专题 35 英美文化阅读理解专项：亚瑟王 贝克汉姆 莎士比亚-2024年高考英语常考英美文化阅读专练 素材积累.docx

1、84. King Arthur 亚瑟王The story of King Arthur is one that has been told for hundreds of years. There have been poems, books and even films made of his life, all of them telling the story a little differently.The basic story is this. There was a sword stuck in a stone. The legend said that whoever coul

2、d remove the sword would become King of England and save the country. Many brave knights tried to pull the sword out, but they all failed. One day, a young boy called Arthur was walking past the stone. He didnt know it, but he was in fact the son of an old king. He pulled the sword out of the stone

3、and became the new King of England.The stories of Arthur as King are tales of bravery and nobility. His closest advisor was Merlin, a powerful wizard. Arthur lived in a castle called Camelot with his beautiful wife, Guinevere. In the castle he had a round table, where he sat with his knights. It was

4、 round so that there was no one at the head of the table (which is where the most important person would usually sit) and Arthur and his knights were all equal.Arthur, with his famous magical sword Excalibur, and his closest knights Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad, fought against the forces of evil in

5、England. These were led by Arthurs half-sister, Morgan, who was a witch. After many battles, there was only one left to fight. Arthur and his knights finally won the battle against Morgans army, and England was safe! However, Arthur had been hurt, and was dying. He threw his sword into a lake, where

6、 the magical Lady of the Lake could look after it, and then he died. He was buried in Avalon, in the south-west of England. According to the legend, Arthur will rise again to save England if it is ever in danger in the future.But did Arthur really exist? Some say he was a Roman, others say a Briton

7、fighting the invading Saxons, but there is no proof of his existence. But perhaps this doesnt matter. The story of a great, noble and brave king, who died to save his country, is one that people of all generations find fascinating, even today. （379 words）Helper:swords:d剑 legend传说，传奇 knightnait骑士 wiz

8、ard巫师 witch女巫 nobilitynubiliti高贵 half-sister同父异母姐妹或同母异父姐妹 Briton大不列颠人 invading Saxons侵略撒克逊人 proof证明Merlin墨林：巫师、预言家，又是明智的贤臣Guinevere奎尼维尔： 她是亚瑟王的王后。Sir Lancelot朗斯洛：亚瑟王最重要的骑士之一。Galahad加拉哈：他是朗斯洛与艾莲（Elaine）的儿子。Perceval帕尔齐伐尔Morgan摩根：亚瑟王的他那个父异母的姐姐Excalibur王者之剑：又译为断钢剑、斩铁剑、湖中剑、削钢剑Avalon阿摩龙岛：传说中的仙境，亚瑟王死后的葬身之地

9、 Exercise:从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳答案。1. Arthur could pull the sword out because .A. he was strongB. he had magical powerC. it was easy to pull the sword outD. he was the son of an old king2. King Arthur fought against .A. his half-sister B. a witchC. the forces of evil in England D. all above3. Which of

10、 the following is true?A. There have been poems, books and films telling the same story of King Arthur.B. King Arthurs wife was called Merlin, a powerful wizard.C. King Arthur threw his sword into a lake so that the magical Lady of the Lake could look after it.D. King Arthur was a great king in the

11、history of England.4. King Arthur had a round table in his castle .A. because he preferred round thingsB. to show that he and his knights were all equalC. to show that he was the most important personD. to decorate his castle5. It can be inferred from the passage that King Arthur was .A. brave B. ha

12、ndsome C. clever D. honestBrief Introduction:亚瑟王的故事流传了数百年。传说一个叫做亚瑟的男孩拔出了一把插在石头中的宝剑而成为了英格兰的国王。他在城堡中召开圆桌会议以显示国王和他的骑士们都是平等的。他手持魔剑，率领骑士们打败了邪恶的女巫，之后却因伤势过重而牺牲。没有人知道历史上是否真的存在过亚瑟王，但直到今天人们对于他的故事仍然津津乐道。Keys and Explanations:1. 选D。细节理解题。由第二段最后两句话可知。2. 选D。细节理解题。由第四段“fought against the forces of evil in England”

13、、“led by Arthurs half-sister, Morgan, who was a witch”可知。3. 选C。细节理解题。由第一段“all of them telling the story a little differently”可知A项错误；由第三段可知Merlin是他的顾问而不是妻子，故B项错误；由最后一段可知并没有证据可以证明亚瑟王在历史上真的存在过，因此D项也错误。由第四段“He threw his sword into a lake, where the magical Lady of the Lake could look after it”可知道C项正确。4.

14、 选B。细节理解题。由第三段可知亚瑟王在城堡里设置圆形的桌子供国王和骑士们同坐，是为了表明在座的人没有主席和次席之分，都是平等的，故选B。5. 选A。推理判断题。文章第四段描写了亚瑟王带领骑士们打败邪恶女巫并最终英勇牺牲的故事，充分说明他是一个勇敢的人，而英俊、聪明、诚实这三点文章并没有提到，故选A。85. David Beckham 贝克汉姆The worlds most famous footballer, David Beckham, is leaving his club, Real Madrid, to sign for the American side, LA Galaxy. S

15、ome reports say hell earn about a million dollars a week, which will make him the worlds third highest-earning sports star.But why has the former England captain decided to leave the most noticeable club in the world to play in a country where football, or soccer as Americans call it, isnt popular?

16、Beckham says he meets the challenge of playing in the USA and wants to build a bridge between America and the rest of the sporting world by making football a major sport. Hes already set up a soccer academy for children in Los Angeles to help develop the game.Some football experts have been surprise

17、d by Beckhams decision saying it effectively means the end of his career as a serious footballer. But others, such as the former Manchester United and England player, Sir Bobby Charlton, think it was predictable. He says it seems it was probable that at some time in his career that he would finish u

18、p in that sort of position in Hollywood. David Beckham and his pop-star wife, Victoria, like the Hollywood lifestyle. And, of course, theres his huge pay packet, which will be made up by his salary, sponsorship contracts, and a share of his new clubs profits.Others think that David Beckham decided t

19、o move because hes been unhappy at Real Madrid. He hasnt won any major prizes during his four-year period there and he seems to have fallen out of favour with the manager, Fabio Capello: Beckham has spent most of the season on the bench.But Beckham has no regrets about his time in Madrid. He said th

20、at playing with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, from France, and Ronaldo, from Brazil, has been the biggest honour in his career. （327 words）Helper:sign 签约 academy足球学院 sponsorship contracts赞助合约 profits利润 fallen out of favour 失宠 on the bench 坐冷板凳 Brief Introduction:世界最著名的足球运动员之一，大卫贝克汉姆，即将离开皇家马德里俱乐部，签约美

21、国大联盟的洛杉矶银河队。有报道说他的周薪将达到大约一百万美元，从而使他成为世界第三高薪的运动明星。为什么贝克汉姆要离开万人瞩目的皇马俱乐部，而前往足球运动并不兴盛的美国踢球呢？贝克汉姆说他愿意迎接到美国踢球的挑战，并且要把足球变成美国的一项重要运动，从而在美国和世界其它国家之间建起一座体育运动的桥梁。一些足坛权威人士对大卫的决定感到惊讶，认为这一决定意味着他职业足球生涯的结束。但其他人，比如前曼联球星及英格兰国脚博比查尔顿爵士，则认为这是意料之中的事。贝克汉姆和他的明星妻子维多利亚都喜欢好莱坞的生活方式。也有人说贝克汉姆离开的原因是由于在俱乐部不如意以及和主教练卡佩罗之间的矛盾。但贝克汉姆本人

22、却说，能和法国的齐达内以及巴西的罗纳尔多在皇马同场竞技是他一生最大的荣誉。大卫贝克汉姆已经效力过世界最大的两家俱乐部：曼联和皇马，他还曾是英格兰国家队的队长。而如今，他决定征服美国。 Exercise:从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳答案。1. Why do some football experts say Beckhams decision means the end of his career as a serious footballer?A. Because after Beckham goes to America, he wont play football any lo

23、nger.B. Because Beckham wants to become a pop star in Hollywood.C. Because football is not popular in America.D. Because these football experts knows Beckham well.2. Whats the meaning of the phrase “finish up” in the 3rd paragraph?A. fail B. end up C. succeed D. take up3. Why did Beckham decide to l

24、eave Real Madrid for LA Galaxy? Which one is NOT mentioned?A. Because hell earn about a million dollars a week.B. Because he has fallen out of favor with the manager.C. Because his wife enjoys the Hollywood lifestyle.D. Because hell win major trophies at LA Galaxy.4. Which of the following is probab

25、ly the right order of Beckhams career?(1) played for Real Madrid (2) played as the captain of England(3) played for LA Galaxy (4)played for Manchester UnitedA. (1) (2) (3) (4) B. (2) (4) (3) (1) C. (4) (2) (1) (3) D. (4) (3) (2) (1)5. This passage suggests .A. Beckham may have some influence on the

26、football in the USA.B. Beckham doesnt play football well so he hasnt won any major trophies in Real Madrid.C. Beckham decided to sign for LA Galaxy because his wife asked him to.D. Beckham is handsome.Keys and Explanations:1-5 CBDCA1. 选C。细节理解题。贝克汉姆加入洛杉矶银河队后将继续在美国大联盟踢球，文章也没有提到贝克汉姆想到好莱坞当明星。从第二段第一句话可知，

27、在美国足球并不受欢迎，这无疑会影响贝克汉姆的足球事业。故选C项。2. 选B。词义理解题。这句话的意思是“看起来贝克汉姆很可能在他职业生涯的某一时刻最后落脚好莱坞以寻求发展”，finish up常与in, by连用，这里是“以结束”的意思，故选B项。3. 选D。细节理解题。文章第一段提到贝克汉姆的周薪将达到大约一百万美元，第四段提到他与主教练卡佩罗不合，第三段提到他妻子喜欢好莱坞的生活方式，故排除A、B、C项。第四段虽然提到他在皇马四年没有得到重大赛事的冠军奖杯，但文章并没有明确指出他到洛杉矶银河队就能实现捧杯的愿望，故选D项。4.选C。细节理解题。由贝克汉姆将要离开皇马前往洛杉矶银河队可知(1

28、)在(3)前面，由他以前还曾在曼联效力过可知(4)在(1)前，故只有C项符合。5. 选A。推理判断题。由第二段贝克汉姆的话以及他在洛杉矶开办足球学校可以看出A项正确。文章没提到贝克汉姆球踢得不好，也没明确指出贝克汉姆签约洛杉矶银河队是出于他妻子的授意，更没说他帅。86.William Shakespeare 沙士比亚Of all the famous English writers, probably the best known is William Shakespeare.He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 on April the 23r

29、d. His father was an important man in town so Shakespeare had a good upbringing. Shakespeare probably went to school (although no records survive to prove this) but not university. He got married when he was 18 to Anne Hathaway and the couple had 3 children.Shakespeare wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets

30、 (a sonnet is a kind of poem). He began working in his home town of Stratford but by 1592 was writing in London. He became rich enough to buy a house in the capital and one in Stratford.He wrote sad stories called tragedies, like Romeo and Juliet, funny stories or comedies, romantic stories and stor

31、ies about historical figures such as Julius Caesar.Shakespeare died on his birthday in 1616, almost 400 years ago. But why is his work still popular today?His works looked at common human themes, such as betrayal, murder, lust, power, ambition and love. These themes are as much a part of human natur

32、e today as they were all those years ago and are the themes we see in modern soap operas and Hollywood films. Even though his theatre, The Globe, burned down in 1613 it was rebuilt in London in 1997 and you can still see his plays performed there today.Shakespeares influence on the English language

33、can still be felt today. We talk about fair play, meaning honest behaviour but this phrase was first used by Shakespeare. He coined the phrase you can have too much of a good thing. And it was Shakespeare who came up with the expression to disappear into thin air which we still use today when we los

34、e something.Shakespeares work has been translated into every major language in the world. And perhaps well still be as fascinated by his work 400 years from now as weve been for the last 400. （329 words）Helper:upbringing 教育 sonnet snit十四行诗 tragedytrdidi悲剧comedykmidi喜剧 betrayalbitreil背叛 lust欲望, 贪欲 am

35、bition雄心, 志气 influence影响historical figure历史人物 Brief Introduction:莎士比亚可能是最富盛名的英国作家。他于1564年四月23日出生在英国斯特拉福镇。他可能读过书，但没上过大学。18岁时他和安娜结婚，后来有了三个孩子。莎士比亚一生写了38部戏剧和154首十四行诗。他起初在家乡工作，但到了1592年他开始在伦敦写作。他写出了像罗密欧与朱丽叶那样的悲剧，以及很多喜剧、历史剧。大约400年前，莎士比亚死于1616年他生日的那一天。他的作品至今仍受到人们的欢迎。他的作品取材于广泛的大众题材，比如背叛、谋杀、贪婪、权力、雄心、爱情这些主题不管在

36、许多年前还是在今天，都反映了人性的方方面面。无论是在肥皂剧还是在好莱坞大片中我们都能看到类似的情节。莎士比亚对英语语言的影响到今天仍然可以被我们感受得到。莎士比亚的作品已经被翻译成世界多种语言。或许到了距今400年后我们仍会像400年前的那个时候一样迷恋他的作品。 Exercises:从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳答案。1. According to the text we know that _. A. Shakespeare wrote 38 comedies and 154 short poems.B. He bought 2 houses in London.C. He wr

37、ote sad stories called tragedies, such as Julius Caesar.D. Some English phrases come from Shakespeares works2. Which of the following is the right order of Shakespeares career?(1)Shakespeare died on his birthday.(2)Shakespeare was writing in London.(3)Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.(4)S

38、hakespeares theatre, The Globe, burned down.(5)Shakespeare got married to Anne Hathaway.A. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) B. (3)(5)(4)(2)(1) C. (3)(4)(1)(5)(2) D. (3)(2)(5)(1)(4) 3. What kind of writing method does the author use to support the view in the 7th paragraph?A. examples B. definition C. description D.

39、comparison4. Why is Shakespeares work still popular today?A. Because his work is interesting.B. Because his work is easy to understand.C. Because his work looked at common human themes.D. Because his work had an influence on English language.5. Which is the best title of the passage?A. A Great Write

40、r B. Shakespeares WorkC. Life of Shakespeare D. Shakespeare-Popular ForeverKeys and Explanations:1-5 DBACD1. 选D。细节理解题。莎士比亚的28个戏剧并不都是悲剧，排除A；根据第三段两处房屋在首都和斯特拉特福德，排除B；莎士比亚所写的悲剧是“Romeo and Juliet”，而不是“Julius Caesar”，排除C项。2. 选B。细节理解题。莎士比亚出生排第一，18岁结婚，1592年（28岁）到伦敦写作，1613年剧院烧毁，1616年莎士比亚去世，故选B项。3. 选A。写作手法题。作

41、者用3个例子说明莎士比亚对英语语言的影响至今存在，故选A项。4. 选C。细节理解题。由第六段首句可知。His works looked at common human themes, These themes are as much a part of human nature today 看出莎士比亚的作品关注普通大众的的生活，到现在依然是人们生活中的重要部分，现在的一些肥皂剧和好莱坞大片中我们都能看到类似的情节。因此C项“他的作品关注人类共同的主题”是主要原因。故选C。其它选项虽然在文章中提到，也正确，但是不是主要原因。5. 选D。主旨大意题。A项太空泛，B、C只概括了文章部分段落的内容，故选D项。