A
(2020届陕西省高三联考)
Esther Mentzer was born in New York. Her upbringing was a modest one; her father owned a hardware store. Much of her time was spent in trying to make ends meet in the hardware store.
It was while working in this store that Esther got her first taste of business. Until World War Ⅰ， Esther had always wanted to be an actress, dreaming of her “name in lights, flowers, handsome men”．
After the War, Esther's uncle, John Schotz came to live with the family. This would prove to be a turning point in the young Esther's life. Schotz was a chemist who had devoted most of his life to creating “secret” skincare products. Esther joined him.
In 1930, she married Joseph Lauder and her name became Estee Lauder, when she was 22 years old. Lauder's dreams had never quite subsided (消退) and her husband supported her. In 1947, the two finally decided to go official, and Estee Lauder Cosmetics (化妆品) was founded.
She believed that beauty is an attitude, and when you look after yourself properly, it would be a winning attitude. If you looked beautiful on the outside, Lauder believed you would feel beautiful on the inside, and from there, the possibilities are endless.
Estee Lauder died on April 26, 2004, but her contribution is remembered. Today Estee Lauder is a recognized brand name in over 110 countries. “Why are all brides beautiful？” she asked. “Because on their wedding day they care about how they look. There are no ugly women—only women who don't care or who don't believe they're attractive.” Beauty is a state of mind and Lauder believed that her products could help anyone achieve that state of mind.
【语篇解读】 本文主要是关于雅诗兰黛的创始人Esther Mentzer所取得的成就和她对美丽的看法。Esther Mentzer的成功让她认识到美是一种态度，是一种精神状态，而她的产品能帮助人们把这种精神状态变为现实。
1．When Esther was young, she dreamed of becoming ______．
A．an actress B．a businesswoman
C．a sales girl D．a chemist
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Until World War Ⅰ， Esther had always wanted to be an actress, dreaming of her‘name in lights，flowers，handsome men’．”可知，Esther小时候梦想成为一名演员，故选A。
2．From the passage we know that Esther first learned about cosmetics from ________．
A．her uncle B．her father
C．her husband D．herself
解析：选A 推理判断题。由第三段可知，Esther的叔叔John Schotz在第一次世界大战后和她的家人生活在一起。John Schotz是一位化学家，他用大半生的时间研究皮肤护理产品。再根据第三段最后一句“Esther joined him.”可推知，Esther是最先从她叔叔那里了解到化妆品知识的。故选A。
3．How old was Esther when she passed away?
A．She was 86. B．She was 96.
C．She was 106. D．She was 110.
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“In 1930，she married Joseph Lauder and her name became Estee Lauder，when she was 22 years old.”可知，Esther出生于1908年；且由最后一段第一句“Estee Lauder died on April 26，2004, but her contribution is remembered.”可知，Esther在2004年去世。由此可知，她享年96岁。故选B。
4．Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A．Modesty is the Start of Success
B．Hard Experience is a Must for a Good Life
C．Beauty is a Winning Attitude
D．Great Brand Comes from Beauty
解析：选C 标题归纳题。文章通过介绍Esther的生平，简要描述了她是如何投身于皮肤护理事业的，通过描述她的故事，作者点明了文章的主题：“美是一种态度”，而她的一生也是在为这一理念奋斗。故选C。
