2. 外语
  3. Misers are often lonely and obscure men whose wealth is revealed only after their death. Joseph Nollekens, however, was a popula

Misers are often lonely and obscure men whose wealth is revealed only after their death. Joseph Nollekens, however, was a popula

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问题     Misers are often lonely and obscure men whose wealth is revealed only after their death. Joseph Nollekens, however, was a popular sculptor with many friends and was known to possess a large fortune. Yet he lived the life of a beggar.
    Born in Soho, London, in 1737, he worked in Rome repairing antique statues, which he then sold as perfect. He added to his income by smuggling(偷运)stocking, gloves, and lace inside hollow busts. His appearance was always ragged, and his table manners were appalling.
    Nollekens rose to be one of the most admired sculptors of his day. On his return to England he produced busts of George Ⅲ, William Pitt, Samuel Johnson, and the Duke of Wellington. His austerity extended into his professional life, and he would deliberately model a bust with the head looking over the shoulder, so that he would use pieces of marble rejected by other sculptors as too small.
    At home he would sit in the dark, and if guests came, he would light a small fire and quickly put it out when they left.
    When dining at the Royal Academy he would stuff his pockets with pepper and salt from the table.
    Mrs. Nollekens was just as stingy. She kept her servants on low pay and haggled (讨价还价) with shopkeepers over the most trivial items. She once traded in the handle of an old mop when buying a new one.
    Joseph Nollekens died in 1832. He left a fortune of about ＄1 million.
In the third paragraph, the word" austerity" has a meaning closest to ______.
选项 A、authority
B、stinginess
C、generosity
D、cleverness
答案B
解析 词汇题。“austerity”的意思可通过上下文获得，从文中不难发现Nollekens是一个“miser”，他生活起来像个“beggar”。他的衣着总是褴楼(ragged)，他会用别的雕塑家认为太小的大理石，因此为“austerity”为“节俭”之意，即与B项的意思“小气”相符。
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大学英语四级

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