1 . Eartha Mae Kitt was born into a poor family in South Carolina in 1927. When Eartha was eight, her mother married. The husband did not want Eartha to live with them because of her mixed race.

Eartha was sent to New York City to live with an aunt in the African-American neighborhood of Harlem. The relationship was difficult. The aunt helped pay for piano and dance lessons for Eartha. But she also beat the girl. Eartha would run away after beatings.

Earth lived in the streets and worked in a factory as a young teenager. But she kept up her dance lessons. One day she decided to try out for a famous African-American dance company. Soon, Eartha was performing in shows around the world with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe.

In Paris, Eartha left the dance company to sing in a nightclub. Her voice was unusual - but very appealing. She learned French quickly and gained French fans. The film director Orson Welles discovered Eartha singing in Paris. He called her “the most exciting woman in the world”. Welles asked her to play a lead part in the play he was directing and starring in.

Eartha returned to New York and appeared in the Broadway show New Faces of 1952. A humorous song she sang about a bored, spoiled woman became famous. She soon signed a recording agreement with the record company. Eartha’s songs were all daring, especially for the 1950s. She even made a sexy Christmas song “Santa Baby”, which became her biggest hit.

Eartha's first role in a film was in the 1957 movie Mark of the Hawk with Nat King Cole. She was very careful about choosing her roles in films. She rejected parts that were not respectful to people of color. She said if her choices were bad, it would not help the black actors who came after her.

Eartha Mae Kitt was at home when she died on December 25, 2008. The cause was colon cancer.

1. What made Eartha leave her parents?

A．Her poor family.	B．Her mixed race.
C．Her cruel aunt.	D．Her dance lessons.

2. Eartha’s aunt can be described as ________ .

A．cruel and mean	B．violent but honest
C．considerate and friendly	D．helpful but unkind

3. What most probably made Welles be interested in Eartha at first?

A．Her dance.	B．Her beauty.
C．Her voice.	D．Her fans.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．Eartha starred in the film directed by Welles

B．Eartha was strongly against treating people of color unfairly

C．American songs in the 1950s were all daring

D．Mark of the Hawk was Eartha’s most successful song