广东省揭阳一中2014届高三上学期期中考试英语试题试卷(2)

    I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance (自由撰稿) writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life.
26. What did the author study originally when he was in college?
   A. Psychology  B. Commercial Arts   C. International Business   D. English Composition
27. What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
   A. He decided to study International Business at first.     B. He wanted to study two majors.
   C. He liked Psychology better.            D. He chose his major with the help of his friends.
28. Why was the author nervous about starting online classes?
   A. Because he heard some negative remarks about it.
   B. Because he was worried that he didn’t have enough time to study.
   C. Because he feared he would fail the entrance exam.
   D. Because he was afraid that he didn’t have enough money.
29. Which of the following best describes the author’s learning experience?
   A. Dull and challenging.             B. Interesting and easy.  
C. Interesting and challenging.        D. Dull and easy
30. According to the passage, the author _________.
   A. was not able to find a full-time job                  B. is most interested in writing
   C. pays for his schooling with the help of his family       D. is satisfied with his achievements.
B
    Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
    Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower, middle-class family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
    At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm (韵律).
    John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.
31. John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of _________.
   A. his early education from school           B. the deaths of his parents
   C. Edmund Spenser’s poetry                D. the criticism of a magazine
32. What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
   A. They read many books.                 B. They had a bad childhood
   C. They died of the same disease.            D. They showed strong interest in poetry
33. What do we know from the passage?
   A. Keats received little education at school.    B. Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
C. In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.    D. Endymion was about a real love story.
34. While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was __________.
   A. determined    B. experienced    C. knowledgeable    D. impatient
35. What can we infer from the passage?
   A. Keats’ family must have been very poor when he was young.