could play on the monkey bars and ride on a bicycle, but not 36 . I had a severe spinal cord disorder(脊髓病) and I knew I would always be much 37 than others. I hated going to school and I hated others 38 at me. I hated seeing others smiling broadly and standing 39 and tall. And most of all, I hated looking in the 40 and seeing an ugly hunchback(驼背).
My friends found me 41 because I didn't let other get close to me. I thought I was going to go on like this for the rest of my life 42 Angela appeared.
That afternoon, I was sitting by myself in a corner of the school—a spot where no one would 43 me. That's when I first heard your voice. "Hi. Can I sit down?"
I raised my head and there she was, with an irresistible smile on her round face. "What are you looking at?" you asked. "Ants." "What are they doing?" "No 44 ." "I bet they're playing games and make friends. Don't you think so?" That was how our 45 started and it didn't stop. We talked about everything under the sun—the ants, the clouds, my little niche(处境)—until it was sunset. Then suddenly, you saw my 46 . She just stared. My heart 47 . What I feared most had happened and I knew for sure she would 48 me now. She stood up, pointed at my back and said, "I know 49 your back is hunched." I closed my eyes like a criminal waiting to be 50 . I begged in my heart for her to 51 , but she just kept on going. "I know what you've got there. Do you?" "No," I answered 52 . She bent and whispered in my ears. "Your back is bunched because you've got a pair of wings from the angels."I was 53 . I looked into her eyes and her 54 touched my heart. From that day on, I started to learn to 55 myself because I have the wings of an angel and a kind_hearted friend.
1.A.them B.it C.me D.her
2.A.sadder B.shorter C.weaker D.slower
3.A.looking B.smiling C.aiming D.glaring
4.A.still B.alone C.straight D.together
5.A.street B.sun C.corner D.mirror
6.A.distant B.stubborn C.hopeless D.unfortunate
7.A.after B.before C.since D.until
8.A.disturb B.seek C.interrupt D.ignore
9.A.wonder B.idea C.sign D.action
10.A.connection B.competition C.conversation D.comprehension
11.A.face B.back C.eyes D.shoulders
12.A.sank B.beat C.broke D.ached
13.A.care for B.rely on C.look down upon D.put up with
14.A.that B.how C.whether D.why
15.A.accused B.arrested C.punished D.sentenced
16.A.relax B.leave C.stop D.pause
17.A.shyly B.weakly C.proudly D.firmly
18.A.astonished B.ashamed C.annoyed D.amused
19.A.wisdom B.generosity C.honesty D.kindness
20.A.control B.like C.comfort D.enjoy
Throughout the week, the boy _____most of the work in the manager’s office.
A.took on B.took off C.took in D.took over
Our country is developing at an amazing speed, which is _____makes me feel so proud.
A.that B.why C.what D.where
The mother didn’t know _____to blame for the broken glass as it happened while she was out.
A.who B.which C. they D.that