Question

【題目】

You can buy a box of Crayola crayons in 152 colors today, but way back in 1903, they only came in eight colors. And that box of Crayola crayons was a huge improvement over the first crayons, which only came in black.

Wax crayons were mostly used for industrial purposes until cousins Edwin Binney and Harold Smith introduced their brightly colored crayons for kids. Edwin’s wife made up the name Crayola by putting “craie”（French for chalk）together with“ oleaginous”（which means oily）. In other words, oily chalk!

It’s hard to understand just how modern crayons are different from those in the past without look at the history of the crayon. In 1864 Edwin’s dad, Joseph Binney, started a chemical factory in New York City. It made a black pigment by burning oil. When the two cousins took over the factory in 1885, they started making a number of industrial art products for home and school use, but from 1900 to 1902, they started making pencils and dustless chalk for school blackboards in American classrooms. Soon after that, colored crayons were made. But the crayons they first made were not safe for kids, so they developed crayons that would be safe. The first box they sold-the one with eight colors--cost just five cents.

To celebrate the hundredth birthday of Crayola crayons in 2003, a special 100-color box was created, adding four new colors to the existing 96-color box. Over the years, as the company grown, it has introduced more than 400 different colors. Today there are over a hundred types of Crayola Crayons. They are available in boxes printed in 11 languages including Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Italian, German, French, Finnish, English, Dutch and Danish. Two billion Crayola Crayons are produced yearly. Also you can find crayons that smell good, crayons that wash out of clothes, and even egg-shaped crayons. Nowadays, plenty of other companies make colored crayons for children, too.

【1】What color were the first crayons?

A.BlackB.RedC.YellowD.Green

【2】The first eight-color Crayola crayons started to be sold in the year__________.

A.1864B.1885C.1903D.2003

【3】Which of the following statements are TRUE about Crayola crayons?

A.The name Crayola was a mixture of two English words.

B.The first Crayola crayons were not safe but very expensive.

C.The company invented four more colors for its 100th birthday.

D.Today Crayola crayon boxes are now also printed in Chinese language.

【4】What’s the passage mainly about?

A.The changes of the colors of Crayola crayons.

B.The history of the invention of Crayola crayons.

C.The two cousins who made Crayola crayons.

D.The reason why Crayola crayons are still popular.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】

本文講述了兒童用的彩色蠟筆是怎么發(fā)明出來的，還介紹了彩色蠟筆的改進(jìn)等情況。剛開始彩色蠟筆不安全但很便宜，為了慶祝Crayola crayons在2003年的100歲生日，一個特殊的100色的盒子被創(chuàng)造出來，在現(xiàn)有的96色盒子的基礎(chǔ)上增加了4種新的顏色。多年來，隨著公司的發(fā)展，它已經(jīng)推出了400多種不同的顏色。

【1】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)“And that box of Crayola crayons was a huge improvement over the first crayons, which only came in black.”可知這盒蠟筆與第一批蠟筆相比是一個巨大的進(jìn)步，第一批蠟筆只有黑色，故選A。

【2】推理判斷題。根據(jù)“To celebrate the hundredth birthday of Crayola crayons in 2003”可知為了慶祝2003年Crayola蠟筆的100歲生日，可推測出是1993年開始的，故選C。

【3】推理判斷題。根據(jù)“Edwin’s wife made up the name Crayola by putting “craie”（French for chalk）together with“ oleaginous”（which means oily）.”可知埃德溫的妻子把“craie”(法語中粉筆的意思)和“oleaginous”(油質(zhì)的)放在一起，創(chuàng)造了“Crayola”這個名字，與選項A內(nèi)容不符；根據(jù)“the crayons they first made were not safe for kids”及“cost just five cents.”可知第一批蠟筆并不安全，很便宜，與選項B內(nèi)容不符；根據(jù)“a special 100-color box was created, adding four new colors to the existing 96-color box.”可知一個特殊的100色的盒子被創(chuàng)造出來，在現(xiàn)有的96色盒子的基礎(chǔ)上增加了4種新的顏色，與選項C內(nèi)容相符；根據(jù)“They are available in boxes printed in 11 languages including Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Italian, German, French, Finnish, English, Dutch and Danish. ”可知有11種語言，沒有漢語，與選項D內(nèi)容不符；故選C。

【4】主旨大意題。根據(jù)本文講述了兒童用的彩色蠟筆是怎么發(fā)明出來的，還介紹了彩色蠟筆的改進(jìn)等情況，故選B。