Question

Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.

“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.

“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”

Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.

In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”

“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”

The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.

Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.

“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.

1. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.

A. her 10th book is much better            

B. her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected

C. the media is surprised at her works         

D. she likes being recognized by her readers

2. Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?

A. She published a poetry textbook.

B. She used to teach Denise Levertov.

C. She started a poets’ group with others.

D. She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.

3. What can we learn about “Versed”?

A. It consists of three parts.

B. It is mainly about the American army.

C. It is a book published two decades ago.

D. It partly concerns the poet’s own life.

4. Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.

A. should write more                    B. has a sweet voice

C. deserves the prize                   D. is a strange professor

5. What can we learn from the text?

A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.

B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.

C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.

D. “Versed” has been awarded twice.

Answer 1

【小題1】B

【小題2】C

【小題3】D

【小題4】C

【小題5】D

解析:

【語篇解讀】本篇文章新聞報道。本文簡要介紹了教授Rae Armantrout以及她在書Versed獲普利策獎后的感想。

【小題1】細節理解題。根據第二段“which I was also surprised and delighted to win”和第三段“and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10^th book, is really surprising”可知。

【小題2】細節理解題。根據第四段第三行“She is a founding member of Language Poets”可知。

【小題3】細節理解題。根據第七段的第二句“The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed wit hcancer in 2006.”可知本書的第二部分是關于作者自己的生活。

【小題4】細節理解題。根據第八段的第一句話“Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not.”可知,她獲普利策獎是許多同事意料之中的事件,由此可以判斷答案為C。

【小題5】推理判斷題。由文章的第二段可以推測，Versed兩次獲獎：the Pultizer Prize；the National Book Critics Award。