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 other by the“Great American Dream”However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the earlv l930s.
Milles's most famous play, Death of a SaIesman, 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 double 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 sucess. 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 revews,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.
Millerl died of hear 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.
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.
I first went to hear a live rock concert when I was eight years old. My brother and his friends were all ___36____ of a heavy metal group called Black Wednesday. When they ___37____ that Black Wednesday were going to perform at our local theatre, they all bought ____38___ for performance. However, at the last minute, once of the friends couldn’t go, so my brother __39_____ me the ticket. I was really ___40____!
I remember the buzz (嘈杂声) of excitement inside the theatre as we all found our __41____ . After a few minutes, the lights went down and everybody became ___42____. I could barely make out the stage in the ___43____. We waited. Then there was a roar from the crowd, like an explosion, as the first members of the band ___44____ the stage. My brother leaned over and shouted something in my ear, but I couldn’t ____45___ what he was saying. The first song was already starting and the music was as ____46___ a jet engine. I could ___47____ the drum beats and bass notes in my stomach.
I can’t recall any of the songs that the band played. I just __48_ that I really enjoyed the show and didn’t want it to _ 49_. But in the end, after three encores (加演), the show finished. We left the 50_ and walked unsteadily out onto the pavement. I felt a little dizzy, as if I had just 51_from a long sleep. My ears were still 52_with the beat of the last song.
After the 53 , I became a Black Wednesday fan too for a few years before getting into other kinds of music. Once in a while, 54_, I listen to one of their songs and 55_I’m back at that first show.
1. A. members B. friends C. fans D. volunteers
2. A. guessed B. discovered C. thought D. predicted
3.A. flowers B. drinks C. clothes D. tickets
4.A. booked B. offered C. returned D. found
5. A. relaxed B. embarrassed C. excited D. encouraged
6. A. seats B. entrance C. spots D. space
7.A. comfortable B. quite C. serious D. nervous
8.A. silence B. noise C. darkness D. smoke
9.A.fell upon B.got through C.broke into D.stepped onto
10.A.forget B.hear C. repeat D. bear
11. A.loud B.heard C. sweet D. fast
12.A.feel B.touch C. enjoy D. digest
13. A.realize B.understand C.believe D. remember
14.A.continue B.delay C.finish D. change
15. A.party B.theatre C. opera D. stage
16. A.escaped B.traveled C. benefited D. woken
17. A.aching B.burning C. ringing D. rolling
18. A.competition B. performance C. interview D. celebration
19. A.through B.otherwise C. instead D. besides
20. A.decide B.regret C. conclude D. imagine
She was surprised to find the fridge empty; the child _____ everything!
A. had been eating B. had eaten C. have eaten D. have been eating
There’s a _____ in our office that when it’s somebody’s birthday, they bring in a cake for us a ll to share.
A. tradition B. balance C. concern D. relationship
.We’ve offered her the job, but I don’t know______ she’ll accept it.
A. where B. what C. whether D. which
The old town has narrow streets and small houses _____are built close to each other.
A. they B. where C. what D. that
