Help 國中基測 試卷練習

Hans Christian Andersen wrote more than three hundred stories in his lifetime and became Denmark's most famous writer.

He 27 on April 2, 1805. His father was a poor shoemaker and died when Andersen was 11 years old. He left home when he was only fourteen to find work in Copenhagen.

Andersen wrote many fairy tales, like “The Emperor's New Clothes,”“The Little Mermaid,” and “The Ugly Duckling.” These stories really touch our hearts and make us 28 or cry.

Andersen died on August 4, 1875. His home is now a museum and thousands of people visit it every year. Even today, his books are still read all 29 the world.

Greg had a bad day. He was late for school, and in the rush he forgot his homework at home. He didn't think his teacher believed him when he said he did it, even though he spent all night on it. Then he fell asleep during the pop quiz in history class and turned in a paper with just his name on it. During baseball practice he missed catching a ball and the other team won the game. That night he had so much homework to do that he didn't _____ until bedtime, and because of that he missed his favorite television show. Greg hoped tomorrow would be a better day.

The idea may hit you once or twice a year. You come home on a hot summer day, hoping to have a cool bath, and find out there is no water. Then you see how important water is in your everyday life. However, in many parts of the world, water is not just about one’s everyday needs.

In countries like Tanzania, water is hard to get, and the job of collecting water falls on women’s shoulders. Girls are often kept home from school to collect water while their brothers stay at school studying. Studies show Tanzanian girls who live 15 minutes from clean water spend 12% more time at school than those who live an hour away. More time spent collecting water means less time for learning. For these girls, “Knowledge is power” is not just words; it is a sad fact in real life. With less time spent at school, their chances of getting well-paid jobs are small, and they often have no voice in important matters, like who to marry. These girls are often married into poor families. They have little money or knowledge to take care of their children, who often end up dying young. For the baby girls who are lucky enough to live, their life may still center around “water,” just like it did for their mothers.

Karen Finley was born in the U.S. in 1956.　When she was only fourteen, she became interested in performing.　She graduated from a performing arts school in 1981 and then began to perform in theaters.　In her performances, she showed people some of the problems in the world.

Karen's The Constant State of Desire was first performed at The Kitchen in New York City in 1986.　In this performance she wanted people to notice some of the difficult experiences women have because of men.　It soon became controversial.　Many people did not feel comfortable with the performance.　They thought that Karen hated men too much and was out of control.　She was strongly criticized by the newspapers.　But some other people thought differently and spoke for her.　They said that they felt the experiences Karen showed in this performance were true to life.

Karen hoped that people would think about the sad stories that happen every day.　She believed people would understand her and learn some lessons if they could "read" her performances more carefully.