Since my retirement(退休) from teaching music in 2001, I have spent a good deal of time painting as an artist. I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him. In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画) much influenced(影响) by Krenkel and St. John for five years.
For some strange reason, I had been waiting until my retirement to start doing watercolors again, but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist. I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolors to be the closest to how I thought good watercolors should look. So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other types of painting. However, watercolors remained my first choice, and I think I did my best work there, showing my paintings at a number of art exhibitions.
Art is now together with my piano playing and reading. There is a time for everything in my world, and it is wonderful to have some time doing what I want to do. As Confucious once said, “At seventy I can follow my heart’s desire.”
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?A．Learning to paint in later life.B．How to paint watercolorsC．An artist-turned teacherD．Life after retirement【小题2】The author started drawing again in 1995 because .A．he hoped to draw a picture of his fatherB．he couldn’t stop missing his fatherC．he had more time after retirement D．he liked animals and landscapes【小题3】We can infer from the text that the author .A．had been taught by Krenkel and St. JohnB．painted landscapes in Minnesota for 5 yearsC．believed Wyeth to be the best in watercolorsD．started his retirement life at the age of severty【小题4】How does the author probably feel about his life as an artist?A．Very enjoyable.B．A bit regretfulC．Rather busy.D．Fairly dull.
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】C
【小题4】A
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(答案→)
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】C
【小题4】A
解析：
【小题1】本题考查归纳主旨大意的能力。第一段叙述的是退休后开始从事绘画；第二段记叙的是退休后对水彩画的痴迷；第三段讲述的是多姿多彩的退休生活的美好感觉。由此可判断此项正确。
【小题2】本题考查理解细节信息的能力。根据第一段第二句 “I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him.”可知作者之所以绘画是因为无法摆脱对父亲的怀念。
【小题3】本题考查根据文章细节信息进行推理判断的能力。根据第二段“…Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist.”可推断作者认为他的水彩画造诣无人可比。根据第一段最后一句 “In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画) much influenced(影响) by Krenkel and St. John for five years.”可知作者只是受到他们的影响，因此A项错误；根据第一段第一句可知作者自2001年退休以来一真赋闲在家，自得其乐，如今才体会到孔夫子说的“七十而从心所欲不逾矩”的含义，由此可判断作者现在的年龄是70岁，而不是70岁退休，所以D项错误。
【小题4】本题考查根据文章细节信息进行推理判断的能力。根据最后一段可知绘画、读书、弹钢琴成了作者退休生活中不可或缺的一部分，由此可推断此项正确。