Thomas Edison was a great American inventor. He was born to a poor family in 1847. His mother taught him at home. He often observed things carefully and he made over 1,300 inventions during his life time. He was often said to be the greatest genius(天才) of his age. There are only a few men in all of history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius. “There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He also said that what people called genius was mostly hard work. But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “Work, ” he answered back, “discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
【小题1】Edison was______________.

A．interested in changing people’s ideas

B．interested in discovering the secrets of nature

C．very much uninterested in nature

D．uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Many other people have changed Edison’s life.

B．Edison has changed the lives of many other people.

C．Only a few men in history can change other people’s lives.

D．Edison invented the electric light.

【小题3】The last sentence in the passage most probably implies(意指)___________.

A．people of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 year’s work

B．Life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings

C．Edison made 100 inventions in his life

D．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years

Thomas Edison was a great American inventor. He was born to a poor family in 1847. His mother taught him at home. He often observed things carefully and he made over 1,300 inventions during his life time. He was often said to be the greatest genius(天才) of his age. There are only a few men in all of history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius. “There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He also said that what people called genius was mostly hard work. But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.

Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.

Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “Work, ” he answered back, “discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.

1.Edison was______________.

A．interested in changing people’s ideas

B．interested in discovering the secrets of nature

C．very much uninterested in nature

D．uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature

2.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Many other people have changed Edison’s life.

B．Edison has changed the lives of many other people.

C．Only a few men in history can change other people’s lives.

D．Edison invented the electric light.

3.The last sentence in the passage most probably implies(意指)___________.

A．people of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 year’s work

B．Life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings

C．Edison made 100 inventions in his life

D．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years

 

阅读理解

　　When Thomas Edison was 15, a train accident hurt his ears. Once when he tried to jump on a moving train, a conductor grabbed (抓) his ears to pull him up. He soon began to lose most of his hearing. His deafness (耳聋) could have been cured by an operation. But Edison didn't take the operation. He said being deaf helped him concentrate (专心).

　　“Deafness probably drove me to reading.” he said later in life. He was one of the first people to use the Detroit Free Library. His library card was number 33. He went through shelf by shelf, reading every book.

　　Edison enjoyed science books best of all. He read many kinds of science books. He realized (认识) his future would be in finding ways to make lives better, instead of just learning how things work.

根据短文内容，选择正确答案。

1．What is the passage mainly about?

[　　]

2．Edison didn't take the operation because ________.

[　　]

A．he was afraid of losing his life in the operation

B．he thought his deafness could make him read books more carefully

C．he didn't have enough money

D．he had no time to take the operation

3．The underlined word “cured” means ________.

[　　]

4．Which of the following is right?

[　　]

A．Edison had ear problems before the accident.

B．Edison liked to read story - books in the library.

C．You would pay for the books if you read in the Detroit Free Library.

D．Edison's ear problem could be cured.

5．What did Edison want to do in his future?

[　　]