A
When Alfred Nobel created the prizes that bear his name，he decided that they be given for work done in the previous year.But it has led to all kinds of trouble—as it did once again this month，when the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded to a dead man.
It is a complex story，one that could not have been foreseen when Nobel，the Swedish inventor，died in 1896.But it all traces back to his will，written at a time when international prizes were an original idea.
Nobel did not say why he wanted to reward scientists who “made the most important discovery” during the previous year.One can guess that he wanted to reward presentday innovation and not to give tombstone awards to Galileo，Hippocrates，and other scientists from centuries past.
But will and science often got involved.The oneyear timing proved impractical；scientific findings generally need to be tested，sometimes for decades，before their value is appreciated.
Perhaps to avoid the Galileo problem，the Nobel Foundation did state clearly that the award be given only to living people；that rule was made formal in the 1970s.But the rule against posthumous (死后的)awards has now been violated several times—most recently this month，when the prize in medicine was given to Dr.Ralph M．Steinman，a scientist at Rockefeller University，who died three days before his election.His discovery，called dendritic cells(树突细胞)，took place in 1973.
The first posthumous winner was the poet Erik Karlfeldt.Karlfeldt had refused his selection in 1918 because he was a longtime member of the Swedish Nobel Academy.When he was selected again in 1931，he had died that April.
What happens if a candidate dies？The Nobel Foundation might consider changes at its next meeting.One possibility would be to withhold(阻止)the announcement of an award until a Nobel official hears the winner's voice on the famous notification calls.
【语篇解读】 诺贝尔奖是一个国际奖项，用来奖励前一年在科学上取得重大发现的人。诺贝尔基金会明确说明这个奖项只颁给活着的人，但科学发现需要时间来检验。诺贝尔奖能颁给死去的人吗？或许诺贝尔奖需要一些变革。
1．What did Alfred Nobel create the prizes for?
A．To make himself remembered forever.
B．To attract international attention to Sweden.
C．To encourage contributions to mankind.
D．To honor some dead outstanding discoverers.
C [推理判断题。根据第一段中的“he decided that they be given for work done in the previous year”和第三段中的“One can guess that he wanted to reward presentday innovation...”可知，创立诺贝尔奖的目的就是奖励其所在时代的科学发现或重大成就。]
2．Why has the Nobel Prize brought about trouble?
A．The oneyear timing is not workable.
B．Nobel Foundation tries to break his will.
C．Nobel's fortune is not well managed.
D．Candidates are hard to be selected worldwide.
A [细节理解题。根据第四段中的“The oneyear timing proved impractical；scientific findings generally need to be tested，sometimes for decades，before their value is appreciated.”可知答案。]
3．What do the examples of the scientist Ralph M．Steinman and the poet Erik Karlfeldt suggest?
A．The Nobel Foundation should obey the rules.
B．Some rules of the prize call for reform.
C．The Nobel Academy failed to perform their duty.
D．The winner should live a very long life.
B [推理判断题。根据上文可知，诺贝尔奖规定只颁发给健在的科学家，可是这一年的诺贝尔医学奖颁发给了已经去世的Ralph M．Steinman，1931年的诺贝尔文学奖颁发给了已逝的诗人Erik Karlfeldt，这两个例子足以说明诺贝尔奖的一些规定需要改革。]
4．According to the last paragraph，the Nobel Prize is announced to the winner ．
A．in secret B．through a visit
C．by email D．on the telephone
D [细节理解题。根据文章最后一段最后一句话中的“...until a Nobel official hears the winner's voice on the famous notification calls”可知答案。]
