Unit3LearningaboutLanguage阅读理解ADoesknowledgeofawriter’sprivatelifehelptoexplainhisworks?It’sanage-oldquestion,butit’salsooneinwhichinterestisaroused(激起)againbyAntoniaFraser’sbookaboutherlifewithHaroldPinter,MustYouGo?Thebookisobviouslyapersonalaccountratherthanastudyoftheplays.Allthesame,I’dargueitsendsagooddealoflightonPinter,thedramatist(剧作家).Istartfromthebeliefthatallinformationaboutawriterishelpful.Infact,oneofthepleasuresofwritingPinter’sbiographywasdiscoveringthatnearlyallhisplayswerestartedbysomestrongpersonalmemory.Thisgotmeintotroublewithsomecritics.IrememberMartinEsslin,agreatPinterscholar,arguingthatIhadreducedthevalueofPinter’sBetrayalbylinkingittothedramatist’sseven-year-longloveaffairwithJoanBakewell.But,asIsawit,thatwassimplytheplay’sorigin.AllIhaddone,Ihoped,remindedpeoplethatPinterwasawriterwhowouldmakeuseofhisownlifeexperience.ThatpointcanalsobeseenfromAntonia’sbook.There’saninterestingaccountofadinnerwithTomStoppardwherePintersaysthathedoesn’tplanhischaracters’livesandthenaskshisfellowdramatist,“Don’tyoufindtheytakeyouoversometimes?”,towhichStoppardfirmlyreplies,“No.”Thatsaysalot.OnereasonwhyTheHomecomingisagreatplayisthatPinterallowshischaracters,almostunconsciously,totakeover.DespiteStoppard’smanystrengths,hetendstokeephischaractersunderamuchtightercontrol.Again,there’saneye-openingpassageinAntonia’sbookwheresherecallsamomentin1983whenPinterrefersbacktohisrelationshipwithhisformerwife,Vivien,“Whileshewasalive,ifyouthinkaboutit,somuchofmyworkwasaboutunhappyfrozenmarriedrelationships.”Inshort—asStoppardoncewrote—information,initself,aboutanything,islight.Andmodernbiography,particularlyinthehandsofmasters,hasbeenhelpfultoliteraturebyopeningwriters’livestopubliceyes.Forthatreason,amongmanyothers,IwelcomeAntoniaFraser’sbook.1.WhatisTRUEaboutAntoniaFraser’sbook?A.Itiswellreceivedbythepublic.B.ItcarriesAntonia’sviewsaboutbiography.C.ItishelpfultothestudyofPinter’sworks.D.ItincludesseriousstudiesofPinter’sworks.2.WhatdotheauthorofthisarticleandMartinEsslindisagreeon?A.TheliteraryvalueofPinter’sBetrayal.B.TheliteraryvalueoftheaccountsofPinter’slife.C.ThetruthfulnessofthecontentsofAntonia’sbook.D.ThetruthfulnessofPinter’sloveaffairwithJoanBakewell.3.WhatcanweinferaboutPinterandStoppard?A.Theytreattheircharactersindifferentways.B.StoppardhasmorestrengthsthanPinter.C.Theyoftenhavedinnertogether.D.Theyoftenarguewitheachother.4.Thisarticleisprobably.A.afeaturestoryB.abookreviewC.anewsreportD.abiographyBGalaxysawamanandawomanwhocommunicatedwiththesignlanguageatthetrainstationwhenshewasonthewayhomeoneevening.Shenoticedthatthewomanaskedthemanforthedirection.Hetoldherthathedidnotknow.Galaxydecidedtohelpthem.Shehadlearnedthesignlanguagewhensheservedasavolunteerinthedeafandmute(聋哑)school.Thensheshowedthewomanthedirectionandleftheremailaddresstothemincasetheyneededherhelplater.Shereceivedanemailfromthatmanthenextday.Kazrimwashisname.Galaxyrepliedhismailsincerely.Theybothstartedchattingonlinesoonafterandbeganseeingeachother.Althoughtheyonlycommunicatedwiththesignlanguage,itneverbotheredher.Galaxywasfondofhimgradually.Obviously,Kazrimwasthesametoo.HepresentedGalaxywithabunchofsunflowersandaskedhersincerely,“Areyouwillingtobemygirlfriend?”Galaxywaspleasantlysurprised.Sherequestedhimtogivehersometimetopersuadeherparents.Assheh...
