Prince Henry was born on June 28th in Greenwich.Unlike his sickly older brother Arthur,Henry was a healthy and athletic boy.He loved to play sports and ride horses.However,it was Arthur who,as the oldest son,was being raised to be king.Henry was being raised to enter the church.He received an excellent education and learned how to speak Latin,French,Spanish,and Greek.When Henry was ten years old,his life was greatly changed.His older brother Arthur died and Henry was named the crown prince(皇储).He would be the next king of England.
In 1509,when Henry was seventeen years old,his father Henry Ⅶ died.Henry decided at that point to marry his brother’s former wife,Catherine.They quickly married and then were crowned king and queen of England.
Catherine only gave birth to one healthy baby,Princess Mary.Henry became worried that he would never have a male heir(继承人).Later,he fell in love with another woman,Anne Boleyn.Henry was determined to marry her and did so in 1533.He was also determined to have a male heir.But Anne Boleyn did not have a son.Then he married Jane Seymour.Henry finally got what he wanted and had a son named Edward.
Henry Ⅷ is often described as a true Renaissance Man.He was athletic,good looking,intelligent,and educated.He was also an accomplished musician and he played instruments and wrote his own songs.He spoke many languages fluently and loved to read and study.Henry loved art and culture and brought many of the top artists,writers,and philosophers from mainland Europe to his court.
Henry suffered a leg wound in an accident in 1536.As a result,he found it difficult to move about.He became extremely overweight and his skin was covered with painful infections.He died at the age of 55 in 1547 and was succeeded by his son Edward who became King Edward Ⅵ.
【解题导语】 本文主要向我们介绍了Henry Ⅷ的生平。
1.Why was Henry named the crown prince?
A.Because he was the eldest son.
B.Because the king lost the crown prince.
C.Because he was considered a better choice.
D.Because he received an excellent education.
B 解析:推理判断题。根据第一段的it was Arthur who,as the oldest son,was being raised to be king以及His older brother Arthur died and Henry was named the crown prince(皇储).可知,是因为原定的王位继承人死了。
2.What most probably caused Henry Ⅷ to marry Jane Seymour?
A.Having no child of his own.
B.Madly falling in love with her.
C.Wanting a son to be the next king.
D.Not being allowed to marry Anne Boleyn.
C 解析:细节理解题。根据第三段的He was also determined to have a male heir.But Anne Boleyn did not have a son.Then he married Jane Seymour.可知,他与Jane Seymour结婚是因为想生一个儿子来继承他的王位。
3.What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us about Henry Ⅷ?
A.He loved learning languages.
B.He wasn’t interested in being king.
C.He can really be called a Renaissance Man.
D.He had many accomplishments because of the Renaissance.
C 解析:段落大意题。第四段的第一句是这一段的主旨句,后面的内容都是围绕这一句展开的。
4.What do we know about Henry Ⅷ?
A.He suffered a lot in his last years.
B.He wasn’t considered a good king.
C.He just loved one woman in his life.
D.He was king of England for 55 years.
A 解析:推理判断题。根据末段的内容可知,Henry Ⅷ人生中的最后几年过得很痛苦。