Question

There is a lot to learn about the creations of Beatrix Potter—not only is she the author and illustrator of one of the world's most famous children's books,The Tale of Peter Rabbit,but also a pioneering conservationist with the spirit of a scientist.

"Potter grew up as the daughter of a wealthy Victorian family,but along with her brother who filled an entire floor of their large house in London with all sorts of animals,"said Anne Lundin,a retired professor for the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.

"As an adult,she was a frustrated botanical illustrator and scientist.That field was not open to her because she was female,"Lundin said.Potter was urged to tum the charming illustrations and stories she wrote in letters to children into books.She wrote 23 books in all—a body of work that has inspired plays,ballets,films and an astonishing amount of merchandise.

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit is probably the most famous children's book in the world,which was published in 1902 and has really stood the test of time.It's been translated into 36 languages.The parents and grandparents will share it with the next generation,"said Lundin.

Potter also made a mark on the world through her land conservation."In many ways,she was like Peter Rabbit, venturing into a world of adventure and risk.She withdrew from London as soon as she started making some money on her books to the Lake District and became an extremely important farmer and conservationist.She preserved and passed on 15 farms and over 4,000 acres,which were given back to the country as gifts in the 20th century,"said Lundin.

Even though she was born 150 years ago,she was amazingly modern—her embracing of the natural world, commented Jennifer Blatchley Smith,an artistic director of the show Peter Rabbit Tales to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth.

1.What helped Beatrix Potter to write The Tale of Peter Rabbit successfully ?

A. Her life and work experiences.

B. Her specialty in animated（动画）pictures.

C. Her success in becoming a botanical scientist.

D. Her interest in animals in childhood alone.

2.What does the word "frustrated" in the third paragraph mean?

A. Disappointed.    B. Devoted.

C. Motivated.    D. Inspired.

3.What is Beatrix Potter?

A. A botanist and artist.

B. An extremely important farmer and successful scientist.

C. A writer,conservationist and farmer.

D. An artistic director.

4.Why does the author write the article?

A. In celebration of Potter's 150th birthday.

B. In honour of Potter's new contributions.

C. In praise of Potter's spirit of selflessness.

D. In support of Potter's book promotions.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.C

4.A

【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。主要讲述了名为Beatrix Potter的故事，Beatrix Potter不仅是一个有名的作家、漫画家，还是自然资源保护的先驱者，此外，Beatrix Potter还是一名植物学家，由于当时这个领域不对女性开放，所以Beatrix Potter写了关于植物学的书，这些书在当时特别流行，至今还在被人们传颂。而且，由于Potter对于世界的贡献，人们至今都在铭记她。

1.细节理解题。根据“she was like Peter Rabbit,venturing into a world of adventure and risk”，她像兔子彼得一样，在一个充满冒险和风险的世界中探险，可知，Beatrix Potter是以自己在现实世界的故事为原型来创造Peter Rabbit。故选A。

2.词义推断题。根据后文“That field was not open to her because she was female”，当时植物学领域是不对女性开放的，所以“she was a frustrated botanical illustrator”，Beatrix Potter是比较沮丧的。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据“not only is she the author and illustrator of one of the world’s most famous children’s books,The Tale of Peter Rabbit,but also a pioneering conservationist with the spirit of a scientist”,以及“became an extremely important farmer and conservationist”，可知Beatrix Potter是作家、插图画家、自然资源保护者、农民。故选C。

4.细节理解题。纵览全文，全篇都在讲述主人公的生平事迹，再根据“Even though she was born 150 years ago,she was amazingly modern”及“an artistic director of the show Peter Rabbit Tales to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Potter’s birth”可知，Beatrix Potter至今已经逝世150年了，而且为了纪念Potter，Peter Rabbit Tales也被拍成了节目剧，所以该篇文章是为了怀念Potter，为她庆祝150岁诞辰。故选A。