题目内容：

Renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking died peacefully at his home in the British university city of Cambridge in March 14 at age 76.

Hawking, whose 1988 book “A Brief History of Time” became an unlikely worldwide bestseller and cemented (奠定) his superstar status, dedicated his life to unlocking the secrets of the Universe. He held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, which is a position that was once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

Born in 1942 in Oxford, where his parents spent the final months of pregnancy to avoid the bombings of London, Hawking was said to have been a good student although it wasn’t until he was in his 20s that his true potential began to really shine through. Having initially wanted to study Mathematics, Stephen Hawking chose, instead, to read natural sciences with emphasis on Physics.

Having found University life boring, so much so that he joined the University rowing team to relieve the boredom, it was only following an oral examination that he was awarded a first class degree.

While at Cambridge, Hawking was diagnosed with a motor neurone (神经元）disease. He was initially given two to three years to live. The illness gradually robbed him of mobility, leaving him confined to a wheelchair, almost completely paralysed and unable to speak except through his trademark voice synthesiser (合成器）.

Stephen Hawking led an incredible and well documented life. He was referred to in many TV programs, films, and even songs, and appeared as himself in a number of programs including Red Dwarf and the Big Bang Theory. His genius and wit won over fans from far beyond the world of astrophysics (天体物理学）, earning comparisons with Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

1.Which of the following is true about “A Brief History of Time”?

A. It is not popular with common readers.    B. It is about the secrets of the universe.

C. It mainly deals with Mathematical problems.    D. It was impossible to be a bestseller.

2.Why did Hawking join the University rowing team?

A. To improve his health.    B. To make his university life less boring.

C. To improve his grade in university.    D. To reduce the effect of his disease.

3.What do we learn about Stephen Hawking from the last paragraph?

A. He didn’t like to appear in any programs.

B. He is only recognized in the world of astrophysics.

C. He is not as famous as Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

D. He was multi-talented.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. Life and achievements of Stephen Hawking.

B. The death of Stephen Hawking.

C. Early life of Stephen Hawking.

D. Stephen Hawking and his work.