题目：
Since my retirement(退休) from teaching music in 2001, I have spent a good deal of time painting as an artist. I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him. In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画) much influenced(影响) by Krenkel and St. John for five years.
For some strange reason, I had been waiting until my retirement to start doing watercolors again, but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist. I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolors to be the closest to how I thought good watercolors should look. So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other types of painting. However, watercolors remained my first choice, and I think I did my best work there, showing my paintings at a number of art exhibitions.
Art is now together with my piano playing and reading. There is a time for everything in my world, and it is wonderful to have some time doing what I want to do. As Confucious once said, “At seventy I can follow my heart’s desire.”
小题1:What is the text mainly about?
A．Learning to paint in later life.
B．How to paint watercolors
C．An artist-turned teacher
D．Life after retirement小题2:The author started drawing again in 1995 because_________.
A．he hoped to draw a picture of his father
B．he couldn’t stop missing his father
C．he had more time after retirement
D．he liked animals and landscapes小题3:We can infer from the text that the author__________.
A．had been taught by Krenkel and St. John
B．painted landscapes in Minnesota for 5 years
C．believed Wyeth to be the best in watercolors
D．started his retirement life at the age of severty小题4:How does the author probably feel about his life as an artist?
A．Very enjoyable.
B．A bit regretful
C．Rather busy.
D．Fairly dull.
答案：
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A
小题1:本题考查归纳主旨大意的能力。第一段叙述的是退休后开始从事绘画；第二段记叙的是退休后对水彩画的痴迷；第三段讲述的是多姿多彩的退休生活的美好感觉。由此可判断此项正确。
小题2:本题考查理解细节信息的能力。根据第一段第二句 “I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him.”可知作者之所以绘画是因为无法摆脱对父亲的怀念。
小题3:本题考查根据文章细节信息进行推理判断的能力。根据第二段“…Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist.”可推断作者认为他的水彩画造诣无人可比。根据第一段最后一句 “In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画) much influenced(影响) by Krenkel and St. John for five years.”可知作者只是受到他们的影响，因此A项错误；根据第一段第一句可知作者自2001年退休以来一真赋闲在家，自得其乐，如今才体会到孔夫子说的“七十而从心所欲不逾矩”的含义，由此可判断作者现在的年龄是70岁，而不是70岁退休，所以D项错误。
小题4:本题考查根据文章细节信息进行推理判断的能力。根据最后一段可知绘画、读书、弹钢琴成了作者退休生活中不可或缺的一部分，由此可推断此项正确。
