学位英语

第二篇                     Oseola McCarty

Late one Sunday afternoon in September 1999,Oseola McCarty，an elderly cleaning lady passed away in the little wooden frame house where she had lived and worked most of her life. It may seem like an ordinary end to a humble life; but there was something quite exceptional about this woman.

In the summer of 1995, McCarty gave $150,0OO, most of the money she had saved throughout her life, to the University of Southern Missisisippi in her hometown.  The money was to help other African Americans through university. She had started her savings habit as a young child when she would return from school to clean and iron for money which she would then save.

She led a simple, frugal(节俭) existence, never spending on anything but her most basic needs. Her bank also advised her on investing her hard–earned savings.

When she retired,she decided that shs wanted to use the money to give children of limited means the opportunity to go to university. She had wanted to become a nurse, but had to leave school to look after ill relatives and work. When asked why she had given her life savings away, she replied, “I'm giving it away so that children won't have to work so hard, like I did. "  After news of her donation hit the media, over 600 donations were made to the scholarship fund. One was given by media executive, Ted Turner, who gave a billion dollars.

She didn't want any fuss (小题大做) made over her gift, but the news got out and she was invited all over the United States to talk to people. Wherever she went,  people would come up to her to say a few words or to just touch her. She met the ordinary and the famous, President Clinton included. In the last few years of her life, before she died of cancer, McCarty was given over 300 awards: she was honoured by the United Nations and received the Presidential Citizen's Medal. Despite having no real education, she found herself with two honorary doctorates（博士学位）：one from the  University of Southern Mississippi and the other from Harvard   University .Her generosity（慷慨）was clearly an inspiration to many and proof that true selflessness does exist.

36. Oseola McCarty inspired the world because ______.

A. she had managed to save so much money

B. she gave her money to Latin Americans

C. she gave her savings to help others through university

D. she only spent money on cheap things

37. She managed to save so much money because ______.

A. she had washed and ironed clothes all her life

B. she had worked hard, lived frugally and invested carefully

C. she had opened a good bank account

D. she knew how to make money

38. She gave her money away because she wanted ______.

A. to help the university

B. others to become nurses

C. others to live a easier life

D. to be remembered after her death

39. After her generosity was made public,______.

A. people donated billions to her

B. hundreds of students got scholarships

C. hundreds of people put money into the fund

D. she was admitted to Harvard University

40. McCarty’s generosity indicates clearly that______.

A. selflessness exists in human society

B. scholarship funds are popular in US

C. kind-hearted people deserves doctorates

D. poor people can donate as much as rich people

36  C  文章的第二段里说McCarty在1995年的夏天把15万美元捐给了她家乡的南密西西比大学，用以帮助其他的非洲裔美国人读完大学( The money was to help other African Americans through university.)这是她鼓舞了世人的原因。

37  B  答案在第三段。这一段的两句话把她是怎么样积攒下那么多钱的原因讲得很清楚：努力工作、节俭生活、小心投资。

38  C  第四段里说道，当被问及为什么要给大学捐钱时，她的回答是：“I'm giving it away so that children won't have to work so hard, like I did．”她不想别的孩子过得像她自己那么苦，换言之就是想让他们能过得轻松些( to live an easier life)。

39  C  答案的依据就是第四段里的这句话：After news of her donation hit the media,over 600 donations were made to the scholarship fund.

40  A  文章的最后一句讲得很清楚，她的慷慨鼓舞了许多人，也证明了真正的无私的确存在。

（责任编辑：vstara）

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