阅读理解 Lucille Clifton, the AwardWinning

题目：

阅读理解

     Lucille Clifton, the AwardWinning Poet, was the First African American Poet Laureate of Maryland.

Critics call her one of the greatest writers of our time.

     Lucille Clifton was born Thelma Lucille Sayles in Depew, New York in 1936. She was named Thelma after her mother. Lucille was the name of one of her father's ancestors. When the younger one got older

she chose to call herself Lucille.

     Lucille Clifton began writing poetry when she was about ten years old. She had developed an interest

in poetry because of her mother, Thelma Sayles. Her mother was also a poet although her poems were

never published. As a child Lucille would sit on her mother's lap and listen as she read poetry. She learned to love words and the power of words. That stayed with her as she grew.

     While her mother taught her to love poetry, her father gave her the gift of storytelling. He would tell

Lucille interesting stories about her ancestors, especially the one named Lucille who was his grandmother. Samuel Clifton said she was the first black woman to be legally hanged in the state of Virginia. Lucille

Clifton wrote about it in her poem called "Lucy"．

     She often talked about her love for words. She loved the sound of words and the way the words felt in her mouth. She loved finding interesting ways to use words to express what was happening in the world.

Unlike her mother, Lucille Clifton's poetry was anything but traditional. Her poems do not rhyme or follow a special kind of pattern. They do not use fancy words. They do not deal in makebelieve. Her poetry is

known for being simple, truthful and direct. It is written the way people speak, in a casual, relaxed

language. There is very little punctuation(标点) and even less capitalization. Many of the poems are uncomfortably honest. Lucille Clifton often said that she tried to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Over the years, she seems to have perfected that art.

1. From the passage, we know that Lucille Clifton is ________.

A. funny  

B. creative

C. selfish  

D. beautiful

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Lucille Clifton's parents affected her a lot.

B. Lucille Clifton's poetry was very traditional.

C. Thelma Sayles published many poems.

D. Lucille Clifton's poetry was very formal

3. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. Lucille Clifton's great works.

B. Lucille Clifton's poem background.

C. Lucille Clifton's poem style.

D. Lucille Clifton's poem words.

4. The underlined word "it" in the fourth paragraph probably refers to ________.

A. Samuel Clifton

B. Samuel Clifton's experience

C. Samuel Clifton's grandmother

D. Lucille's great grandmother's story