Although Beethoven could sit down and compose easily, his really great compositions did not come easily at all. They cost him a great deal of hard work and he always found it hard to satisfy himself.When he was 28, he began to notice a strange noise in his ears. As it grew worse, he went to see doctors, and was told that he was going deaf. This was too much for any composer to bear. Beethoven was without hope; he was sure that he was going to die. He went to the countryside where he wrote a long good-bye letter to his brothers, describing how sad and lonely his deafness made him. He longed to die, and said to death, "Come when you will; I shall meet you bravely."In fact, Beethoven did something braver than dying. He gathered his courage and went on writing music, though he could hear what he wrote more and more faintly. He wrote the music for which we remember him best after he became deaf. This music was very different from any that had been composed before. Instead of the artistic and beautiful music that earlier composers had written for their rich listeners, Beethoven wrote stormy, exciting music which reminds us of his troubled and courageous (勇敢的) life. His Heroic (英雄的) Symphony (交响乐) and Fifth Symphony both show his courage in struggling with his fate.In time he went completely deaf, but he wrote more creatively than ever, for he could "hear" his music in his mind. He was lonely and often unhappy but in spite of this, he often wrote joyful music, such as his last symphony, the Ninth. Because of his courage and strong will to triumph, his music has given joy and encouragement to millions of people.
1. How did Beethoven's deafness affect him?
A. It killed him.
B. It stopped his writing music.
C. It drove him mad.
D. It helped him create great music.
2. Which of the following music works written by Beethoven was joyful?
A. No. 9 Symphony.
B. No. 7 Symphony.
C. No. 5 Symphony.
D. No. 3 Symphony.
3. Beethoven longed to die because _______________.
A. he had told death he would meet it bravely
B. he felt his deafness was too much for him to bear as a composer
C. he wouldn't be able to write music for rich listeners after becoming deaf
D. he wouldn't be able to support his family
4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. Music and Symphony
B. Hard to Satisfy
C. The Music of Fate
D. Deafness in Music.
5. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. When he was partly deaf, Beethoven's music became more and more gentle.
B. His music became more and more artistic although he was deaf.
C. He wrote fainter and fainter music after he went deaf.
D. He composed exciting and encouraging music that reflected his struggle with his fate.
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the same passage or dialog.
Charlie Chaplin has broken all records in making people laugh. No one has so set a whole world laughing as the little man with the walking stick and the oversized shoes.Much has been written about Chaplin's art and his career, and opinions have ranged widely. But perhaps those who called him "the truest human being of our time" came closest to the truth. Those who have called him a genius stress the timeless and common qualities in his work. It is an art filled with sad elements and deep human feeling, with which an audience cannot help but become involved. It is for these reasons, I believe, that the figure of Charlie has attracted generation after generation.All the writers who give accounts of Chaplin's life agree that Charlie's unhappy early years in the area in London where houses were dirty and worn had a great influence on his development and on the type of films he made. Chaplin himself emphasizes it in his memoirs (回忆录). The more one reads about his earliest period, the more one tends to agree. Indeed, his suffering youth had a lasting influence on him.Chaplin was never afraid to deal with subjects causing much disagreement in his films. He gave a humorous performance on war only a few weeks before the American soldiers came home from World War I in 1918. This was regarded as madness, but the performance was well received. So perfectly did it hit the nail on the head that even the returning soldiers found it impossible to hate it and deeply appreciated this short and humorous performance on what for them had been an unpleasant reality. Chaplin gave numerous performances attacking capital governments, satirizing (讽刺) the cruelty of the machine age, and even making fun of Hitler.Years after his death, the funny films of motion picture actor and director Charlie Chaplin continue to be well loved. He is particularly well known for his success as a creator of humorous presentations that make fun of people, the establishment, or networks.
6. All of the following about Charlie Chaplin are true except _______________.
A. he was born in the USA
B. he was a great film actor
C. he had an unhappy early life
D. he made fun of Hitler in one of his films
7. According to the author, Charlie Chaplin has been well loved by generation after generation because ______________.
A. he set the whole world laughing
B. his performances get people involved
C. his works appeal to people in different periods
D. both B and C
8. According to the writers of Charlie Chaplin's life history, ____________ had a strong influence on the type of films he made.
A. the society in which he lived
B. the audience who praised and admired him
C. his unhappy early years in the poor area in London
D. those who called him a genius
9. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. There are timeless qualities in Chaplin's work because he didn't involve himself in political affairs.
B. Chaplin became well loved years after his death.
C. Chaplin's performance is funny without any sad elements.
D. Chaplin's films are the combinations of funny and sad elements.
10. This passage was ____________.
A. written by Charlie Chaplin
B. written about Charlie Chaplin
C. advertising one of Charlie Chaplin's films
D. written for students to learn film-making
