Jane Austen ever popular

This summer, the UK will honor its favorite writer, Jane Austen (1775-1817), by making her face on the new £ 10 note. In the 200 years since her death, Austen’s fame has increased from the modest amount she enjoyed in her lifetime to the global fame she receives today.

And yet Austen’s work is so very English that it’s rather strange she should be so popular all over the world. Her novels are so of her time that it’s remarkable that she’s still appreciated in this very different age. Her most famous works — including Pride and Prejudice, the one for which she is most known — are set in the world of the English gentry (绅士阶层) in the 18th century.

Most of her fiction is about young women of that time. Women of the gentry could not work so their chances of happiness or even basic living depended upon finding a husband. This is a very serious subject, of course, but the joy of Austen’s stories is her ability to make wonderful, but also touching comedy out of something so serious.

Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters in a countryside family that struggles because daughters can’t inherit (继承) the property. Her mother wants to marry off as many of them as possible. The pushy and annoying Mrs Bennet is one of the great comic characters in English literature.

The main plot of the novel is driven by the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, a wealthy noble. At first, they don’t get on. Elizabeth finds Darcy too proud; she feels he thinks he is better than everyone else in the countryside. She thinks that he looks down upon her family in particular. Darcy, while admiring Elizabeth, believes that she has treated him unfairly. The pleasure of the novel is reading how these obstacles (阻碍) are overcome and how the comical and unexpected ending is achieved.

If we think about this story, it’s obvious why Jane Austen is still popular 200 years after her death, and why readers can still identify with (与……产生共鸣) characters from the long dead world of the 18th century English gentry. Although there have been many changes since that time, it’s still the greatest challenge in life for men and women to find the partner of their dreams.

【小题1】What can we conclude from Paragraph 2?

A．The author believes Jane Austen’s works are ahead of her time.

B．The author thinks that everyone should read Jane Austen’s books.

C．The author has doubts about Jane Austen’s popularity all over the world.

D．The author is surprised that Jane Austen’s books are still so famous.

【小题2】According to the passage, Pride and Prejudice __________.

A．has a sad and unexpected ending

B．deals with a serious social issue in a lighthearted way

C．centers on countryside people’s struggles in the 18th century

D．tells readers that everyone can succeed through hard work

【小题3】According to the passage, why does Jane Austen remain popular today?

A．Because readers enjoy reading love stories about wealthy nobles.

B．Because readers are attracted by the way people deal with difficulties in the stories.

C．Because readers can always find something new from her novels.

D．Because her works deal with the problems many of today’s readers still face.

【小题4】What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us why Jane Austen is chosen to be on the new £ 10 note.

B．To introduce the story of Pride and Prejudice.

C．To explain why Jane Austen is still popular today.

D．To introduce Jane Austen’s creative writing style.

Do you suppose Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all time, really did foolish experiments? Or did he do experiments that were so simple and basic that other people just thought they were foolish?

Sometimes, people think they already know the answer to a question or the solution to a problem. Sometimes, they really do know an answer or a solution, but without thinking they are important.
Charles Darwin didn’t settle for(满足于)just thinking he knew something. And, he believed all things could be important however simple they seemed to be.
Suppose you drop sheets of paper that are of exactly the same size and shape. If you drop them at the same time in the same place, they will fall in the same way. Now make one of the sheets of paper into a tight little ball and let it drop along with the other sheets. What happens? You have done an experiment that is so simple that you might think it couldn’t be worth anything.
But this simple experiment is important. It explains part of our present-day understandings of physics, ideas that were worked out long ago by Galileo and Newton. And these understandings set aside some of ancient Greek physics.
Scientists sometimes stop to look at very simple things and to think very hard about them. Even the simplest idea, which we might think is foolish, can shake the foundations of science.
【小题1】The passage tells us that Charles Darwin　　　　.

A．was a great English scientist

B．always liked doing the experiments that others thought difficult

C．thought even the simplest thing was important

D．didn’t get well with others

【小题2】The underlined phrase “set aside” most probably means　　　　.

A．throw away	B．store up
C．put to use	D．realize

【小题3】The author of the passage tries to　　　　.

A．convince us that Charles Darwin, Galileo and Newton are the greatest scientists in the world

B．draw the conclusion that basic sciences are simple things

C．prove that two sheets of paper, with the same size and shape, will fall at the same speed

D．draw our attention to everyday happenings around us

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Darwin really did foolish experiments.

B．According to some people Darwin did foolish experiments.

C．It is believed by all the people that things could be important though they seemed to be simple.

D．Galileo and Newton worked out ancient Greek physics.

   For years considered as a foxy politician, Thomas Cromwell has been greatly rehabilitated (恢复……的名誉) by Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring Up the Bodies (2012). It’s true that he planned Anne Boleyn’s fall, and made a large fortune in a dishonest way, but he was also a good husband and father, charming and modest, a self-made man.

Certainly, he is one of the outstanding figures from Henry VIII’s court. Extremely hard-working, he was a productive reporter. It was not unusual for him to start work as early as 5 am and finish well after midnight.

Yet in researching the biography of Cromwell, I have discovered frustrating gaps in sources, particularly in relation to his early life.

The man who would one day become the most powerful in England was raised from such humble (卑微的) origins that nobody knows when or where he was born. As the son of a blacksmith, he suffered a miserable childhood.

I had the portrait (肖像), which now hangs in the Frick Collection in New York, of a thoughtful but rather bad-tempered official in mind. It seems to describe a cruel man of business, which was what I thought before I read Wolf Hall. But Mantel’s portrait of a rude but intelligent man who was as loyal to his family and friends as he was cruel to his enemies is really convincing.

His last letter to Henry VIII, written from the Tower in June 1540, is desperately moving. “Most gracious Prince,” he wrote with his trembling hand, “I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy !” Henry was said to have read the letter three times. But it was not enough to save Cromwell from the axe.

Within weeks of Cromwell’s death, his royal master was regretting the loss of “the most faithful servant”. But Henry’s daughter Mary destroyed all of that. Debate has taken place ever since — among historians, novelists and film-makers alike — as to who was the real Cromwell.

【小题1】Why are there few sources of Cromwell’s early life according to the passage?

A．He was a mysterious man.	B．He wanted to be a dark horse.
C．He was a man of humble birth.	D．He was misunderstood by the public.

【小题2】Before reading Wolf Hall, the author ________.

A．had only a limited understanding of Cromwell

B．had his doubts about Mantel’s portrait of Cromwell

C．thought highly of the portrait hanging in the Frick Collection

D．considered Cromwell a popular guy among his family and friends

【小题3】It can be concluded that Henry VIII ________.

A．felt great sympathy for Cromwell

B．blamed Mary for Cromwell’s death

C．seemed a bit hesitant about killing Cromwell

D．was the main reason for the debate about Cromwell

【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Why Cromwell got successful in his career	B．How people debate on Cromwell
C．What the book Wolf Hall is about	D．What sort of man Cromwell really was

   Iggy Azalea doesn't look like a rapper（说唱乐歌手）.On May 17, she attended the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, US, with pink hair and a blue coat. She looked like a model, but won big as a rapper. The Australian beat out big names like Nicki Minaj and Drake to win the award for Top Rap Artist.

It's a great achievement in many people's eyes, but Azalea knew what she wanted from the beginning. At 15 she dropped out of high school because she was only interested in art classes. She worked as a house cleaner to save money for her dream the following year. Before her 16th birthday, Azalea left her home, a tiny town in Australia, for the US, making up her mind to become a rapper. Moving from Miami to Houston to Atlanta, she started rapping in the Southern-style accent of her surroundings and her single Ignorant Art came out in 2011.From then on, she never looked back.

However, her style has caused lots of discussions. She might be one of the most polarizing artists. She raps with a southern American accent, even though she speaks with an Australian one. Many people say that she overuses black culture in her music.

Her supporters are against it. Female American rapper MC Lyte defended（为……辩护）Azalea in an interview, saying she should not be judged because of where she's from. "Hip hop is universal（全世界的）, and has no color line, "MC Lyte said. Azalea herself is proud of her music. "I really want to be focused on what I'm doing, "she said in an interview." That's really dangerous when you're trying to figure out ways to entertain people and make them happy. I don't want to be a part of that."

【小题1】After leaving for America, Azalea ________.

A．went to an art school for her dream

B．worked as a cleaner in the first year

C．never returned to her hometown in Australia

D．developed her Southern-style accent rap

【小题2】Azalea's music style is questioned because ________.

A．she sings with an Australian accent

B．she looks like a model herself

C．people think her music has too much black style

D．people don't accept singers from Southern America

【小题3】By saying "I don't want to be a part of that" Azalea means that ________.

A．she's unwilling to become popular

B．her music is for entertainment

C．she refuses to learn from other rappers

D．her music is not affected by others' taste

【小题4】Which of the following can best describe Iggy Azalea?

A．Kind and easy-going.

B．Determined and confident.

C．Honest and serious.

D．Talented and friendly.

Heroes of Our Time

A good heart

Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine-but coach John Thompson got a look at Dikem be and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen（公民）of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo.

Success and kindness

After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $ 20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others—producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program, "I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe. "

Bravery and courage

A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says, "We have got to show each other some love. "

【小题1】What was Mutombo praised for?
A. Being a star in the NBA.

A．Being a student of medicine.

B．His work in the church.

C．His willingness to help the needy.

【小题2】What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning？

A．It produced safety equipment for children.

B．It made videos to protect children.

C．It sold children's music and artworks.

D．It looked for missing and exploited children.

【小题3】Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero？

A．He helped a man get across the rails.

B．He stopped a man from destroying the rails.

C．He protected two little girls from getting hurt.

D．He saved a man's life without consideration.