"I would almost rather see you dead," Robert S. Cassatt,
a leading banker of Philadelphia, shouted when his twenty-year-old eldest
daughter announced that she wanted to become an artist. In the 19th
century, playing at drawing or painting on dishes was all right for a young
lady but serious work in art was not. And when the young lady's family ranked
among (跻身于) the best of Philadelphia's social families, such an idea could not
even be considered.
That was how Mary Cassatt, born in 1844, began her struggle
as an artist. She did not tremble before her father's anger. Instead, she
opposed (抗拒) him with courage and at last made him change his mind. Mary
Cassatt gave her social position and all thought of a husband and a family,
which in those times was unthinkable for a young lady. In the end, after long
years of hard work and perseverance(坚持), she became
America's most important woman artist and the internationally recognized
leading woman painter of the time.
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（1）
What do we know about Mary Cassatt's marriage?
A . Her marriage failed because she never gave a thought to her husband and family.
B . She never married because she did not want to be just a wife and mother.
C . After marriage she decided to give up her husband rather than her career.
D . She did not marry because for a lady of her social position to marry below her was unthinkable.
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（2）
What do you know about Robert Cassatt's character from the text?
A . He was a cruel man.
B . He was a stubborn (固执的) man.
C . He knew nothing about art.
D . He knew little about his daughter.
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（3）
What do you know about Mary Cassatt's character?
A . She was brave in going against old ideas.
B . She got tired of always obeying her father.
C . She hated playing at drawing and painting.
D . She did not mind being poor at all.
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（4）
As we can learn from the text, which of the following was generally considered the most important in the life of a woman in the US in Mary Cassatt's times?
A . money.
B . Career.
C . Marriage.
D . Courage.
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