[解析]
(1)C.细节理解题.根据第一段中的Hawking's children,Lucy,Robert and Tim said in a statement可知,A项正确,霍金有三个孩子;最后一句话His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humor inspired people across the world.可知,霍金的才智和精神鼓舞了成千上万的人,B项正确;根据第二段内容But Hawking had a form of the disease that progressed more slowly than usual以及前后的句子可知,医生预测他能活两年多,但是他生存了半个多世纪,所以C项错误;最后一段Although there was a cloud hanging over my future,I found,to my surprise,that I was enjoying life in the present more than before.I began to make progress with my research可知,他将毕生的精力都用在了科研事业上;故选C.
(2)B.词义猜测题.本句的意思是说没有这种特殊状况,霍金的受欢迎度会diminish,而后面的句子Those who live in the shadow of death are often those who live most说明那些生活在死亡阴影下的人往往是生活的最长久的人,说明霍金的病情以及与疾病斗争的精神使他的受欢迎度大幅上升,由此可知,此处表达的是没有这种状况会使他不那么受欢迎,即欢迎的程度会下降,diminish意为"decrease";故选B.
(3)B.归纳总结题.最后一段中Although there was a cloud hanging over my future,I found,to my surprise,that I was enjoying life in the present more than before说明他很乐观;最后一句My goal is simple.It is a complete understanding of the universe,why it is as it is and why it exists at all.说明他决心坚决;故选B.
(4)D.推理判断题.根据最后一段第一句the early diagnosis of his terminal disease,and witnessing the death from leukaemia of a boy who he knew in hospital,ignited(点燃)a fresh sense of pursue.可知,正是他被诊断为不治之症和看到好友死于肺结核激起了追求真理的斗志;故选D.