杰明小时候如何最终下定决心要成为一名画家的。故C项可作为文章的主旨。

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 suggest?

A. The cat would be closely watched.

B. The cat would get some medical care.

C. Benjamin would leave his home shortly.

D. Benjamin would have real brushes soon.

【解析】选D。句意猜测题。根据第三段中的he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes可知, 本杰明拥有了真正的画笔, 不再需要猫毛制作画笔了。这句的本义是"这只猫的命运即将改善"。

3. What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?

A. He took him to see painting exhibitions.

B. He provided him with painting materials.

C. He sent him to a school in Philadelphia.

D. He taught him how to make engravings.

【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据第三段中的he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes可知, 为了开发本杰明的绘画才能, Pennington送给了他一些颜料和画笔, 也就是向他提供了绘画材料。

4. Williams' two books helped Benjamin to __________.

A. master the use of paints

B. appreciate landscape paintings

C. get to know other painters

D. make up his mind to be a painter

【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据最后一段中的they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist. 可知, 这两本书最终使得本杰明决定成为一名画家。

The United States of America is the most culturally diverse country in the world in terms of culture, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. As a combination of various races and cultures, America is home to all. The culture here is so unique that citizens can be just as proud of their original cultural heritage as they are to be Americans.

What is now the US was initially inhabited by native people until the land was settled by various European groups and African slaves. Since the 20th century, the country has become a heaven for people from all over the globe.

The arrival of immigrants has shifted populations from rural areas into cities because immigrants tend to settle in urban areas. At present, 81 percent of the inhabitants in the US live in cities.

Cultural and ethnic diversity adds a unique flavor to cities that is expressed through distinct neighborhoods, restaurants, places of worship, museums, nightlife and multicultural learning environments.

Unique musical forms, such as jazz, rock and roll, Chicano music, and the blues, grow in the US by mixing a variety of culturally distinct musical traditions to create a new form.

At the executive (行政的) level, the country is headed by a mixed-race president; two