1.This passage mainly tells us ____.

A. about the life of George Bernard Shaw

　 B. why George Bernard Shaw became a dramatist

C. the friendship between George Bernard Shaw and Lu Xun

D. why George Bernard Shaw came to China at the age of 76

8.In this passage the word permafrost means ____.

A. the layer of hard stone under the soil

B. the layer of soil underground that is always frozen

C. the soft soil that is under the frozen layer

D. the rich soil which crops can grown in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Words per minute ______

%Comprehension _______

Passage 24 　

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw, the greatest British dramatist (剧作家) of the first half of the 20th century, was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a man who drank too much and could not support his family. His mother was a disappointed, unhappy woman who found more pleasure in studying music than in her children. Bernard and his two sisters received little love and attention from their parents when they were young.

Shaw was a good, bright, curious(奇怪的) student in his school years. At fifteen, he went to work in an office. After five years, he decided that he wanted to be a writer, so he left Ireland then and went to London, where he began to write seriously.

On September 2, 1882, Shaw’s idea on socialism(社会主义) suddenly took shape when he attended a lecture by the American economist (经济学家) Henry George. The lecture led him to recognize that economics(经济) must be at the center of socialist thought.

He studied Karl Marx's Das Kapital(资本论), and attended a Marxist reading circle on September 5, 1884, eight months after its founding.

In 1898, Shaw married a wealthy, independent(独立的) woman named Charlotte Payne-Town-shend. They lived happily together until her death in 1943.

By 1915, Shaw's international fame was firmly established and his plays were put on in many countries all over the world, from Britain to Japan. Shaw won the Nobel Prize for Literature (文学) in 1925. He came to China in 1932 and became a friend of Lu Xun, when he was 76 years old.

He died on November 2, 1950. It was reported that the night of his death, theatres around the world were darkened in his honor.

　　　　　　　　　　　　 Length 263

Total Reading Time ___

_____________________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions without referring to the reading:

7.Some crops grow very large in Alaska.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

6.The sun shines all the year round in some place of Alaska.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

5.Crops with long growing seasons cannot grow well in Alaska.　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

4.Free land helps new settlers to come and live in Alaska.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

3.The government will give pioneers in Alaska everything that they need to

start their farms　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

2.From this passage we can see that there are not enough people in the

state of Alaska　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 T　　 F

1.The passage is mainly about ___.

A. growing crops in the largest state of the US　

B. building lag cabin in Alaska

C. the government’s rulers to people of the US　

D. the seasons in Alaska

8.“She did and had been busy since then” means ____.

A. She gave up singing and was very busy.

　 B. She began to sing again and it kept her busy.

　 C. She did much housework and she was busy.

　D. She sang and she was the busiest woman in the world. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Words per minute ______

%Comprehension _______

Passage 23 　

Above the Frozen Layer

There are still places in the world that need settlers. One of these places is Alaska, our largest state. Settlers are important if Alaska is to become a strong and growing state.

A man can become a pioneer(先驱)in Alaska for very little money. To help settlers, the government will give each pioneer as much as 160 acres (亩) of land free. The settler can build a log cabin (木屋) from his own trees. But to make a living from the land takes hard work.

Because Alaska is so far north, its crops have a short growing season. Only a few weeks separate(分开) the frosts(冰冻)of spring and fall. Corn, tomatoes, apples, and peaches need more time to become ripe. Another problem for the settler is that much of Alaska has a layer of soil under the ground that is always frozen (结冰). This layer is called permafrost.

However, during June and July, the sun shines both night and day, and some crops grow rapidly. Cabbages weigh as much as 45 pounds. Beets (甜菜), lettuce,(莴苣) strawberries(草莓), and potatoes are other crops that do well. Alaska grows some of the world’s finest vegetables.

　　　 For those willing to work hard, Alaska offers a chance for rewarding(有报酬的)life.

　　　　　　　　　　　　 Length 205

Total Reading Time ___

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Answer the following questions without referring to the reading: