8.Arthur Miller (1915-2005)is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century.Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary,drawn like so many others by the"Great American Dream".However,he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play,Death of a Salesman,is a powerful attack on the American system,with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth.In Willy Loman,the hero of the play,we see a man who has got into trouble with this system.Willy is"burnt out"and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment:if he can't do the work,then he is no good to his employer,the Wagner Company,and he must go.Willy is painfully aware of this,and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success.He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949,the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews,and it won the Tony Award for Best Play,the New York Drama Critics'Circle Award,and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury,Connecticut,on the evening of February 10,2005,the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.
21.Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?B
A.He suffered from severe hunger in his home country.
B.He was attracted by the"Great American Dream."
C.He hoped to make his son a dramatist.
D.His family business failed
22.The play Death of a SalesmanA.
A.exposes the cruelty of the American business world
B.discusses the ways to get promoted in a company
C.talks about the business career of Arthur Miller
D.focuses on the skills in doing business
23.After it was first staged,Death of a SalesmanA.
A.a(chǎn)chieved huge success
B.won the first Tony Award
C.was warmly welcomed by salesmen
D.was severely attacked by dramatists.
分析 縱觀全文不難看出本文主要介紹Arthur Miller 以及他的戲劇Death of a Salesman《推銷員之死》.
解答 21.B.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文章第一段的第二句Miller′s father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary.Drawn like so many other by the"Great American Dream"可知,Miller的父親像許多其他人一樣,在"偉大的美國夢"的吸引之下來到了美國.故選B.
22.A.推理判斷題.根據(jù)第二段可知,這部戲劇是對(duì)美國制度的一個(gè)有力抨擊.表現(xiàn)了一種激進(jìn)的做生意的方式以及金錢至上和看重社會(huì)地位的價(jià)值取向.主人公Willy陷入了生存困境,然而在這個(gè)冷酷的生意場上是沒有溫情可言的:如果他做不了,那么對(duì)老板而言,他就一無是處,他必須離開.故此部戲劇揭露了美國職場的殘酷.
23.A 細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第三段可知,這部戲劇自1949第一次搬上舞臺(tái),就一舉囊括了"托尼戲劇音樂獎(jiǎng)"、"紐約戲劇評(píng)論獎(jiǎng)"、"普利策戲劇獎(jiǎng)"三項(xiàng)大獎(jiǎng),獲得極大的成功.故選A.
點(diǎn)評(píng) 本文是一個(gè)人物故事類閱讀理解,題目涉及多道細(xì)節(jié)理解題,做題時(shí)結(jié)合原文和題目有針對(duì)性的找出相關(guān)語句進(jìn)行仔細(xì)分析,結(jié)合選項(xiàng)選出正確答案.推理判斷題也是要在抓住關(guān)鍵句子的基礎(chǔ)上合理的分析才能得出正確答案,切忌胡亂猜測,一定要做到有理有據(jù).