Exercises
A. Determining the main idea.
Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the story is ______ . ( D )
(a) that a rich man showed great sympathy for the poor people and donated all his money to the social institutions
(b) that a successful writer tried his best to encourage future generations
(c) how the friendship between a famous writer and an eight-years-old girl writer was made and kept
(d) how a successful writer of humble origin donated his large fortune to the cause of education and started over at the age of 85
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. The 8-year-old Hana wanted to see Michener because she _______. ( C )
(a) had never seen him before
(b) knew Michener was someone special
(c) wanted to talk to him about her book
(d) wanted to buy a book Michener had written
2. Hana wrote and illustrated stories about ______. ( A )
(a) seals
(b) schools
(c) history
(d) nature
3. When Michener said that his life had been in its way a fable for his times, he meant that ______. ( C )
(a) he was too generous to be believed
(b) he had traveled around the world quite a lot
(c) he had risen from a poor boy to a writer with a great fortune
(d) he began his life as a foundling and in his late years he gave all his money to others
4. Which of the following is not true? ( A )
(a) Michener, though a foundling, was adopted by a rich family and then had the opportunity to go to school.
(b) Before he was 20, Michener had seen most of the states of America
(c) At school, Michener was quite radical
(d) He loved listening to stories and making up stories when he was young.
5. Michener's life was filled with extra-ordinary twists and turns. He did all of the following except ______. ( D )
(a) teaching and editing books
(b) laboring on a coal barge and collecting folk songs
(c) serving in the Navy during World War II
(d) running for Congress successfully
6. Which of the following won a Pulitzer Prize for Michener? ( A )
(a) Tales of the South Pacific .
(b) Hawaii.
(c) The Source.
(d) Iberia.
7. In Michener's childhood, the incident of a set of Balzac's books hit him like an explosion because _____. ( D )
(a) Michener felt sorry for his aunt who could not read
(b) it made Michener determined to be rich one day and be able to buy books
(c) Michener wanted to read the books himself
(d) Michener wanted to write books like Balzac
8. The principal of Michener's secondary school was unhappy when the latter won a scholarship from a university because ______. ( D )
(a) he thought Michener was not a credit to the school
(b) he disliked Michener for not working hard at the school
(c) he wanted Michener to be a plumber
(d) he despised poor people like Michener
9. Michener thought that Hana's story was very good because _______. ( B )
(a) it was very interesting
(b) everybody was happy in the end
(c) Erny the seal was taken to the Zoo
(d) it was written by an 8-year-old child
10. The last time the author talked to Michener, the latter _______. ( B )
(a) was very much worried about his health
(b) offered to help a young lady to study at university
(c) didn't know that he was seriously ill
(d) realized he had not succeeded in starting over
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1.With our two children out of school, my wife and I thought it would be fun to vacation nearby, while I collaborated with the renowned author on a book of conversations. ( B )
(a) discussed heatedly
(b) worked together
(c) operated successfully
(d) studied conscientiously
2. Each was personally inscribed and redstamped with the initials JAM. ( A )
(a) signed
(b) described
(c) counted
(d) decorated
3. "I'm reading an original story by a young writer," he told the caller. ( D )
(a) absorbing
(b) fascinating
(c) pleasant
(d) creative
4. It was incredible. Michener began life as a foundling. ( B )
(a) surprising
(b) unbelievable
(c) unusual
(d) fantastic
5. I had an insatiable love of hearing people tell stories and what they didn't tell, I made up." ( A )
(a) incapable of being satisfied
(b) moderate and proper
(c) true and lasting
(d) passionate and lasting
6. He joined the Navy during World War II, where he compiled colorful fictional accounts based on the exotic people he encountered in the South Seas. ( B )
(a) interesting
(b) invented
(c) realistic
(d) literary
7. For Michener, it signaled a new beginning, launching him in his 40s on a spectacular career. ( A )
(a) an impressive
(b) a successful
(c) an expressive
(d) a good
8. Michener lived modestly, and his money accumulated. ( C )
(a) worked
(b) decreased
(c) increased
(d) qualified
9. When that final call of acceptance came through in Maine, it was a moment of personal triumph, and I felt privileged to share it. ( A )
(a) honored
(b) interested
(c) happy
(d) determined
10. But first he had another obligation to fulfill: he hadn't finished reading Hana's story. ( B )
(a) task
(b) responsibility
(c) wish
(d) plan
11. On October 6, 1997, I called and spoke with his devoted caretaker, Amelia, who said the end was near. ( A )
(a) dedicated
(b) responsible
(c) serious
(d) fortunate
12. Then he said, "If you want to bring her here, to the University of Texas, we'll pay her tuition for the first year." ( D )
(a) payment for books
(b) living expenses
(c) food and lodging
(d) fee for school instruction
D. Discussing the following topics.
1. Do you like Michener? What in him do you appreciate most? How did he differ from other old people/rich people you know or have heard about?
答案
What I appreciate him most is his courage to give away all his property and start over again. Michener was completely different from some of the old people who I have known. In most cases, the old people retire and begin to enjoy the peaceful, affluent and comfortable life when they have accumulated sufficient wealth for themselves to rely on. Although Michener was an 85-year-old man, he was brave enough to challenge his age. He was really a great figure.
2. Why did Michener say that his life had been, in its way, a fable for its times?
Michener said that his life had been a fable for their times, because he made a large fortune entirely through his own efforts. He started with nothing. He was born a foundling and enjoyed no benefaction. It was really a slow and hard struggle for him to gain so large a fortune. Everyone thought that Michener would rest on his achievement, but he chose to donate all his money. His action gave everyone a big surprise, for he didn't keep some to sustain himself. The people had got accustomed to the fact that the wealthy ones often made some donations, but Michener was the only one who started with nothing and gave away all he had at such an old age.
3. Two incidents in Michener's childhood changed him greatly. Discuss the effects of the two incidents upon Michener.
One incident that affected Michener was that a salesman sold a set of Balzac books to his aunt. The books roused his interest in writing and impressed him deeply. The other incident that had effect on Michener was that the principal despised poor people like Michener. Michener was determined to earn money to become rich and to dedicate his money to helping the poor students to go on with their education.
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