大学英语Unit 6答案.doc

Unit 6 The Human Touch  Before Reading Background Information I. O. Henry O. Henry (1862~1910): American writer of short stories, best known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings He was born on September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood. He went to Texas in 1882 and worked at various jobs — as a teller in an Austin bank (1891~1894) and as a newspaperman for the Houston Post. In 1898 an unexplained shortage in the Austin bank was charged to him. Although many people believed him innocent, he fled to the Honduras, but returned to be with his wife, who was fatally ill. He eventually served three years in prison, where he first started writing short stories. Upon his release he settled in New York City and became a highly successful and prolific contributor to various magazines. Although his stories have been criticized as shallow and contrived, O. Henry did catch the color and movement of the city and evidenced a genuine sympathy for ordinary people. His approximately 300 stories are collected in Cabbages and Kings (1904, /etexts/599/), The Four Million (1906, http: //www. literaturepage. com/read/ thefourmillion. html), The Voice of the City (1908), Options (1909), and others. He died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty-seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless. II. What Are They Famous For? Do you know these greatest artists and their masterpieces? Steven Spielberg (1947~ ): American motion-picture director, producer and executive, who achieved great commercial success and is among the most popular filmmakers of the late 20th century Masterpieces: Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Rayn, etc. Mozart (1756~1791): Austrian composer, the centrally important composer of the classical era, and one of the most inspired composers in the Western musical tradition Masterpieces: Symphony No.40 in G minor (G小调第40号交响曲)，Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (“小星星”变奏曲) Xu Beihong (1895~1953): Mo