托福閱讀模擬題3（四）

　　Questions 32-40

　　Considered the most influential architect of his time, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was born in the small rural community of Richland Center, Wisconsin. He entered the University of Wisconsin at the age of 15 as a special student, studying engineering because the school had no course in architecture.  At the age of 20 he then went to work as a draughtsman in Chicago in order to learn the traditional, classical language of  architecture. After marrying into a wealthy business family at the age of 21, Wright set up house in an exclusive neighborhood in Chicago, and after a few years of working for a number of architectural firms, set up his own architectural office.

　　For twenty years he brought up a family of six children upstairs, and ran a thriving architectural practice of twelve or so draughtsmen downstairs. Here, in an idyllic American suburb, with giant oaks, sprawling lawns, and no fences, Wright built some sixty rambling homes by the year 1900. He became the leader of a style known as the "Prairie" school - houses with low-pitched roofs and extended lines that blended into the landscape and typified his style of "organic architecture".

　　By the age of forty-one, in 1908, Wright had achieved extraordinary social and professional success. He gave countless lectures at major universities, and started his Taliesin Fellowship - a visionary social workshop in itself. In 1938 he appeared on the cover of Time  magazine, and later, on a two cent stamp. The most spectacular buildings of his mature period were based on forms borrowed from nature, and the intentions were clearly romantic, poetic, and intensely personal. Examples of these buildings are Tokyo's Imperial Hotel (1915-22: demolished 1968), and New York City's Guggenheim Museum (completed 1959). He continued working until his death in 1959, at the age of 92, although in his later years, he spent as much time giving interviews and being a celebrity, as he did in designing buildings. Wright can be considered an essentially idiosyncratic architect whose influence was immense but whose pupils were few.

　　32. With which of the following subjects is the passage mainly concerned?

　　(a) the development of modern architecture in America

　　(b) the contributions of  the "Prairie" School  to modern architecture

　　(c) the life and achievements of a famous architect

　　(d) the influence of the style of "organic architecture"  in America

　　33. Frank Lloyd Wright first worked as a draughtsman because

　　(a) for twenty years he lived above his shop and employed draughtsmen

　　(b) to learn the language of architecture

　　(c) that is what he studied at the University of Wisconsin

　　(d) that is the work of new employees in architectural firms

　　34. The word "some" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

　　(a) around

　　(b) over

　　(c) nearly

　　(d) exactly

　　35. According to the passage, an idyllic American suburb is

　　(a) based on forms borrowed from nature

　　(b) blended into the landscape

　　(c) giant oaks, sprawling lawns, and no fences

　　(d) houses with low-pitched reefs and extended lines

　　36. The word "blended" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

　　(a) dug

　　(b) cut

　　(c) imposed

　　(d) merged

　　37. The word "itself" in line 17 refers to

　　(a) social workshop

　　(b) Taliesin Fellowship

　　(c) He

　　(d) Major universities

　　38. The word "idiosyncratic" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

　　(a) idiotic

　　(b) idealistic

　　(c) individualistic

　　(d) independent

　　39. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

　　(a) the Taliesin Fellowship was a grant of money

　　(b) many of Wright's architectural ideas have not been taken up by others

　　(c) Wright used his wife's money to set up his own architectural office in an exclusive neighborhood in Chicago

　　(d) Some of Wright's most notable buildings have been demolished because they were not popular

　　40. All of the following about Frank Lloyd Wright are true EXCEPT

　　(a) he became the leader of  a style known as "organic architecture"

　　(b) he died at the age of 92

　　(c) he commenced university studies at the age of 15

　　(d) some of his most spectacular buildings were not in America