Question

Susan was born as the ninth child in a Catholic family. She suffered from learning disabilities ever since her birth because of her mother’s poor health.

School was difficult for Susan and she was bullied because of her different behaviors. Her siblings, who were much older, had life experiences that were unknown to their little sister. From the time of her birth, Susan was a screamer. The only really safe place that she would use as a repeat was her bedroom. There she would hang posters of her musical idols on the wall and sing popular music into a hairbrush that she pretended was a microphone.

One by one the siblings moved away from home and then Susan’s father died. This left her alone with an aging mother and a cat. The siblings accused her mother of not expecting more out of Susan. She had seen many professionals and remembered hearing the word “borderline” but didn’t know what it meant. She tried volunteer work. Her best state of mind, however, was found when she was singing and so she would regularly join others in karaoke or pubs where she could show her skills and receive appreciation from the crowd.

When Susan announced at Christmas that she was planning to compete in the Britain’s Got Talent contest, her siblings tried to discourage her. It was a wonder that she was even able to do the audition considering the troubles she faced just physically getting to the right place.

“The Woman I Was Born to Be” is a beautiful story written in the simple but humorous voice of the author, Susan Boyle. She tells her story from birth to the present in an interesting and educational manner. The writing is supplemented by photos from her albums.

I love this book! In fact, I read the whole thing in one day!

There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also inspires us to reach for our dreams — no matter how impossible they may seem to be!

1.This passage should be ___________.

A. a news report     B. a biography

C. a book review     D. an introduction

2.When Susan was young, ____________.

A. her mother died of an illness

B. her siblings liked her very much

C. she was fond of music

D. she was envied at school

3.According to the passage, which was NOT true?

A. Susan’s mother expected too much out of her.

B. Susan tried doing a lot of volunteer work.

C. Susan’s siblings tried to stop her from competing in the Britain’s Got Talent contest.

D. Susan’s performances were well received by the customers in pubs.

4.The book “The Woman I Was Born to Be” ______________.

A. is always a best-seller  B. is written in a serious voice

C. is full of sad stories   D. contains some photos of Susan

5.What does the author think of Susan Boyle？

A. Pitiful and selfless.   B. Shy and passive.

C. Great and generous.    D. Determined and inspiring.

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.A

4.D

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：文章大意：苏珊波义耳是出生在一个天主教家庭，是该家庭的第九个孩子。自从她出生时因为她母亲的健康状况不佳，她患有学习障碍。对于苏珊学校生活是困难的，因其不同的行为她受到凌辱。她的兄弟姐妹有生活经验，但对他们的小妹妹未知。苏珊的父亲死后，她的兄弟姐妹们一个一个从家里搬了出去。这让她单独与老母亲和一只猫一起生活。她试着做志愿工作。然而，被发现时，她在唱歌，得到了许多人的欣赏。《我出世做女人》是一个美丽的故事来自于苏珊波义耳的生活故事。

1.推理判断题。根据文章最后两段I love this book! In fact, I read the whole thing in one day!和There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also inspires us to reach for our dreams — no matter how impossible they may seem to be!可知本文是一篇书评。选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中There she would hang posters of her musical idols on the wall and sing popular music into a hairbrush that she pretended was a microphone.可知她年幼时喜欢音乐。选C。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段The siblings accused her mother of not expecting more out of Susan.可知A表述与原文事实不相符合。选A。

4.细节理解题。根据文章倒数第三段中The writing is supplemented by photos from her albums.可知该书包含许多苏珊的照片。选D。

5.推理判断题。根据最后一段中There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also inspires us to reach for our dreams — no matter how impossible they may seem to be!可知作者认为苏珊波义耳是一位有决心并鼓舞人心的人。选D。

考点：考查文化类短文阅读。