Today I am known for my voice. Perhaps the greatest honor came when I was asked to read The New Testament《新约全书》 on　 tape.

But it 36 a long time to believe such good things could happen to me. When I was a child, I stuttered（结巴）so badly that I was completely 37 to speak in public.

38 , when I was 14, Professor Donald Crouch came to my school. He was a retired college professor. English was his favorite subject and 39 was his deepest love. He held a book of poems as if it were a crystal(水晶), 40 pages as if uncovering treasures . When he heard that our school was teaching Shakespeare and other classics, he felt 41 for not being a part of our school sooner.

When he 42 that I not only loved poetry but was 43 it, we became closer. There was, however, one 44 between us—Professor Crouch could not stand the 45 that I refused to read my poems to the class.

“Jim, poetry is 46 to be read aloud,” he said. “You should be able to speak those beautiful words.” I shook my head and 47 .

One day he 48 me.

After handing in a poem, I waited for his 49 . It didn’t come. Instead, one day as the students had gathered together, he 50 me, “Jim, I don’t think you wrote this poem.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Why,” I started to cry, 51 flooding me, “of course I did!” Well, then,” he said, “you’ve got to prove it by getting up and reciting it from 52 .“

By then the other students had settled at their desks. With knees shaking, I walked up to the front. For a moment I stood there, 53 . Then I began, and kept going. I recited my poem all the way 54 !

Afterwards, Professor Crouch encouraged me to read other writers’ poetry before the public. I discovered I did have a( n) 55　　　 and found my classmates actually looked forward to hearing me recite.

　　 36. A. lasted　　　　　　　　　　　 B . took　　　　　　　　　 C . cost　　　　　　　　　　 D . wasted

　　 37. A. impatient　　　　　　　　　 B. unlikely　　　　　　　　 C . unable D . impossible

　　 38. A. But　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Then　　　　　　　　　 C . Besides D . However

　　 39. A. archaeology　　　　　　　 B. art　　　　　　　　　　　 C . architecture　　　　　 D . poetry

　　 40. A. drawing　　　　　　　　　　 B. turning　　　　　　　　 C . writing　　　　　　　　 D . finding

　　 41 . A. regretful　　　　　　　　　 B. thankful　　　　　　　 C. relieved D . annoyed

　　 42. A. decided　　　　　　　　　　 B. recognized　　　　　 C .learned　　　　　　　　　 D . proved

　　 43. A. reading　　　　　　　　　　 B. reciting　　　　　　　　 C . publishing　　　　　　 D . writing

　　 44. A. difficulty　　　　　　　　　 B. promise　　　　　　　 C . agreement D . difference

　　 45 . A. matter　　　　　　　　　　 B. fact　　　　　　　　　　 C . idea　　　　　　　　　　　 D . belief

　　 46. A. said　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. found　　　　　　　　　 C . prepared　　　　　　　 D . meant

　　 47. A. turned away　　　　　　　 B. sat down　　　　　　　 C . talked back　　　　　 D . gave in

　　 48. A . greeted　　　　　　　　　　 B. scolded　　　　　　　　 C . tricked D . comforted

　　 49. A. help　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　　　　 C . reward D. comment

　　 50. A . challenged　　　　　　　 B. attacked　　　　　　　 C . noticed　　　　　　　　 D . told

　　 51 . A . pride　　　　　　　　　　　 B. anger　　　　　　　　　 C . excitement　　　　　　 D . joy

　　 52. A. heart　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. beginning　　　　　　 C. mind　　　　　　　　　　 D. memory

　　 53. A . puzzled　　　　　　　　　　 B. disappointed　　　　 C . breathless D . aimless

　　 54. A . down　　　　　　　　　　　 B. up　　　　　　　　　　　 C . around　　　　　　　　 D . through

　　 55. A . voice　　　　　　　　　　　 B. sound　　　　　　　　　 C . gift　　　　　　　　　　　 D . interest

A lady-Austria's Elfriede Jelinek of literature wins prize for her social commentary (评论).

For a writer, there is hardly any greater　 41　 than winning the Nobel Prize for literature.

And for a woman writer, receiving the prize is　 42 　 harder, for only eight women have won it since the prize was first　　43 　 in 1901.

Austria's Elfriede Jelinek is the ninth and the first　　44 　 1996.

The Stockholm-based Swedish Academy　 45　 last Thursday that Jelinek won this year's Nobel Prize in literature. She is　 46 　 for her socially critical (批判的) novels and plays.

Jelinek, 57, started her literary　 47 　 in 1967. She has written plays, novels and poetry. She is　 48 　 known for her autobiographical (自传体) 1983 novel "The Piano Teacher",　 49 　 a movie in 2001.

The basic　　50　 of her work is the inability of women to live as people beyond the roles and personalities　　51 　 expected of them. Her　 52 　 struggle to lead lives not normally acceptable in　 53 　 . "The nature of Jelinek's texts is often hard to define (标明界限). They shift　　54 　 prose (散文) and poetry, they　 55 　 theatrical scenes and film script," said the academy.

The Nobel Prize was　　56　 by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Nobel died in 1896 and　　57 　 his fortune of about US$920 million to a fund to　　58 　 people who have　 59　 other human beings. This year each prize　　60 　 US$1.3 million.

41. A. respect B. honor C. prize D. award

42. A. less B. quite C. too D. even

43. A. awarded B. got C. received D. accepted

44. A. in B. from C. since D. by

45. A. announced B. informed C. reminded D. recorded

46. A. considered B. hated C. proved D. recognized

47. A. career B. writing C. dream D. contribution

48. A. little B. best C. better D. less

49. A. turned into B. put into C. made into D. translated into

50. A. purpose B. theme C. object D. article

51. A. traditionally B. currently

C. generally D. fashionably

52. A. novels B. plays C. characters D. poems

53. A. literature B. works C. writers D. society

54. A. among B. between C. into D. from

55. A. include B. connect C. relate D. contain

56. A. started B. set up C. founded D. intended

57. A. gave B. left C. offered D. supplied

58. A. praise B. recognize C. honor D. recommend

59. A. hurt B. inspired C. excited D. helped

60. A. is worth B. is paid C. is spent D. is worthy

Although I had left school against the advice of my teachers, I had, without telling anyone, tried to 1 my studies in literature at evening classes. It was a tiresome 2 from one end of the city to another and to 3 among adults was uninteresting. I was the youngest in the 4 , so the friendship I knew at school was 5 . I put up with it for a short period. It was 6 long a walk on cold winter’s nights and it was hard to put my 7 into Shakespeare with wet shoes and trousers. So I continued writing poetry at home.

By chance, I 8 some prizes and awards for literature. A young woman from a 9 company came to the college one day. She told me that I won a national poetry award. I 10 at her in astonishment(吃惊) and disbelief. She wanted to make a short 11 about me, to which I said, “ No, I couldn’t do that.” Not that I had any real 12 . I was just frightened. In the end she 13 me that I should do it the following day.

So I did. They made a short film of me reading one of my 14 and I became 15 interested in literature than ever. I 16 what I should do after this, and decided some weeks later that I could not 17 myself spending the rest of my days dealing with machines. So one evening, I hesitatingly (犹豫地) told my parents that I wanted to _18 to school. They were greatly surprised and a little afraid, but they did not try to persuade me not to. They wanted to know if I was 19 , and if I knew what it meant and 20 I realized that if I gave up my job training, it would be very difficult to get a good job. But nothing could stop me, and they asked about the matter no further.

1. A. stop　　　　　 B. go on　　　　 C. continue　　　 D. walk

2. A. talk 　　　　 B. journey　 　 C. job　　　 　　 D. walk

3. A. do　　　　 　　 B. sit　　　　　　 C. talk　　　　　 D. work

4. A. family　　　　 B. class　　　　　 C. city　　　　 D. country

5. A. absent　　　 　 B. missed　　　 C. lost　　　　 D. over

6. A. too　　　　 B. very　　　　　 C. much　　　　 　 D. quite

7. A mind　　　　 B. heart　　　　 C. soul　　　　 　 D. thought

8. A. defeated　　　 B. beat　　　　 C. won　　 　 　 D. hit

9. A. TV　　　　　 　 B. radio　　　 　 C. shoe　　　　 　 D. food

10. A. looked　　 　 B. fixed　　　　 C. shouted　　　 D. stared

11. A. talk　　　　 B. film　　　 　 C. conversation　 D. speech

12. A. reason　　　　 B. cause　　　 C. excuse　　　 D. wish

13. A. advised　　　　 B. suggested　　　 C. agreed　　　 D. persuaded

14. A. poems　　　　 B. stories　　　　 C. speeches　　 D. plans

15. A. less　　　　　 B. much　　　　 　 C. far　　　　　 D. more

16. A. wandered　 　 B. considered　　 　 C. discussed　　 D. wondered

17. A. think　　　　　 B. consider　　　 C. spend　　　　 D. imagine

18. A. drop　　　　 B. leave　　　　 C. return　　　　 D. go to

19. A. sure　　　　　 B. clear　　　　 C. curious　　　　 D. true

20. A. whether　　　 B. that　　　　　 C. how　　　　 　 D. what

 

--Who won the first prize at the poetry competition? Li Ping or Zhang Ping?

-- Zhang Ping did. But Li Ping 　　 it if he 　　 more, as he has a great talent for writing poems.

　 A. could have won; had practised　　 B. could win; practised

　 C. should have won; could have won D. would win; had practised