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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
”.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】做这几道英语阅读理解题时，需先定位题目对应的原文段落，结合上下文语境分析：第1题是词义猜测题，需根据划线词所在句的前后逻辑（家族从富贵到被迫搬家，财富的变化）判断词义；第2题是推理判断题，要聚焦3-5段的细节，排除错误选项；第3题是句意理解题，需结合文章整体基调（如开头的繁华消逝）分析句子含义；第4题是人物评价题，要从原文中找描述曹雪芹的行为细节，总结其品质。
【解析】
1. 词义猜测题：根据第3段“In 1727, the family’s wealth was confiscated in a political struggle... the whole family was forced to move to Beijing”，可知家族原本富贵，后因政治斗争失去财富，被迫迁居，故“confiscated”意为“被夺走”，对应选项A。
2. 推理判断题：第3段明确提到家族的麻烦是“in a political struggle”，即与政治密切相关，故B正确；A选项“持续到清末”原文未提及；C选项与第2段“received a fine education”矛盾；D选项“家族出事前靠绘画谋生”与第4段“hardly make a living by selling his paintings”（后来）矛盾，故排除。
3. 句意理解题：结合开头“Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air”（繁华消逝，梦想成空），以及《红楼梦》的悲剧基调，划线句意为“所有美好背后都藏着悲伤”，对应选项C。
4. 人物评价题：从第4段可知，曹雪芹贫困时不找官职，花十年写《红楼梦》，体现他勤奋（hard-working）和意志坚强（strong-willed），对应选项D；A的“骄傲”、B的“开朗自信”、C的“慷慨善良”原文均无体现，故排除。
【答案】1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
【知识点】英语阅读理解、词义猜测、推理判断
【点评】本题围绕曹雪芹与《红楼梦》展开，考查英语阅读中常见的词义猜测、推理判断、句意理解和人物评价题型，需学生精准定位原文信息，结合语境分析，整体难度适中，适合中等水平学生作答。
【难度系数】0.7
【解析】
1. 词义猜测题：根据第3段“In 1727, the family’s wealth was confiscated in a political struggle... the whole family was forced to move to Beijing”，可知家族原本富贵，后因政治斗争失去财富，被迫迁居，故“confiscated”意为“被夺走”，对应选项A。
2. 推理判断题：第3段明确提到家族的麻烦是“in a political struggle”，即与政治密切相关，故B正确；A选项“持续到清末”原文未提及；C选项与第2段“received a fine education”矛盾；D选项“家族出事前靠绘画谋生”与第4段“hardly make a living by selling his paintings”（后来）矛盾，故排除。
3. 句意理解题：结合开头“Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air”（繁华消逝，梦想成空），以及《红楼梦》的悲剧基调，划线句意为“所有美好背后都藏着悲伤”，对应选项C。
4. 人物评价题：从第4段可知，曹雪芹贫困时不找官职，花十年写《红楼梦》，体现他勤奋（hard-working）和意志坚强（strong-willed），对应选项D；A的“骄傲”、B的“开朗自信”、C的“慷慨善良”原文均无体现，故排除。
【答案】1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
【知识点】英语阅读理解、词义猜测、推理判断
【点评】本题围绕曹雪芹与《红楼梦》展开，考查英语阅读中常见的词义猜测、推理判断、句意理解和人物评价题型，需学生精准定位原文信息，结合语境分析，整体难度适中，适合中等水平学生作答。
【难度系数】0.7
