温馨提示：
课时提升作业十六
必修4 Unit 1 Women of achievement
(限时35分钟)
Ⅰ. 阅读理解
A
(2017·广州模拟)
He was the man who inspired the Beat Generation, and nearly half a century after his death Jack Kerouac is still receiving grateful letters from his fans.
Most letters are sent in the post to his last home in St Petersburg, Florida, and the mail box in the front yard is full to bursting. But others are delivered by hand, pushed under the front door or left on the doorstep.
They usually thank the author of On the Road for inspiring them to travel and be independent. “You remind me to stay true to who you are and to encourage a sense of adventure in all of us. ” reads one letter, handwritten by “Cindy” on paper covered with pictures of butterflies and flowers. She adds, “I hope you’re writing, liberated and drinking a glass of wine. ”
Another, signed “Friend of Jack”, reads, “I prefer to think of myself as a free spirit and a person who follows a path of her own choosing. You have always been my inspiration. ”
His home, where he was living with his mother Gabrielle and his wife Stella, has become a destination for hundreds of fans every year.
Kerouac rocketed to fame at the age of 35, with the publication of On the Road in 1957.
But after becoming a symbol and leader of the alternative lifestyle movement, he struggled with that fame and claimed that he only wanted people to read his books.
Kerouac died just 12 years after On the Road was published. He was suffering from liver problem, following years of heavy drinking largely brought on by his love-hate relationship with fame.
Kerouac, the creator of vivid characters such as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, died at a St Petersburg hospital in 1969, at the age of 47.
【文章大意】杰克·凯鲁亚克通过写作激励了垮掉的一代人, 在他去世后粉丝们的感谢信仍然源源不断。
1. Why do people still write to Kerouac after his death?
A. His wife and mother still live in his home.
B. They are also suffering from serious illness.
C. People benefiting from his books want to say thanks.
D. People hope to learn how to deal with overnight fame.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第一段可知, 人们写信的目的是感谢他的书让他们受益。
2. What is On the Road probably about?
A. How to deal with becoming famous.
B. How vivid characters can be created.
C. Teaching people to appreciate his books.
D. Getting to know oneself better through travel.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第三段可知, 他们通常感谢《在路上》的作者鼓励他们去旅行和独立, 由此可判断出, 这本书主要讲人们通过旅行, 更好地了解自己。
3. What can we learn about Kerouac from the text?
A. He had great difficulty dealing with fame.
B. He was depressed because people didn’t read his books.
C. He drank a lot to celebrate his being famous for his works.
D. He was scolded because he promoted an alternative lifestyle.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据第七段可知, 但当他成为另类生活方式运动的象征和领袖后, 他却为这种名声挣扎, 并声称他只是想让人们读他的书, 也就是说, 他在处理名誉方面有很大的困难。
【知识拓展】Jack Kerouac背景知识
杰克·凯鲁亚克(1922~1969), 美国小说家。其代表作《在路上》通过对一群年轻人无所事事、游手好闲的荒诞经历的描写, 反映了战后美国青年的精神空虚、迷茫与浑浑噩噩的状态。其作品艺术性虽欠佳, 但他在认识社会现实方面却有独到之处。
B
Many of us have desires that might seem to be beyond our abilities, but
