语篇理解

　　The old man rested in the sun.He thought of his violin which he loved dearly.He remembered buying it in 1931 from a stranger who needed money.He had paid him ＄ 2．50．

　　“Uncle Sanchez, a telegram(电报)for you!”a boy shouted.

　　Slowly the man opened it.First he smiled,then he laughed.

　　“What is it?”the boy asked.

　　“From the American who saw my violin at Christmas.”He remembered that the stranger had looked inside the violin as if he were looking for gold.”He says my violin was made by Stradivari.He will buy it for ＄100000.”

　　Sanchez was not the first person to learn that his violin was a treasure(财宝).He is just one of the most recent.Stories like this could be told in different parts of the world.Some of Stradivari’s violins have been carefully protected,others have been harmed by carelessness.

　　Almost nothing is known of Stradivari’s early life.But we do know he was born in a small village in Italy in 1644.As a boy of twelve,he began to learn violin making from Amati,Who was famous all over Europe for his fine violins.However, it was not until after Amati’s death in 1684 that Stradivari began making his own violins.He never made poor violins,but he made some that were much better than all the others.Luckily Stradivari’s great skill was noticed.Top prices were paid for his works from the time he began to sell them.

　　Today it is thought that Stradivari made violins that are better than any made ever since.Many of the world’s best violinists have chosen Stradivari’s violins.But few now can have a lot of money to collect them.some of the most beautiful are kept in museums.There,they can be seen by everyone or lent to famous artists for concerts.

1．Who was the maker of the violin owned by Sanchez?

[　　]

A．A stranger who needed money.

B．Stradivari.

C．An American.

D．Amati.

2．when Stradivari was ______ years old,he started to make his own violins.

[　　]

A．40　　　B．44　　　C．56　　　D．72

3．Violinists like to play Stradivari's violins because ______.

[　　]

A．his violins are very expensive

B．he was the first person in the world to make violins

C．his violins are all well kept

D．his violins are best made

4．One of the facts we can find in the passage is that ______.

[　　]

A．Amati taught Stradivari to make violins

B．Stradivari was Amati’s workmate

C．Amati was also a well-known violinist

D．Amati did not permit Stradivari to play his own violins

5．Which of the follwing is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Sanchez bought his violin at a very small price.

B．Sanchez learned that the American wanted to buy his violin.

C．Sometimes Stradivari made very poor violins.

D．Famous artists may get a chance to give concerts with Stradivari’s violins.

She must be the wisest woman on this planet, for she has lived up to the three words “Seize the moment”. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, or because they are unwilling to try something new.

My sister died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. I can’t remember how many times I was refused when I called her to go to lunch. She would say to me: “I can’t. I have clothes on the line.” “My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday.” “I had a late breakfast.” “It looks like rain.” Only after her death did I choose to be a little more flexible.

Life is not made up of thing that you do at a particular time, but it demands variety and adventure. As we grow older, the list of promises made to ourselves may get longer. Perhaps one morning, when we awaken, we will find to our surprise that our life is full of “I’m going to”, “I plan to” and “Someday, when things are settled down a bit.”

My seize-the-moment friend is open to adventure and ready at any moment to make a new start. She keeps an open mind about new ideas. Her great interest in life is contagious. With her around you, you may trade your bad feet for good shoes.

I have not touched ice cream for 10 years. The other day, I stopped off and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

43．The passage suggests that the author’s sister _________________.

       A．was very busy with her work               B．died a very happy person

       C．always did things in a fixed order          D．was the wisest woman in the world

44．The writer has had a new way of looking at life since ___________.

       A．his sister died                                      B．he met the wise woman

       C．he turned old                                       D．the three words appeared

45．The underlined word “contagious” is used to show that the woman is_______”.

       A．polite                  B．powerful             C．practical              D．proud

46．The author expects those who have read the passage to ___________.

       A．have a long list of promises                   B．be a smart businessman

       C．hit an iceberg in their cars                     D．be as adventurous as himself