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Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World WarⅡ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
64.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because _________.
A. they lived healthily in a dirty environment.
B they thought bath houses were to dirty to stay in
C. they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D. they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
65.Which of the following best describes Henry IV's attitude to bathing?
A. Afraid
B. Curious
C. Approving
D. Uninterested
66. How does the passage mainly develop?
A. By providing examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By following the order of importance.
67. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A. To stress the role of dirt.
B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D. To present the change of views on dirt.
D
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13,1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戏剧) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats's poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923.Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produced his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats's death in 1939, W.H.Auden wrote, among others, the falling lines:
Earth, receive an honoured guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
68.Which of the following can describe Yeats's family?
A. It filled Yeats's childhood with laughter.
B. It was shocked by Yeats's choice.
C. It was a typically wealthy family.
D. It had an artistic atmosphere.
69.according to the passage, what do we know about Yeats's life?
A. Yeats founded the first Irish theater.
B. Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.
C. Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.
D. Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.
70.What kind of feeling is expressed in W.H.Auden's lines?
A. Envy.
B. Sympathy.
C. Emptiness.
D. Admiration.
71.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Yeats's literary achievements.
B. Yeats's historical influence.
C. Yeats's artistic ambition.
D. Yeats's national honor.
