湖北自考网()信息最齐全最实用的湖北自考门户网站。2015年湖北高考英语专题限时训练:人物型阅读理解(一)HenryFordgrewuponanunelectrifiedfarm,andasayoungmanhefollowedEdison'scareerastheinventorbecameanationalrolemodel.FordtookajobattheEdisonIlluminatingCompany,workinghiswayuptochiefengineer.In1896Fordwasthirtythreeand,thoughstillworkingforEdisonCo.,hehadcreatedhisfirstexperimentalautomobile—theFordQuadricycle2duringhisofftime.AtanEdisoncompanypartyinNewYork,FordhadhisfirstchancetomeethisheroEdisonandwasabletoexplainhisnewautomobiletothegreatinventor.Edison_was_impressed._Edison_is_said_to_have_slammed_his_fist_down_and_shouted,“Youngman,that'sthething!Youhaveit!Yourcarisselfcontainedandcarriesitsownpowerplant.”Edisonhimselfhadbeenworkingontheidea,buthadonlybeenconsideringelectricityasthepowersource,sotheideaofagasenginewasasomewhatnewone.ThewordscomfortedFordgreatly,whoimmediatelysetoutbuildingasecondcarwhichwastobecometheModelT.6.Thetwomenbecamefriendsandwouldgooncampingtripstogether.WhenEdisonlaterbecamelimitedtoawheelchair,Fordbroughtanextraonetohishousesotheycouldrace.Atthe50thanniversaryoftheinventionoflightbulb,FordhonouredEdison.WhenEdisonspokeheendedhisspeechdirectedatFord,“AstoHenryFord,wordsfailtoexpressmyfeelings.Icanonlysaythatheismyfriend.”ThereforeitisnosurprisethatFordwantedsomethingtorememberEdisonbyafterhepassedawayin1931.Once,FordaskedThomasEdison'ssonCharlestositbythedyinginventor'sbedsideandholdatesttubenexttohisfather'smouthtocatchhisfinalbreath.Fordwasamanwithmanystrangebehaviours(aswasEdison)includingsomeinterestinreanimationandspiritualism(复活通灵术)andsomesaythathewasattemptingtocatchEdison'ssoulasitescapedhisbodyinhopesoflaterbringingtheinventorbacktolife.Thetesttubeitselfdidn'tturnupuntil1950whenitwaslistedintheFord'spossessionsafterClaraFord'spassingaway,andthenlostagainuntil1978whenitwasdiscoveredinanexhibitentitled“HenryFord—APersonalHistory”intheHenryFordMuseum.Itwouldthenbediscoveredthatthetubewaslabeled“Edison'sLastBreath”.Thereisafurthermysteryofthis“lastbreath”testtube.ItwouldseemasifEdisonhadquitealastbreathindeed,astheEdisonEstateholdsacollectionof42testtubesallsupposedlycontainingEdison'slastbreath.Regardlessoftheexcitementoverthelastbreath,thetesttubeisquitetouchinginitsmeaning.Althoughbothmenwereknownforallsortsofpoorbehaviourtowardstheirlovedonesandmistreatmentofemployees,betweenthematleast,therewasclearlyadeeprespectandadmiration.湖北自考网()信息最齐全最实用的湖北自考门户网站。1.Thepurposeoftheauthorwritingthispassageisto________.A.remindthereadersoftheimportanceofthetwoinventorsB.stresstheimportanceoffriendshipC.tellthereaderssomestoriesaboutthetwoinventorsD.showthatlovecanleadtosomepoorbehaviours2.FromtheunderlinedsentenceinParagraph2,wecanlearnthat________.A.EdisonenviedwhatFordhadachievedB.EdisonwasannoyedthatForddidbetterthanhimC.EdisonwasangrybecauseFordstolehisideaD.EdisonwasextremelyamazedatFord'snewidea3.“The‘lastbreath’testtube”canprobablyberegardedas________.A.asymbolofafriendshipandmemoryB.awitnesstoascientificbreakthroughC.afailuretobringEdisonbacktolifeD.asignofthetwoinventors'poorbehaviour4.Itcanbelearnedfromthelastparagraphthat“________.”A.GreatmindsthinkalikeB.NobodyisperfectC.TwoheadsarebetterthanoneD.Afriendinneedisafriendindeed(二)湖北自考网()信息最齐全最实用的湖北自考门户网站。JANEAUSTEN(1775—1817)isoftenregardedasthegreatestofEnglishwomennovelistonthestrengthofhersixcompletednovels.Knownparticularlyfortheirsocialcomedyandaccuratedescriptionofhumanrelationships,theyarestillaswidelyreadtodayastheyhaveeverbeen.Astheseventhchildofacountrypriest(牧师),JaneAustenwasbornon16December1775atSteventoninHampshire.Herfather,theReverendGeorgeAusten,wasanintelligentandsensitivemanwhoencouragedJaneinherloveofreading.FromanearlyageshewasfamiliarwiththeworksofHenryFielding,SirWalterScott,Richardson,FrancesBurneyandthepoetGeorgeCrabbe.Herearlyattemptsatwritingincludeburlesques(滑稽作品)ofpopularromances.Whenherfatherretiredin1801thefamilymovedtoBath,whichwaslatertofeatureinhernovelNorthangerAbbey(publishedin1818).Afterhisdeathin1805thefamilymovedfirsttoSouthamptonandthenin1809toChawtoninHampshire,whereJaneAustenisknowntohavewrittenherlastthreenovels:MansfieldPark(1814),Emma(1816)andPersuasion(alsopublishedin1818).Althoughherothernovelswerewrittenmuchearlier,itwasnotuntil1811thatSenseandSensibilitywasfirstpublished.PrideandPrejudice,whichfollowedin1813,featuresJaneAusten'sownfavouritehero,ElizabethBennet.Surroundedbyherlivelyandwarmfamilyandwhollyburiedherselfinherwritingandhousework,JaneAustenledalifeoftenknownforitslackofevents.Shedid,however,attractseveraladmirersandevenacceptedaproposalofmarriagefromoneadmirer—onlytochangehermindthefollowingmorning.JaneAusten'sindependentlifeoftenseemsreflectedinhernovels,whichseemtodisplaytheworldinminiature(缩影).SirWalterScottpraisedJaneAustenfor“thatuniquetouchwhichmakesordinarycommonplacethingsandcharactersinteresting”,whileSomersetMaughamclaimedthatshehadathercommand“themostpreciousgiftanovelistcanpossesstokeepthereaders'interest”.JaneAustendiedin1817.5.Theunderlinedword“touch”inthethirdpara