四、阅读理解
"Splendor fades, and dreams vanish into thin air." This quiet line from A Dream of Red Mansions sets a gentle, sad tone for the classic work. Cao Xueqin was a great Qing Dynasty writer, best known for writing this novel—one of China's Four Great Classical Novels.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Cao's great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all given the posts by Emperor Kangxi as the Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangning, a position that brought the family great riches and respect. He grew up receiving a fine education and became a talented poet and painter in his early years.
But the good luck of the Cao family suddenly came to an end when a new emperor came into power. In 1727, the family's wealth was
confiscated in a political struggle（政治斗争）and the whole family was forced to move to Beijing.
Cao spent the rest of his life in poverty in the western suburbs（郊区）of the city. He could hardly make a living by selling his paintings. Instead of finding an official position, he spent over ten years writing A Dream of Red Mansions. His friends said that every word he wrote carried "tears and blood", and his sufferings were hard to imagine.
The novel records the rise and fall of four influential feudal（封建的）families, centered on the tragic（悲惨的）love between Jia Baoyu and his cousin Lin Daiyu. Beyond the touching love story, it shapes a series of lively characters, shows the luxurious and corrupt（奢华堕落）lives of the upper class, and uncovers the darkness and coldness of the old feudal system with wonderful writings.
"
Sadness hangs over all the beauty," Lu Xun wrote in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction. He also commented in The Evolution of Chinese Novels, "After A Dream of Red Mansions, traditional writing and ideas were broken." It is Cao's own life experience that turns his personal pain into a story that still touches readers today.
（
A
）1. The underlined word "confiscated" most probably means "
".
A. taken away B. sold out C. given back D. locked up
（
B
）2. What can we infer about Cao Xueqin from paragraphs 3-5?
A. His family's power lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
B. His family's trouble was closely connected with politics.
C. He failed to receive a good education after his family fell apart.
D. He made a living by painting long before his family got into trouble.
（
C
）3. What does the underlined sentence "Sadness hangs over all the beauty" mean?
A. Beautiful things always make people feel happy.
B. Beauty will disappear soon, just like sweet dreams.
C. There is hidden sadness behind the wonderful scenes.
D. People can only feel sad when they see beautiful views.
（
D
）4. Which words can best describe Cao Xueqin according to the text?
A. Talented and proud. B. Cheerful and confident.
C. Generous and kind-hearted. D. Hard-working and strong-willed.
