Question

    When it comes to the most famous 20^th century painters of the United States, Grandma Moses should be mentioned, although she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. As she once said to herself , “I would never sit back in a rocking chair, waiting for someone to help me”. No one could have had a more active old age．

She was born on a farm in New York State, one of five boys and five girls. At 12 she left home and was in domestic service until at 27 she married Thomas Moses, the hired hand of one of her employers. They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. She had ten children, of whom five survived; her husband died in 1927．

Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery (刺绣) pictures as a hobby, but only changed to oils in old age because her hands became too stiff (僵硬的) to sew and she still wanted to keep busy and pass the time. Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought all that she painted. Three of the pictures were exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York. Between the 1930’s and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: careful and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. “I think really hard till I think of something really pretty, and then I paint it” she said．

1.What can we learn about Moses?

A.She stopped painting in her late seventies.

B.She still led an active life when she was old.

C.Her marriage life was not happy.

D.She painted oils as a child.

2.What did Grandma Moses spend most of her life doing?

A.Embroidering. B.Farming.

C.Nursing. D.Painting.

3.What does the underlined word “portrayals ” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Directions. B.Stages.

C.Surveys. D.Descriptions.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？

A.Grandma Moses: the Best Woman Painter

B.Grandma Moses and Her Farm Life

C.Grandma Moses and Her Exhibition

D.Grandma Moses : A Famous Woman Painter of 20^th Century

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.D

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。讲叙了20世纪美国著名的画家Grandma Moses的生平，介绍了她的作品和创作风格。

1.细节理解题。第一段的最后No one could have had a more active old age．没有人的晚年能过得比 Moses更积极。可知，关于Moses我们能知道的是她老的时候仍然过着积极的生活。选项B切题，故选B。

2.细节理解题。第二段的They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. 他们一生大部分时间都在耕种，先是在弗吉尼亚，然后是在纽约州，再是在鹰桥。可知，Grandma Moses一生绝大部分时间都在务农，选项B切题，故选B。

3.词义猜测题。第三段中的Between the 1930’s and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: careful and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. 从20世纪30年代到去世，她创作了大约2000多副画：仔细而生动的描绘她所熟知很久的乡村生活，是色彩和形式感的奇妙结合。可知，画线词是对其画作的解读，画作反映其长期生活的乡村生活，所以画线词是（对乡村生活的）描述，选项D切题，故选D。

4.主旨大意题。文章一开头When it comes to the most famous 20th century painters of the United States, Grandma Moses should be mentioned, although she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. 当谈到美国最著名的20世纪画家，Grandma Moses应该被提及，虽然她直到七十多岁才开始绘画。可知，文章要介绍的是20世纪美国著名的画家Grandma Moses，这是一篇人物传记类记叙文，文章标题要反应文章主旨，选项D ：Grandma Moses：20世纪著名的女画家，为短文最佳标题，故选D。