四、阅读理解
"Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air." This quiet line from A Dream of Red Mansions sets a gentle, sad tone for the classic work. Cao Xueqin was a great Qing Dynasty writer, best known for writing this novel—one of China's Four Great Classical Novels.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Cao's great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all given the posts by Emperor Kangxi as the Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangning, a position that brought the family great riches and respect. He grew up receiving a fine education and became a talented poet and painter in his early years.
But the good luck of the Cao family suddenly came to an end when a new emperor came into power. In 1727, the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle（政治斗争）and the whole family was forced to move to Beijing.
Cao spent the rest of his life in poverty in the western suburbs（郊区）of the city. He could hardly make a living by selling his paintings. Instead of finding an official position, he spent over ten years writing A Dream of Red Mansions. His friends said that every word he wrote carried "tears and blood", and his sufferings were hard to imagine.
The novel records the rise and fall of four influential feudal（封建的）families, centered on the tragic（悲惨的）love between Jia Baoyu and his cousin Lin Daiyu. Beyond the touching love story, it shapes a series of lively characters, shows the luxurious and corrupt（奢华堕落）lives of the upper class, and uncovers the darkness and coldness of the old feudal system with wonderful writings.
"Sadness hangs over all the beauty," Lu Xun wrote in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction. He also commented in The Evolution of Chinese Novels, "After A Dream of Red Mansions, traditional writing and ideas were broken." It is Cao's own life experience that turns his personal pain into a story that still touches readers today.
（
A. taken away B. sold out C. given back D. locked up
（
A. His family's power lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
B. His family's trouble was closely connected with politics.
C. He failed to receive a good education after his family fell apart.
D. He made a living by painting long before his family got into trouble.
（
A. Beautiful things always make people feel happy.
B. Beauty will disappear soon, just like sweet dreams.
C. There is hidden sadness behind the wonderful scenes.
D. People can only feel sad when they see beautiful views.
（
A. Talented and proud. B. Cheerful and confident.
C. Generous and kind-hearted. D. Hard-working and strong-willed.
"Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air." This quiet line from A Dream of Red Mansions sets a gentle, sad tone for the classic work. Cao Xueqin was a great Qing Dynasty writer, best known for writing this novel—one of China's Four Great Classical Novels.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Cao's great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all given the posts by Emperor Kangxi as the Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangning, a position that brought the family great riches and respect. He grew up receiving a fine education and became a talented poet and painter in his early years.
But the good luck of the Cao family suddenly came to an end when a new emperor came into power. In 1727, the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle（政治斗争）and the whole family was forced to move to Beijing.
Cao spent the rest of his life in poverty in the western suburbs（郊区）of the city. He could hardly make a living by selling his paintings. Instead of finding an official position, he spent over ten years writing A Dream of Red Mansions. His friends said that every word he wrote carried "tears and blood", and his sufferings were hard to imagine.
The novel records the rise and fall of four influential feudal（封建的）families, centered on the tragic（悲惨的）love between Jia Baoyu and his cousin Lin Daiyu. Beyond the touching love story, it shapes a series of lively characters, shows the luxurious and corrupt（奢华堕落）lives of the upper class, and uncovers the darkness and coldness of the old feudal system with wonderful writings.
"Sadness hangs over all the beauty," Lu Xun wrote in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction. He also commented in The Evolution of Chinese Novels, "After A Dream of Red Mansions, traditional writing and ideas were broken." It is Cao's own life experience that turns his personal pain into a story that still touches readers today.
（
A
）1. The underlined word "confiscated" most probably means "".A. taken away B. sold out C. given back D. locked up
（
B
）2. What can we infer about Cao Xueqin from paragraphs 3-5?A. His family's power lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
B. His family's trouble was closely connected with politics.
C. He failed to receive a good education after his family fell apart.
D. He made a living by painting long before his family got into trouble.
（
C
）3. What does the underlined sentence "Sadness hangs over all the beauty" mean?A. Beautiful things always make people feel happy.
B. Beauty will disappear soon, just like sweet dreams.
C. There is hidden sadness behind the wonderful scenes.
D. People can only feel sad when they see beautiful views.
（
D
）4. Which words can best describe Cao Xueqin according to the text?A. Talented and proud. B. Cheerful and confident.
C. Generous and kind-hearted. D. Hard-working and strong-willed.
答案：1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
解析：
【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解题，包含词义猜测、推理判断、句意理解、人物特征四类题型，需结合上下文语境及文本细节逐一分析：
1. 第1题是词义猜测题，需定位该词所在的语境（政治斗争中家族财富的遭遇），结合选项判断词义；
2. 第2题是推理判断题，需锁定3-5段的关键信息（家族变故与政治的关联），逐一排除错误选项；
3. 第3题是句意猜测题，需结合前后文对《红楼梦》主题的描述，理解句子的深层含义；
4. 第4题是人物特征题，需从文本中提取曹雪芹的行为（坚持创作、贫困中写作），匹配对应的形容词。
【解析】
1. 词义猜测题：定位第三段“In 1727, the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle and the whole family was forced to move to Beijing.”，可知在政治斗争中家族财富被“没收”，选项A“taken away（被拿走）”符合语境；B“sold out（售罄）”、C“given back（归还）”、D“locked up（被锁起来）”均不符合，故选A。
2. 推理判断题：定位第三段关键信息“the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle”，可知曹家的变故与政治密切相关，对应选项B；A选项“持续到清末”与1727年家族衰败矛盾，C选项“家族败落后未受良好教育”与第二段“received a fine education”矛盾，D选项“家族出事前靠卖画谋生”与第四段“spent the rest of his life in poverty... by selling his paintings”（败落后）矛盾，故选B。
3. 句意猜测题：结合第一段“Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air.”及第五段《红楼梦》揭露封建制度黑暗的描述，可知“Sadness hangs over all the beauty”意为美好背后隐藏悲伤，对应选项C；A与文意相反，B侧重美好消失未体现悲伤，D表述绝对，故选C。
4. 人物特征题：从第四段“spent over ten years writing A Dream of Red Mansions”（勤奋）、“spent the rest of his life in poverty”仍坚持创作（意志坚强），对应选项D；A的“骄傲”、B的“开朗”、C的“慷慨”均未提及，故选D。
【答案】
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、词义猜测题、推理判断题
【点评】
本题围绕曹雪芹与《红楼梦》的英语文本展开，题型全面，侧重考查学生对语境的理解和文本细节的把握，是典型的初中英语阅读理解题，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6
本题为英语阅读理解题，包含词义猜测、推理判断、句意理解、人物特征四类题型，需结合上下文语境及文本细节逐一分析：
1. 第1题是词义猜测题，需定位该词所在的语境（政治斗争中家族财富的遭遇），结合选项判断词义；
2. 第2题是推理判断题，需锁定3-5段的关键信息（家族变故与政治的关联），逐一排除错误选项；
3. 第3题是句意猜测题，需结合前后文对《红楼梦》主题的描述，理解句子的深层含义；
4. 第4题是人物特征题，需从文本中提取曹雪芹的行为（坚持创作、贫困中写作），匹配对应的形容词。
【解析】
1. 词义猜测题：定位第三段“In 1727, the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle and the whole family was forced to move to Beijing.”，可知在政治斗争中家族财富被“没收”，选项A“taken away（被拿走）”符合语境；B“sold out（售罄）”、C“given back（归还）”、D“locked up（被锁起来）”均不符合，故选A。
2. 推理判断题：定位第三段关键信息“the family's wealth was confiscated in a political struggle”，可知曹家的变故与政治密切相关，对应选项B；A选项“持续到清末”与1727年家族衰败矛盾，C选项“家族败落后未受良好教育”与第二段“received a fine education”矛盾，D选项“家族出事前靠卖画谋生”与第四段“spent the rest of his life in poverty... by selling his paintings”（败落后）矛盾，故选B。
3. 句意猜测题：结合第一段“Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air.”及第五段《红楼梦》揭露封建制度黑暗的描述，可知“Sadness hangs over all the beauty”意为美好背后隐藏悲伤，对应选项C；A与文意相反，B侧重美好消失未体现悲伤，D表述绝对，故选C。
4. 人物特征题：从第四段“spent over ten years writing A Dream of Red Mansions”（勤奋）、“spent the rest of his life in poverty”仍坚持创作（意志坚强），对应选项D；A的“骄傲”、B的“开朗”、C的“慷慨”均未提及，故选D。
【答案】
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、词义猜测题、推理判断题
【点评】
本题围绕曹雪芹与《红楼梦》的英语文本展开，题型全面，侧重考查学生对语境的理解和文本细节的把握，是典型的初中英语阅读理解题，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6