A
(2018·河南郑州第二次质量检测)Eight years before his death in 1896, Alfred Nobel was surprised to read an obituary(讣告) in the local newspaper. This was a strange obituary, for it told Alfred Nobel, the man who was reading it, that he was dead. The newspaper had confused Alfred with his brother, Ludwig, who had recently died.
Nobel was shocked to read that he had passed away, and he was even more annoyed by the title of the obituary: The Merchant of Death Is Dead. Alfred was a very rich and successful armaments(武器) manufacturer.
This incident got him to think about his reputation. What would people think of him after his real death? Would they really say “That was a man who profited from killing？” It was this thought that led him to leave his money—a huge amount of it—for the founding of the famous Nobel Prizes. His aim was for his money to be used to support the ongoing quest(追求) for excellence in the sciences and literature, and the ideal of peace. Thousands of men and women have been honored since the first awards were given out in 1901. The awards let the world know about the developments that may have a huge effect on our lives.
However, the Prizes are controversial sometimes. There is often protest(抗议) at the award of the Peace Prize when not everyone thinks that the award－winners deserve the award. Even the award for literature has sometimes been criticized because the award committee often neglects important writers. The highly influential novelists James Joyce and Marcel Proust, for example, were never honored by the Swedish Academy.
Still, most of the awards don't cause many complaints. Alfred Nobel founded the Prizes to recognize those who have had “the greatest benefit to mankind” and few would disagree that most of the Prize winners have made contributions that deserved to be honored and remembered. For example, among them, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King have made contributions that deserve to be honored and remembered.
语篇解读：诺贝尔生前曾经在报纸上看到自己的讣告，原来是一个误会，报纸把自己和哥哥搞混了。但讣告的标题却让他认真思考自己能为人类真正带来什么？正是这一思考才有了后来的诺贝尔奖的设立。
1．How did Alfred Nobel feel when he read the obituary in the newspaper?
A．Sad and worried. B．Shocked and upset.
C．Surprised and confused. D．Amused and puzzled.
[解析] 细节理解题。从第二段中的“Nobel was shocked to read that he had passed away, and he was even more annoyed by the title of the obituary”可知，诺贝尔既震惊又烦恼。
[答案] B
2．What did Alfred Nobel decide to do after reading the obituary?
A．Seek excellence in the sciences.
B．Donate all his money to the charity.
C．Stop producing any killing weapons.
D．Set up the Nobel Prizes with his money.
[解析] 细节理解题。从第三段第四句“It was this thought that led him to leave his money—a huge amount of it—for the founding of the famous Nobel Prizes.”可知，他读了讣告之后用大笔的钱设立了诺贝尔奖。
[答案] D
3．Why does the author mention James Joyce and Marcel Proust?
A．To show the controversy of some Nobel Prizes.
B．To give examples of influential Nobel Prizes.
C．To explain the standard of giving out the Nobel Prizes.
D．To prove the influence of the Nobel Prizes on literature.
[解析] 推理判断题。从第四段第一句“However, the Prizes are controversial sometimes.”及第三句“Even the award for literature has sometimes been criticized because the award committee often neglects important writers.”可知，作者提到这两位作家是为了展示诺贝尔奖的争议性。
[答案] A
4．What does the author think of the Nobel Prizes?
A．There should be more female winners.
B．There are too many controversial winners.
C．They have honored many worthy winners.
D．The committee should be more selective.
[解析] 推理判断题。从最后一段中的“few would disagree that most of the Prize winners. For example, among them, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King have made contributions that deserve to be honored and remembered.”可知，诺贝尔奖奖励了大多数作出贡献的人，即worthy winners，对应C选项。
[答案] C
