A
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright who was born in 1856, and died in 1950. Although he wrote music as well, he most enjoyed writing plays, with the purpose of explaining a social message, and making it more memorable with the use of comedy while doing so. Some of his plays direct people's attention to the problem of education, religion and government, however one topic he often considered was the exploitation (剥削) of the working class.
As a socialist, he played a role in the Fabian Society, which was a British socialist movement, writing brochures and leaflets for them. He even married a fellow member of the Society, called Charlotte PayneTownshend. He was a wonderful speaker, and gave speeches on equal rights in politics for men and women, how to live healthy lifestyles, and condemning the attitudes of the rich towards the poor. This socialist attitude of Bernard Shaw influenced many of his writings, including Pygmalion, which has become a classic.
The play was first shown in 1913 in Vienna, with Shaw himself as the director. Shaw chose Mrs. Patricia Campbell to play the role of Eliza, although many thought that she was too old for the role at the age of 49. Shaw claimed that he had written the role with her in mind, and only she would play Eliza. Higgins was played by Sir Herbert Tree. It has now become more popular, due to the 1964 musical My Fair Lady, which is based on Pygmalion.
语篇解读：本文为记叙文。文章介绍了萧伯纳的人生观点以及《皮格马利翁》这部戏剧的创作情况。
1．George Bernard Shaw wrote plays to ________.
A．entertain the audience
B．make his works memorable
C．make the Fabian Society known
D．express his view on social problems
解析：选D 细节理解题。由第一段“...he most enjoyed writing plays, with the purpose of explaining a social message ...”可知，萧伯纳创作戏剧的目的是解释社会信息，即表达对社会问题的看法或观点。
2．We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Bernard Shaw ________.
A．had pity on the poor
B．was head of the Fabian Society
C．didn't care much about the working class
D．preferred to be a public speaker than a writer
解析：选A 推理判断题。由第二段“... and condemning the attitudes of the rich towards the poor”可知，萧伯纳对穷人怀有同情心。
3．Why did Bernard Shaw choose Mrs. Patricia Campbell to play the role of Eliza?
A．Only she was suitable for the role.
B．She was at the right age for the role.
C．He had designed the role especially for her.
D．She helped Bernard Shaw with his writing.
解析：选C 细节理解题。由最后一段“Shaw claimed that he had written the role with her in mind ...”可知，萧伯纳之所以选择Mrs. Patricia Campbell饰演戏剧的女主角是因为当时他创作戏剧时已经想到让她出演主角了。
