泽熙美文Reading Comprehension
Phyllis Wheatley is regarded as America’s first black poet. She was born in Senegal, Africa, about 1753 and brought to America aboard a slave ship at about the age of seven. John and Susannah Wheatley bought her for three pounds at a slave auction in Boston in 1761 to be a personal servant of Mrs. Wheatley. The family had three other slaves, and all were treated with respect. Phyllis was soon accepted as one of the family, which included being raised and educated with the Wheatley’s twin 15-year-old children, Mary and Nathaniel. At that time, most females, even from better families, could not read and write, but Mary was probably one of the best educated young women in Boston. Mary wanted to become a teacher, and in fact, it was Mary who decided to take charge of Phyllis’s education. Phyllis soon displayed her remarkable talents. At the age of twelve she was reading the Greek and Latin classics and passages from the Bible. And eventually, Mrs. Wheatley decided Phyllis should become a Christian.
At the age of thirteen Phyllis wrote her first poem. She became a Boston sensation after she wrote a poem on the death of the evangelical preacher George Whitfield in 1770. It became common practice in Boston to have “Mrs. Wheatley’s Phyllis” read poetry in polite society. Mary married in 1771, and Phyllis later moved to the country because of poor health, as a teacher and caretaker to a farmer’s three children. Mary had tried to interest publishers in Phyllis’s poems but once they heard she was a Negro they weren’t interested.
Then in 1773 Phyllis went with Nathaniel, who was now a businessman, to London. It was thought that a sea voyage might improve her health. Thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as Poems on, Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. It was the first book published by a black American. In 1775 Phyllis wrote a poem extolling the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to him. He responded by praising her talents and inviting her to visit his headquarters. After both of her benefactors died in 1777, and Mary died in 1778, Phyllis was freed as a slave. She married in 1778, moved away from Boston, and had three children. But after the unhappy marriage, she moved back to Boston, and died in poverty at the sage of thirty.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.Slavery and the treatment of the black people in America.
B.The Wheatley family, including their slaves.
C.The life of America’s first black poet.
D.The achievements of Phyllis Wheatley.
正确答案：C
[解析] 本题考查主旨大意。通读文章可知，本文首先谈及Phyllis Wheatley是美国第一个黑人诗人，接着描写了她的生平和生活经历，她的黑奴生活，她的教育、婚姻生活，直至死亡。由此可知，文章是讲述美国第一位黑人诗人的一生。所以，答案是C。
2. The underlined word “respect” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.consideration
B.disregard
C.punishment
D.behavior
正确答案：A
[解析] 本题考查词义理解。根据文章第一段内容可知，Phyllis Wheatley虽被卖为奴隶，却受到了尊重，很快就被当作是家庭的一员。respect在句中意为“尊重”。consideration“体贴，照顾”；disregard“忽视”；punishment“惩罚”；behavior“行为”。所以，答案是A。
3. According to the passage, how many slaves did the Wheatley’s have?
A.One.
B.Two.
C.Three.
D.Four.
正确答案：D
[解析] 本题考查细节理解。根据文章第一段第四句“The family had three other slaves”可知，这个家庭还有其他三个奴隶，加上Phyllis Wheatley总共有4个奴隶。所以，答案是D。
4. According to the passage, an unusual feature of Mary was that she ______.
A.was not much older than Phyllis
B.wanted to become a teacher
C.was comparatively well educated
D.decided to take charge of Phyllis’s education
正确答案：C
[解析] 本题考查细节理解。根据文章第一段第六句“At that time, most females, even from better families, could not read and write, but Mary was probably one of the best educated young women in Boston.”可知，即使是出身较好的女性都不会读书写字，但是Mary可能是波士顿受过最好教育的年轻女性之一。尽管A、B、D三项有关Mary的说法也是正确的，但本题问的是Mary本身拥有的与众不同的特点。所以，答案为C。
5. The underlined word “eventually” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.ultimately
B.slowly
C.reluctantly
D.gradually
正确答案：A
[解析] 本题考查词义理解。根据文章第一段最后一句“And eventually, Mrs. Wheatley decided Phyllis should become a Christian.”可知，最终，Wheatley夫人决定让Phyllis成为一个基督徒。eventually“最后，终于”；ultimately“最后”；slowly“缓慢地”；reluctantly“不情愿地”；gradually“逐渐地”。所以，答案是A。
6. Which of the following is NOT true about Phyllis in the early 1770s?
A.She wrote her first poem when in her teens.
B.She married in 1771.
C.She became a teacher.
D.She was able to get her poems published.
正确答案：B
[解析] 本题考查细节理解。根据第二段第一句“At the age of thirteen Phyllis wrote her first poem.”可知，A项正确；根据第二段倒数第二句“Mary married in 1771, and Phyllis later moved to the country because of poor health, as a teacher and caretaker to a farmer’s three children.”可知，C项正确；根据第三段第三句“Thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as. Poems on Varions Subjects, Religions and Moral.”可知，D项也正确。文中提到Mary是在1771年结婚，所以B项不正确。所以，答案是B。
7. The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refers to ______.
A.publishers
B.poems
C.children
D.black people
正确答案：A
[解析] 本题考查细节理解。将解题点定位在第二段最后一句“Mary had tried to interest publishers in Phyllis’s poems but once they heard she was a Negro they weren’t interested.”，分析句子结构可知，they是指该句前半部分提到的publishers。所以，答案是A。
8. It can be inferred that Phyllis’s trip to England with Nathaniel in 1773 ______.
A.did not improve her health
B.was for business reasons
C.led to books of her poems being available in America
D.led to the publication of her poems because the English were more interested in religious and moral subjects
正确答案：A
[解析] 本题考查推理判断。根据第三段第二句“It was thought that a sea voyage might improve her health.”可知，人们认为海上航行可能会改善他的身体状况，但这只是人们的希望，并不一定能实现。所以，答案是A。
9. The word “extolling” is closest in meaning to ______.
A.welcoming
B.stating
C.bemoaning
D.praising
正确答案：D
[解析] 本题考查词义理解。根据文章第三段第五句“In 1775 Phyllis wrote a poem extolling the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to him.”可知，Phyllis写诗“extolling”华盛顿的成就并将诗送给他。因此，extolling应为“赞美”之意，welcoming“欢迎”；stating“陈述”；bemoaning“抱怨”；praising“表扬”。所以，答案是D。
10. Which of the following conclusions about Phyllis is supported
