Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature. Gwendolyn Brooks wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime. She had more than 20 books published. She was known around the world for using poetry to increase understanding about black culture in America.
Her poems described conditions among the poor, racial inequality and drug use in the black community. She also wrote poems about the struggles of black women. But her skill was more than her ability to write about struggling black people. She was an expert at the language of poetry. She combined traditional European poetry styles with the African American experience.
In her early poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the South Side of Chicago. The South Side of Chicago is where many black people live. In her poems, the South Side is called Bronzeville. It was A Street in Bronzeville that gained the attention of literary experts in 1945. Critics praised her poetic skill and her powerful descriptions about the black experience during the time. The Bronzeville poems were her first published collection.
In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She won the prize for her second book of poems called Annie Allen. Annie Allen is a collection of poetry about the life of a Bronzeville girl as a daughter, a wife and mother. She experiences loneliness, loss, death and being poor. Ms. Brooks said that winning the prize changed her life.
Her next work was a novel written in 1953 called Maud Martha. Maud Martha received little notice when it was first published. But now it is considered an important work by some critics. Its main ideas about the difficult life of many women are popular among female writers today.
In some of her poems, Gwendolyn Brooks described how what people see in life is affected by who they are. One example is this poem, Corners on the Curving Sky.
By the end of the 1960s, Gwendolyn Brooks's poetry expanded from the everyday experiences of people in Bronzeville. She wrote about a wider world and dealt with important political issues.
1.What can we learn about Gwendolyn Brooks from the second paragraph?
A.She mainly wrote about struggles of black women.
B.She was good at using the language of poetry.
C.Her writing skills were a little worse than her ability.
D.Her poems were mainly about the African experience.
2.The author develops the passage mainly by .
A.providing examples
B.using statistics
C.comparing opinions
D.describing her experiences
3.What does the text mainly talk about?
A.The life of Gwendolyn Brooks.
B.The poems of Gwendolyn Brooks.
C.The understanding about black culture.
D.The struggle of black women.
4.In the next part, the author would most probably talk about ?
A.the difficulties Gwendolyn Brooks would meet
B.the poems related to political issues
C.the award Gwendolyn Brooks had gained
D.the racial inequality the black had to face
People who have seen Trisha Seifried Woodall with her cats say that she has a magic touch. Most people don't know anyone who can order a cat to jump on a table, sit for two minutes, and then jump to the floor and walk backward.
Ms. Seifried Woodall has taught her cats to do all these tricks -- and many more. At her training center. Got Pet-ential, cats learn tricks for TV and magazine ads. Some of her cats have appeared on bags of cat food.
When Ms. Seifried Woodall gets a cat, she first learns what that cat likes and doesn’t like. “Some cats like to stay close to the ground, so I'll teach them how to stand behind me, and walk with me,”she says. “Other cats, like high places, so they'll learn how to jump on my bent knee and then safely leap to my shoulder.”
Ms. Seifried Woodall grew up in a family with many pets, and she was first paid to work with animals when she was 18. At a summer job at an amusement park, she learned how to train a few of the animals for performances. She continued to train and learn about animals for 20 years before starting her own animal-training center.
Ms. Seifried Woodall is proud of the skills her cats have learned, but she is also proud that her center’s cats are healthy and social. She believes her cats enjoy learning new tricks.
In Ms. Seifried Woodall’s experience, no breed(品种) of cat is easier to train than others. All of her cats came from shelters. They have become pets in her home.
Like most animal trainers, Ms. Seifried Woodall uses a reward system. Cats that are successful during training get food or a new toy. A cat that doesn’t enjoy eating or playing will probably not be interested in being trained. She never scolds(责骂) them. “Cats need a lot of encouragement when they are performing, she says." I say good job or that’s right several times during a single minute.”
1.What are the cats trained by Ms. Seifried Woodall mainly used to do?
A.Work for amusement parks. B.Act in TV and magazine ads.
C.Become people’s family pets. D.Set a good example to other cats.
2.What can we learn about Ms. Seifried Woodall and her cat-training job?
A.She usually trains cats at her home.
B.She prefers training cats that are active.
C.She trains cats according to their characters.
D.She can train any cat to be well-behaved.
3.What did Ms. Seifried Woodall do before becoming a cat trainer?
A.She took care of pets for families.
B.She performed at an amusement park.
C.She worked in an animal shelter.
D.She worked with animals for years.
4.Which of the following can best describe Ms. Seifried Woodall?
A.Brave and strong B.Polite and friendly
C.Caring and patient D.Humorous and talkative
After finishing my teaching for a school year, I thought that I should go back to Montreal, Quebec, my hometown for a visit. My main goal was to relax in preparation for the challenges of my retirement(退休) in the coming year.
Through my stay in Montreal, I met lots of Chinese who were trying hard to succeed and then led a better life in Canada. Some travelled thousands of miles to get knowledge. When I spoke with some of them about the major barrier(障碍) they had to face after they arrived in Canada, they all talked about the two official languages of Canada. But I was impressed by their ability to express their ideas while they were changing between English and French.
Almost all of those people said they often felt homesick. They miss their families and friends. Though Montreal has lots of Chinese restaurants, they long for a home•cooked meal.
I met some tourists who were trying to realize their childhood dreams of experiencing the life in a developed country. When I asked them if Montreal had lived up to their expectations, they hesitated. They said that reality never agrees with fantasies. However, they were glad to have the opportunity to visit Montreal and didn't regret taking the trip.
Not all the Chinese people I met were happy. I once met a young lady who met with a gentleman through the Internet. However, to her disappointment, he disappeared after he promised to marry her in Montreal.
I was served by another Chinese person who could not deal with the challenges of studying in an English-speaking environment and ended up working in a restaurant with low pay.
Exploring different parts of the world, without any doubt, is an enriching experience. However, one should be realistic when it comes to leaving his hometown to start a new life in a foreign country. One should take time to examine the advantages and the shortcomings of the adventure before he decides to chase an uncertain dream of achieving success or leading a better life.
1.Why did the writer go to his hometown?
A.To meet his old friends.
B.To study a new language.
C.To go on with his teaching.
D.To prepare for his retirement life.
2.What is the main barrier for some Chinese to get knowledge in Canada?
A.Food. B.Homesickness. C.Language. D.Income.
3.The writer thinks that .
A.overseas Chinese are good at communication in Canada
B.the trip to Montreal is a good chance for people to study
C.overseas Chinese feel disappointed at their life in Canada
D.people should think carefully before chasing their dreams abroad
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Improving Life Skills in Canada
B.Exploring Different Parts of Canada
C.Struggling for a Better Life in Canada
D.Going to Canada—Your Ideal Destination
Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)
These three short plays by Suzan Lori•Parks are the start of an ambitious attempt to retell the story of the American civil war. The focus is on a slave promised his freedom by his master if he joins in the fight against the Union. Steve Toussaint and Jimmy Akingbola head the cast, and Jo Bonney is in charge.
★15 September to 4 October, Royal Court, London. Box office: 020•7565 5000.
A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer
Bryony Kimmings and Brian Lobel consider our attitudes to cancer and the language we employ to deal with it through the stories of five people. This is an all•singing, all•dancing affair with music by Tom Parkinson, wiping off the pink charity ribbons to look at the realities of diagnosis(诊断) and what it means for the wider family.
★20～24 September, Home, Manchester. Box office: 0161•200 1500.
The Nest
Every parent wants the best for their baby. Kurt and Martha are prepared to work hard to ensure theirs has everything he needs, even if that means Kurt taking on extra work. Franz Xaver Kroetz’s extraordinary play about the damage that profit causes to individuals and the environment gets a new translation from Conor McPherson.
★15～22 October, Lyric, Belfast. Box office: 028•9038 1081.
The Red Barn
David Hare’s new play is based on La Main, a psychological thriller by the great Georges Simenon. The story concerns two couples who, on their way back from a party, struggle through the snow. The play is directed by Robert Icke, and the cast is headed by Mark Strong and Hope Davis.
★6～20 October, Lyttelton, London. Box office: 020•7452 3000.
1.When can you see the play directed by Robert Icke?
A.On 19 September. B.On 3 October.
C.On 10 October. D.On 21 October.
2.In which play can we feel parents’ love for children?
A.The Nest.
B.The Red Barn.
C.Father Comes Home from the Wars.
D.A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer.
3.What do the plays mentioned in the text have in common?
A.They are all comedies. B.They are put on in autumn.
C.They are highly thought of. D.They are works of the same writer.
阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为 150 左右。
Peter heard his little sister Eva’s weak cries as Mother wrapped her in a heavy blanket. Peter’s parents would be heading to town soon to take Eva to the doctor. “Remember to keep the stove going,” Father said, “And check on the cow now and then in the barn (畜棚). Her calf (小牛) may come at any time.” “I will,” said
Peter. Peter promised as his parents walked out into the cold. He didn’t want to add to their worry.
“Today I must manage on my own,” Peter said out loud to make himself feel braver. Father often said they all had to pull their own weight (尽本分) in their new home on the farm. Peter hoped he could do that.
The tiny one-room house felt big with only him in it. He carefully added one piece of wood to the small iron stove.
The morning passed quickly as Peter worked on the sled he was making. After eating at noon, he took melted-snow water to the cow. In the afternoon, Peter heard the winds increase. He decided he’d better check on the cow again.
Peter put on his heavy woolen coat and stepped out of the door. The wind blew snow crystals into his face and his breath froze into a patch (小片) of ice on his scarf before he arrived.
Lying on the dirt floor was a newborn calf, on whose tiny body ice had already begun forming. The cow mooed (哞哞叫) and licked her newborn. Peter knew this calf was important to his family. But the calf looked weak, shivering on the ground. “I have to get the calf to the house or it’ll freeze to death,” Peter thought.
Para. 1: He tried to lift it, but it was too heavy.
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Para. 2: “I need to fetch some milk for it,” Peter said to himself.
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假定你是李华, 本周日将在人民剧场上演越剧《梁山伯与祝英台》。请给你的好友英国交换生 Lucy 写封邮件, 邀请她一同前往观看。内容包括:
1. 发出邀请；
2. 介绍该剧；
3. 约定见面时间和地点。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。参考词汇: 越剧 Shaoxing opera
《梁山伯与祝英台》The Butterfly Lovers
Dear Lucy,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
