四、阅读理解
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist and one of the most important figures of 20th-century literature. He was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood didn't have the peace that a happy family had. Later, Yeats surprised his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he was born with excellent taste in art—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally chose to work on literature, especially drama and poetry.
Yeats strongly believed in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task of setting up an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not well received in the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats' poems get much admiring notice. The subjects include love, nature, history, time and aging. Yeats always liked to bring modern feelings to his poems. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to the praise of the whole world. Till today, his works are still widely read and studied. They are among the greatest achievements in English literature.
Yeats is considered one of the few writers whose greatest works were completed after being awarded the Nobel Prize, which he won in 1923. He continued writing almost to the end of his life, producing his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. If Yeats had stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet. There is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces their greatest works between these ages. Such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929). His late works show his deep insight（洞悉）into life and art.
After suffering from a number of illnesses for several years, Yeats died in Menton, 1939. The last poem he wrote was The Black Tower. After Yeats' death, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honoured guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel(船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
(
A. It was a happy family.
B. It was surprised by Yeats' choice.
C. It was a wealthy family.
D. It had an artistic background.
(
A. With great talent.
B. Without much influence.
C. Different from others.
D. Producing many works.
(
A. Happiness.
B. Anger.
C. Doubt.
D. Admiration.
(
A. Yeats' literary achievements.
B. Yeats' historical influence.
C. Yeats' life experiences.
D. Yeats' national popularity.
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist and one of the most important figures of 20th-century literature. He was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood didn't have the peace that a happy family had. Later, Yeats surprised his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he was born with excellent taste in art—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally chose to work on literature, especially drama and poetry.
Yeats strongly believed in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task of setting up an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not well received in the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats' poems get much admiring notice. The subjects include love, nature, history, time and aging. Yeats always liked to bring modern feelings to his poems. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to the praise of the whole world. Till today, his works are still widely read and studied. They are among the greatest achievements in English literature.
Yeats is considered one of the few writers whose greatest works were completed after being awarded the Nobel Prize, which he won in 1923. He continued writing almost to the end of his life, producing his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. If Yeats had stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet. There is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces their greatest works between these ages. Such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929). His late works show his deep insight（洞悉）into life and art.
After suffering from a number of illnesses for several years, Yeats died in Menton, 1939. The last poem he wrote was The Black Tower. After Yeats' death, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honoured guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel(船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
(
D
) 1. What can you learn about Yeats' family according to paragraph 1?A. It was a happy family.
B. It was surprised by Yeats' choice.
C. It was a wealthy family.
D. It had an artistic background.
(
B
) 2. What does the underlined word "minor" probably mean?A. With great talent.
B. Without much influence.
C. Different from others.
D. Producing many works.
(
D
) 3. What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden's lines?A. Happiness.
B. Anger.
C. Doubt.
D. Admiration.
(
A
) 4. What is the passage mainly about?A. Yeats' literary achievements.
B. Yeats' historical influence.
C. Yeats' life experiences.
D. Yeats' national popularity.
答案：1.D 2.B 3.D 4.A
解析：
【分析】
本题是关于爱尔兰诗人叶芝的英语阅读理解题，共4道选择题，分别考查细节理解、词义猜测、情感推断与主旨大意。解题思路：1. 第1题定位第一段，查找叶芝家庭相关信息，逐一排除错项；2. 第2题结合上下文语境推断“minor”含义；3. 第3题分析Auden诗句的情感倾向；4. 第4题梳理全文核心内容确定主旨。
【解析】
1. 第1题：定位第一段，原文提到“his father and his brother were painters”，说明叶芝家庭有艺术背景，故D正确。A与原文“童年无幸福家庭的安宁”不符；B偷换概念，原文是叶芝称记得童年痛苦让家人惊讶，而非家人对他的选择惊讶；C“富裕”未提及，排除。
2. 第2题：划线词所在句意为“若叶芝40岁停笔，会被视为minor诗人”，结合后文“50-75岁创作出最伟大作品”，可知minor意为“次要的、无重大影响力的”，对应B。
3. 第3题：Auden诗句将叶芝称为“honoured guest（尊贵的客人）”，表达钦佩之情，故选D。
4. 第4题：全文围绕叶芝的文学创作、成就、地位展开，核心是其文学成就，故选A。B“历史影响”、C“生活经历”、D“国内知名度”均非主旨。
【答案】
1.D 2.B 3.D 4.A
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】
本题考查英语阅读理解的核心能力，需学生准确提取原文信息、结合语境推断词义、把握文章主旨，题型常规，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6
本题是关于爱尔兰诗人叶芝的英语阅读理解题，共4道选择题，分别考查细节理解、词义猜测、情感推断与主旨大意。解题思路：1. 第1题定位第一段，查找叶芝家庭相关信息，逐一排除错项；2. 第2题结合上下文语境推断“minor”含义；3. 第3题分析Auden诗句的情感倾向；4. 第4题梳理全文核心内容确定主旨。
【解析】
1. 第1题：定位第一段，原文提到“his father and his brother were painters”，说明叶芝家庭有艺术背景，故D正确。A与原文“童年无幸福家庭的安宁”不符；B偷换概念，原文是叶芝称记得童年痛苦让家人惊讶，而非家人对他的选择惊讶；C“富裕”未提及，排除。
2. 第2题：划线词所在句意为“若叶芝40岁停笔，会被视为minor诗人”，结合后文“50-75岁创作出最伟大作品”，可知minor意为“次要的、无重大影响力的”，对应B。
3. 第3题：Auden诗句将叶芝称为“honoured guest（尊贵的客人）”，表达钦佩之情，故选D。
4. 第4题：全文围绕叶芝的文学创作、成就、地位展开，核心是其文学成就，故选A。B“历史影响”、C“生活经历”、D“国内知名度”均非主旨。
【答案】
1.D 2.B 3.D 4.A
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】
本题考查英语阅读理解的核心能力，需学生准确提取原文信息、结合语境推断词义、把握文章主旨，题型常规，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6