A
George Washington Carver was born some time in the earlymid 1860s. As a sickly child, Carver was unable to work in the fields, so he did gardening.He was left with many free hours to walk in the woods—beginning his career with nature.He soon became known as the “Plant Doctor” and would help friends and neighbors manage sick plants.
In 1890, Carver began to study music and art at Simpson College.His artwork was on show at the 1893 World’s Fair.Painting gave him the chance to combine his two loves—art and nature.Yet it was his talents(天赋) for gardening that took him in another direction in 1891.Carver became the first AfricanAmerican to attend what is today Iowa State University.He proved to be a firstclass student and upon graduation he became the school’s first AfricanAmerican teacher.
In 1896, he received an invitation from Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School in Tuskegee, Alabama.Upon arriving, he found that the school was short of money so Dr. Carver had to equip his own lab.He and his students would search trash heaps(垃圾堆) for things to use.This proved that Dr.Carver was well ahead of his time.
In 1916, he published a research report on peanuts, which helped many farmers turn to peanuts as a cash crop and saved the economy(经济) of the South when it was destroyed by the cotton insects’ attack.Carver continued his research with the peanut.He went on to find many uses for the peanut.But he didn’t invent peanut butter(花生酱)．
Dr.Carver’s research earned him much worldwide praise.Dr.George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, and was buried at Tuskegee.Carver contributed his whole life savings to Tuskegee.Upon his death, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave him the title “an inspiring example to youth everywhere”．
【解题导语】 本文是一篇记叙文。文章介绍了植物学家George Washington Carver的生平。
1．How was Carver’s childhood?
A．He dreamed of being a doctor.
B．He grew crops in the fields.
C．He enjoyed good health.
D．He took up gardening.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的“he did gardening”可知，George Washington Carver年少时料理花园。
2．How was Carver’s performance during his education?
A．Bad. B．Strange.
C．Ordinary. D．Excellent.
D 解析：推理判断题。根据第二段中的“He proved to be a firstclass student”可知，George Washington Carver在学校表现出色。
3．What do we know about Carver’s life in Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School?
A．He was well paid by the school.
B．He relied on himself to build his lab.
C．He saved money by picking up trash.
D．He published his findings ahead of time.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Upon arriving, he found that the school was short of money so Dr. Carver had to equip his own lab.”可知，George Washington Carver所在的学校没有足够的资金，因此他依靠自己的力量来建立实验室。
