2014高考英语阅读理解15

2014高考英语阅读理解15

C

Jack London had endured more hardships by the age of twenty-one than most people experience in a lifetime. His struggles developed in him sympathy for the working class and a lasting dislike of hard work and provided inspiration for his career as a writer.

London grew up in San Francisco in extreme poverty. At an early age, he left school and supported himself through a succession of un skilled jobs ----working as a paper boy, in bowling alleys, on ice wagons, and in canneries（罐头食品厂） and mills. Despite working long hours at these jobs, London was able to read constantly, borrowing travel and adventure books from the library.

The books London read inspired him to travel, and his job experiences led him to become active in fighting for the fights of workers. He sailed to Japan on a journey aiming at catching seals and joined a cross-country protest march with a group of unemployed workers. After being arrested for vagrancy near Buffalo, New York, London decided to educate himself and reshape his life. He quickly completed high school and entered the University of California.

After only one term, however, the appeal of fortune and adventure proved uncontrollable. London gave up his studies and traveled to the Alaskan Yukon in 1897 in search of gold. Jack London was among the first of these miners. He may have searched for more than gold, however. London once commented, “ True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home.” Although he was unsuccessful as a miner, London’s experiences in Alaska taught him about the human desire for wealth and power and about humankind’s inability to control the forces of nature. While in Alaska, London also absorbed memories and stories that would make him known one hundred years later.

Once back in California, London became determined to earn a living as a writer. He rented a typewriter and worked up to fifteen hours a day, spinning his Alaskan adventures into short stories and novels.

According to legend, London’s piles of rejection slips from publishers grew to five feet in height!

Even so, London preserved. In 1903, he earned national fame when he published the popular novel The Call of the Wild. He soon became the highest paid and most industrious writer in the country. During his career, he produced more than fifty books and earned more than a million dollars. Several of his novels, including The Call of the Wild(1903),the Sea-Wolf(1904),the White Fang(1906),have become American classics. In fact, he was a creative writer whose fiction explored several regions and their cultures: the Yukon, California, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. He experimented with many literary forms, from traditional love stories and dystopias（反面乌托邦小说）to science fantasy. His noted journalism included war communication, boxing stories, and the life of Molokai lepers（麻风病患者）. He was among the most influential figures of his day, who understood how to create a public persona and use the media to market his self-created image of poor-boy-turned-success. London's great passion was agriculture, and he was well on the way of creating a new model for spreading through his Beauty Ranch when he died of kidney disease at age 40. He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays, many of which have been translated and continue to be read around the world. His best works describe a person’s struggle for survival against the powerful forces of nature. “To Build a Fire”, for example, tells the story of a man’s fight to survive the harsh cold of the Alaskan winter. 10._________made Jack London reconsider his life in the future.

A. His job experience C. Being arrested

B. The books he read D. Long-hour work

11. What is TRUE about Jack London?

A. Jack London was poor all his life.

B. Jack London got enough money while in the search of gold.

C. The books Jack London read inspired him to travel and become active.

D. The experience of gold searching made Jack London determined to write novels about Alaska adventures.

12. After the experience in Alaska, Jack London ________________.

A. realized the nature of human beings. B. knew people could control the nature finally. C. regretted being there. D.thought highly of himself.

13. In paragraph 4, the sentence “True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several

hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home.” implies_______________________________.

A. Jack London regarded Alaska a poor place as he never got any gold there. B. people would have been ill at home if they had never been Alaska. C. People searching for gold there still have chance to win. D. Alaska was a poor but large region.

14. Which one of following works doesn’t belong to Jack London according to the passage?

A. love stories

B. poetry

C. journalism

D. essays

15. What can we learn from Jack London’s final success? 11 D 12 A 13 C 14 B 15 D A. Failure is the mother of success. B. Practice makes perfect. C. Knowledge is powerful. D. All of above.

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（2011·陕西卷）C

In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.

“You can’t say it’s not a great university,just because Papa went there.”

“That’s not it at all.And it is a top university.”She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren’t that bad,are they?”

“No,”she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”

Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment (投资) could show returns.What’s more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ；otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.

I was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship（奖学金）.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.

53.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because【D】 A. his father grduated from the university B. his mother did not thinks it a great university C. his parents needed him to help support the family D. his parents did not have enough money for him

54.The father srarted his small shop with the money from .【C】 A.a local league B.his university C.his relatives D.his college friends

55.Why did the mother renew her membership in the league? 【A】 A.To help with her husband’s business B.To raise money for her son C.To meet her long-forgotten friends D.To better manage her life

56.According to the text,what was the author determined to do in that autumn? 【C】 A. To get a well-paid job for himself B. To improve relations with his mother C. To go to his dream university D. To carry on with his father’s business

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D