Question

The career of Henrik Ibsen was directly influenced by his childhood.In later years, the great playwright remembered only a cruel, angry father, forced by business defeats to move the family to an old farm outside Skien, Norway, Ibsen’s mother, no longer welcomed in the homes of her wealthy friends, started to suffer from depression.At sixteen, the young Ibsen left home, working as an apprentice (学徒) in Grimstad.

Failure, for Ibsen, became a way of life.Catalina, his first literary attempt, was impossible to sell.The privately printed book was eventually sold as packing paper to a grocer.Ibsen sought admission to the university in Oslo but failed the entrance examinations.He tried a career as a journalist, without success.As a stage manager, first in Bergen, then in Oslo, he did better, but lost the latter job when the theater closed down.The experience was not altogether wasted.At Bergen, Ibsen’s agreement required him to provide one new play each year, and although none of the five he produced was well received, the requirement forced him to learn the techniques of his trade.

In 1864, Ibsen took his wife and baby son to Rome, Italy, where they spent five years living in poor conditions.On the edge of starvation, he wrote Brand, dealing with the subject he knew best: failure.Six months after he sent Brand to Danish publishers, his fortunes had changed completely.The play was brought out in March, 1866, becoming an immediate success.With Brand and Peer Gynt, written in the same period, Ibsen won recognition at last.Awarded an annual fixed payment and the title of national poet by Norway, he dropped his shabby clothes and became a well­dressed, neatly barbered, distinguished writer.

1.Which of the following best describes Ibsen’s childhood?

A. Lonely.    B. Peaceful.

C. Unhappy.    D. Surprising.

2.Ibsen’s first successful work was written in ________.

A. Grimstad    B. Bergen

C. Oslo    D. Rome

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. One is never too old to learn.

B. Experience is the best teacher.

C. Failure is the mother of success.

D. Wisdom is better than gold or silver.

4.Which of the following CAN describe Henrik Ibsen according to the passage?

A. Devoted.    B. Easy­going.

C. Determined.    D. Kind­hearted.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.C

【解析】

本文介绍了挪威现代戏剧大师亨利克.易卜生的成功之路。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段可知，童年时期的易卜生家道中落，父亲脾气不好，母亲患有抑郁症，因此他的童年并不快乐。分析选项可知C项符合题意。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段首句及中间的“The play was brought out in March, 1866, becoming an immediate success.”可知，《布朗德》是易卜生第一部成功的剧作，创作于罗马，一经上映大获成功。分析选项可知D项符合题意。

3.推理判断题。通读全文可知，经历过很多失败之后，易卜生终于取得了成功，即“失败是成功之母”。分析选项可知C项符合题意。

4.推理判断题。本文介绍了易卜生是如何从失败走向成功的。当他在Bergen当舞台经理时，行业要求他一年出一部新剧，虽然都无果而终，但他没有消沉，而是努力去学习他的行业技术直至后来的成功。因此他是一个有毅力的人。分析选项（A. Devoted忠诚的；B. Easy­ going. 容易相处的；C. Determined. 有毅力的，有决心的； D. Kind­hearted. 心地善良的）可知C项符合题意。故选C项。