"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood. The happy childhood is hardly worth your while. "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood. And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in 1996.

This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported. He was 78.

Born in New York City, he was the eldest of the seven children born to Irish immigrant parents. Angela's Ashes was a memoir(回忆录)that captured an irresponsible, drunkard(酒鬼)father with a gift for story-telling. When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm. His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family.

In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation(耻辱)of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city. But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted.

Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of 19 to return to New York City where he was born. He earned a degree in English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years. After retiring in 1987, he decided to write about his childhood. "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors. Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle.

56. In the first paragraph, by saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer

really means that ________.

A. a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood

B. his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy

C. his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery

D. smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention

57. From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is ________.

A. humorous and trustworthy                 B. alcohol-addicted but loves his family

C. poor but warm-hearted                     D. irresponsible but gifted in telling stories

58. Which of the statements about the book “Angela’s Ashes” is right?

   A. This book is intended to show respect to McCourt’s father.

   B. The author wrote the book in a sad and serious tone(语调).

   C. The book enjoyed great popularity after it came out.

   D. The author got two awards because of the book.

59. What's the text mainly about?

A. A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works.

B. A literary review(评论) on Frank McCourt's book.

C. An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood.

D. A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience. 

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．
This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．
Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．
Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．
Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．
In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．
Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．
【小题1】What's the text mainly about?

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．

This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．

Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．

Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．

Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．

In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．

Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．

1.What's the text mainly about?

A．A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works．

B．A literary review on Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes．

C．An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood.

D．A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience．

2.By saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer really means that      ．

A．a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood

B．his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy

C．his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery

D．smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention

3.From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is        ．

A．humorous and trustworthy                B．alcohol-addicted but loves his family

C．poor but warm-hearted                   D．irresponsible but gifted in telling stories

4.What does the underlined word "handouts" mean in the 6th paragraph?

A．Reliefs．                              B．Compensations．

C．Leaflets．                             D．Teaching materials．

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all． It was, of course, a miserable childhood． The happy childhood is hardly worth your while． "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood． And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood．" That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book Angela's Ashes, released in nineteen ninety-six．
This Irish American author best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Angela's Ashes that recorded his poor upbringing, died of cancer on Sunday, The New York Times reported． He was 78．
Born in New York City, he was the eldest of seven children born to Irish immigrant parents． Angela's Ashes was a memoir that captured an irresponsible, drunkard father with a gift for story-telling． When not drunk, his father was absent, turning his back on a family so poor, McCourt wrote, that they were reduced to burning the furniture in their rented hut to keep warm． His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family．
Already struggling when the Great Depression hit, the family moved back to Limerick, where they slipped ever deeper into poverty in the  1930s．
Three of McCourt's siblings died of diseases worsened by hunger and the wretchedness of their surroundings． McCourt himself almost died of typhoid（伤寒的） fever as  a child．
In Angela's Ashes, he wrote of hunger, a home flooded with rainwater and the unbearable humiliation of seeking handouts from charities in the Irish city． But he told the story in a way that is expressive, warm and light-hearted．
Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born． He earned a degree in- English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years． After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided to write about his childhood． "Angela's Ashes" became a huge success and brought McCourt a 1997 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award and other honors． Millions of copies of the book were sold worldwide and it was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle．

1. 1.

   What's the text mainly about?

   1. A.
      A brief introduction to Frank McCourt and one of his works．
   2. B.
      A literary review on Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes．
   3. C.
      An account of Frank McCourt's miserable childhood
   4. D.
      A comment on Frank McCourt's life experience．
2. 2.

   By saying "The happy childhood is hardly worth your while", the writer really means that      ．

   1. A.
      a lot of readers don't deserve happy childhood
   2. B.
      his childhood is not worth of others' sympathy
   3. C.
      his childhood is mixed with happiness and misery
   4. D.
      smooth childhood surely will not draw readers' attention
3. 3.

   From the passage, we know Frank McCourt's father is        ．

   1. A.
      humorous and trustworthy
   2. B.
      alcohol-addicted but loves his family
   3. C.
      poor but warm-hearted
   4. D.
      irresponsible but gifted in telling stories
4. 4.

   What does the underlined word "handouts" mean in the 6th paragraph?

   1. A.
      Reliefs．
   2. B.
      Compensations．
   3. C.
      Leaflets．
   4. D.
      Teaching materials．

　　Cloze

　　A man once had a dream about the Black Forest in Germany. In the dream he was walking in the forest when two men ran out and tried to 1 him to the ground. He 2 off as fast as he could, but the two men followed. He reached a place where he saw two separate 3 in front of him, one to the right and the other to the left. Which road ought he to 4 ? He heard the two men behind him, getting 5 , and at the same time he suddenly heard a 6 in his ear. It told him to go to the right, and he did so. He ran on and soon came to a 7 . He was received there kindly and given a room, and so he was saved from the two men. That was the 8 .

　　Twenty years later he was 9 in the Black Forest, and as 10 in the dream long before, two men ran out and tried to catch him. He was off, and came to a place 11 two roads, as in the dream. He 12 the dream and took the road to the 13 .He soon reached a small hotel, was 14 in, and so was safe. His dream of twenty years before had 15 his life.

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