(2019·郑州质检)Eight years before his death in 1896，Alfred Nobel was surprised to read an obituary(讣告) in the local newspaper.This was a strange obituary，for it told Alfred Nobel，the man who was reading it，that he was dead.The newspaper had confused Alfred with his brother，Ludvig，who had recently died.
Nobel was shocked to read that he had passed away，and he was even more annoyed by the title of his obituary：The merchant of death is dead.Alfred was a very rich and successful armaments manufacturer(武器制造商)．
This incident got him thinking about his reputation.What would people think of him after his real death？Would they really say“That was a man who profited from killing？”It was this thought that led him to leave his money—a huge amount of it—for the founding of the famous Nobel prizes.His aim was for his money to be used to support the ongoing quest(追求) for excellence in the sciences and literature，and the ideal of peace.Thousands of men and women have been honored since the first awards were given out in 1901.The awards let the world know about the developments that may have a huge effect on our lives.
However，the prizes are controversial sometimes.There is often protest(抗议) at the award of the Peace Prize when not everyone thinks that the awardwinners deserve the award.Even the award for literature has sometimes been criticized because the award committee often neglects important writers.The highly influential novelists James Joyce and Marcel Proust，for example，were never honored by the Swedish Academy.
Still，for the most part the awards don't cause many complaints.Alfred Nobel founded the prizes to recognize those who have had“the greatest benefit to mankind”and few would disagree that most of the prizewinners—among them，Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr.—have made contributions that deserve to be honored and remembered.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇人物故事类记叙文，作者主要讲述了诺贝尔奖设立的来历。1888年，Alfred Nobel偶然在当地的报纸上看到了一则讣告，题目是“The merchant of death is dead”。他很震惊，由此开始反思自己，并设立了诺贝尔奖，来奖励在自然科学学科、文学以及和平方面作出突出贡献的人。
1．How did Alfred Nobel feel when he read the obituary in the newspaper?
A．Sad and worried.
B．Shocked and upset.
C．Surprised and confused.
D．Amused and puzzled.
B [细节理解题。根据题干中的关键词“read the obituary in the newspaper”定位到第一段和第二段。根据第一段首句“Eight years before his death in 1896，Alfred Nobel was surprised to read an obituary (讣告) in the local newspaper”可知，当Alfred Nobel看到报纸上的这则讣告的时候，非常吃惊。根据第二段首句“Nobel was shocked to read that he had passed away，and he was even more annoyed by the title of his obituary：The merchant of death is dead”可知，他不只是吃惊，而且还很生气，故答案是B。]
2．What did Alfred Nobel decide to do after reading the obituary?
A．Seek excellence in the sciences.
B．Donate all his money to the charity.
C．Stop producing any killing weapons.
D．Set up the Nobel prizes with his money.
D [细节理解题。根据题干中的关键词“after reading the obituary”定位到第三段。根据第三段中的“It was this thought that led him to leave his money—a huge amount of it—for the founding of the famous Nobel prizes”可知，Alfred Nobel看到这则讣告之后，想了很多，最终决定把他大笔的钱用于设立著名的诺贝尔奖，故答案是D。]
3．Why does the author mention James Joyce and Marcel Proust?
A．To show the controversy of some Nobel prizes.
B．To give examples of influential Nobel prizewinners.
C．To explain the standard of giving out the Nobel prizes.
D．To prove the influence of the Nobel prizes on literature.
A [推理判断题。根据题干中的关键词“James Joyce and Marcel Proust”定位到第四段。根据第四段第三句“Even the award for literature has sometimes been criticized because the award committee often neglects important writers”(即便是诺贝尔文学奖有时候也会受到批评，因为奖项委员会经常会忽视重要的作家)可知，作者提到这两个人，是为了说明有时诺贝尔奖是存在争议的。]
4．What does the author think of the Nobel prizes?
A．There should be more female winners.
B．There are too many controversial winners.
C．They have honored many worthy winners.
D．The committee should be more selective.
C [作者观点题。根据最后一段中的“few would disagree that most of the prizewinners—among them，Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr.—have made contributions that deserve to be honored and remembered”可知，作者认为诺贝尔奖奖励了很多值得赞赏的人，故答案是C。]
