Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer’s office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.

He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity of the bourgeoisie.

Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.

Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end.

41. Dickens only received a little formal education because______.

A. he wanted to teach himself

B. he wanted to work and made a lot of money

C. he was too poor to afford any more formal education

D. he wanted some working experiences to be a novelist

42. According to Dickens, the society at his time in England was________.

A. just      B. poor   C. comfortable      D. unsatisfying

43. Which of the following novel made Dickens the most popular writer at his time in England?

A. Oliver Twist  B. The Pickwick Papers  C. A Tale of Two Cities  D. Great Expectations

44. According to the passage, which of the following about Dickens is true?

A. He didn’t go to school at all.

B. He only wrote about poor people and showed deep sympathy for them.

C. He began to write fictions when he was 21years old.

D. He found some effective ways to improve the living conditions of the poor.

45. It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A. Dickens had a miserable childhood

B. Dickens tried many different jobs before he became a professional writer

C. Dickens wrote many novels but only some of them are popular

D. Dickens criticized capitalist society and helped to improve the living conditions of the poor

My mother, Marisol Torres, came with her family to Australia in the early 1960s. Then my parents’ marriage ended and Mum began the study of precious stones. Her interest in opals (猫眼石) took her to the New South Wales remote town of Lightning Ridge. There were no luxuries (奢华的享受), but she was closer to nature and had a chance to find black opals and make some money.
My mother was beautiful with dark hair and brown eyes, but she was also quiet and shy. Early in the Ridge years, she kept to herself, but later, she started going to the neighbourhood centre to make friends.
It was her dream to mine, but her get-rich-quick thinking was unrealistic. She was cheated and she was never very successful. But she kept a sense of humour and a charming smile.
Then, just as friendships began to blossom, she was diagnosed with cancer and had to return south for treatment. She had the intention of cooking Spanish food as special treat for her Ridge friends, but died too soon. In her honour, my aunt, Marisa, and I fulfilled her desire when we visited the Ridge in March last year.
People who mine the Ridge come from a cross section of society, from lawyers to travels. Looks don’t mean much: it can be hard to tell who is millionaire and who is poor. Opals attracted Sebastian and Hanna Deisenberger to Lightning Ridge. They planned a two-year stay, but became permanent residents.
Then there’s Neil Schellnegger, 45, who moved to the area with his parents when he was a child. He lives with his son, Luke. Luke is a shy 19-year-old boy who enjoys helping his dad. They haven’t had much luck over the past couple of years, but their passion for opals conquers disappointment. They love the peaceful lifestyle.
Danny Hatcher, 38, is a second-generation miner and president of the Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association. He is an optimistic man, driven by the desire to find the perfect opal. “It’s magic,” he explains. “Once you start opal mining you don’t want to do anything else… There is always the potential for finding a million dollars. Nothing beats it.”
It’s a place where dreams --- spiritual or material --- can be fulfilled; a place, for one last bet in life.
【小题1】What made the author’s mother go to Lightning Ridge?

A.The luxurious life there.B.Her new marriage there.
C.Her interest in opals.D.Her passion for nature. .
【小题2】After the author’s mother died, she fulfilled her desire by __________.
A.treating her mother’s Ridge friends with Spanish food
B.writing a biography about her whole life
C.decorating her house in Lightning Ridge
D.finding a lot of black opals in Lightning Ridge
【小题3】We know from the passage that _________.
A.the rich and the poor can be distinguished by their looks
B.Luke is a successful miner, just like his father
C.Sebastian is planning to leave Lightning Ridge
D.Danny Hatcher’s parents were miners in Lightning Ridge
【小题4】Lightning Ridge is a place where dreams can be fulfilled because __________.
A.there are precious stones and life is peaceful
B.there are people from all walks of life
C.there are rich people who can help poor people
D.there is a lot of gold hidden in the ground
【小题5】What is the author’s purpose of giving Neil Schellnegger and Danny Hatcher as examples?
A.To show the magic power of opal mining.
B.To tell people it isn’t always hard to mine opals.
C.To warn people not to take up this kind of job.
D.To persuade people to look for more resources for the country.

(NEW YORK) A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn’t think twice before diving into the freezing East River.
Tuesday’s Daily News said 29-year-old Julien Duret from France was the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Seaport museum. He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him.
“I didn’t think at all,” Duret told the Daily News. “It happened very fast. I reacted very fast.”
Duret, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头) when he saw something falling into the water. He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. In an instant, he took off his coat and jumped into the water.
When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said. Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.
Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers. Duret caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn’t realize his story of heroism had greatly moved New York until he was leaving the city the next morning.
“I don’t really think I’m a hero,” said Duret. “Anyone would do the same thing.”
【小题1】Why was Duret in New York?

A.To meet his girlfriend.B.To spend his holiday.
C.To work as an engineer.D.To visit the Andersons.
【小题2】What did Duret do shortly after the ambulance came?
A.He was interviewed by a newspaper.
B.He went to the hospital in the ambulance.
C.He disappeared from the spot quickly.
D.He asked his girlfriend for his dry clothes.
【小题3】 Who dived after Duret into the river to save the little girl?
A.David AndersonB.A passer-byC.His girlfriendD.A taxi driver
【小题4】What is probably the headline of this news report ?
A.A Careless FatherB.A Poor Girl
C.Warm-hearted OnlookersD.Brave Frenchman Found

Maricel Apatan,22,stands in the kitchen of the Edsa Shangri—La Hotel in Manila,preparing to decorate a cheesecake. It would seem to be  a(n)__ __ task for a pastry(糕点) chef,but Maricel is no __ __ chef-she has no hands.

“When I first saw Maricel, I was worried she might __ __ herself when using a chef’s knife __ __ that has never been a problem, ” says Maricel’s manager. “She doesn’t get __ __ treatment and works just as hard as the rest of the chefs.”

Despite financial __ __ from Archbishop Ledesma, a distant relative, Maricel __ __ to deal with her disability. “I was __ __ dependent on my mother and couldn’t do anything,” she recalls.

In 2004, Archbishop Ledesma __ __ for Maricel to live in the House with No Steps, a training centre for people with disabilities. She __ __ how to write and do regular tasks and, more importantly, __ __ her disability. She became more determined to __ __ hard to live a normal life.

Maricel __ __ graduated from high school and enrolled(注册) in a two-year Hotel and Restaurant Management course in Cagayan de Oro City. I have really enjoyed __ __ since I was seven years old,” she says.

After Maricel moved back to Manila to continue her studies, the media started reporting __ __ this determined young woman. She didn't shy away from the __ __.“I wanted others living with disabilities to believe it's __ __ to live a normal life,” Maricel says.

Later, Maricel's three younger brothers and sisters moved to Manila.She __ __ the rent of their small apartment, __ __ their parents look after the family farm in Mindanao.“It is difficult to make ends meet but I don't lose __ __. I believe anything is possible if you dream, and work hard.”

1.A.  impossible         B.      simple       C.      practical   D.      important

2.A.  ordinary   B.      admirable C.      talented    D.      gentle

3.A.  absorb      B.      express     C.      hurt  D.      forgive

4.A.  for    B.      or     C.      but   D.      and

5.A.  special      B.      equal         C.      official       D.      effective

6.A.  advice       B.      control      C.      information       D.      help

7.A.  hesitated  B.      disagreed C.      struggled  D.      pretended

8.A.  gradually  B.      hardly       C.      increasingly       D.      totally

9.A.  searched  B.      arranged  C.      applied     D.      begged

10.A.explained B.      realized    C.      wondered         D.     learned

11.A.accepted  B.      blessed     C.      cured        D.      forgot

12.A.think          B.      try    C.      listen         D.      relax

13.A.partly        B.      firstly         C.      eventually         D.      immediately

14.A.reading     B.      cooking     C.      writing      D.      drawing

15.A.beyond     B.      by     C.      against      D.      on

16.A.attention  B.      description        C.      decoration        D.      connection

17.A.successful          B.      difficult     C.      possible    D.      certain

18.A.raises        B.      pays C.      collects     D.      receives

19.A.unless       B.      once          C.      though      D.      while

20.A.memory    B.      weight       C.      hope         D.      patience

 

(NEW YORK) A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn’t think twice before diving into the freezing East River.

Tuesday’s Daily News said 29-year-old Julien Duret from France was the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.

He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Seaport museum. He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him.

“I didn’t think at all,” Duret told the Daily News. “It happened very fast. I reacted very fast.”

Duret, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头) when he saw something falling into the water. He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. In an instant, he took off his coat and jumped into the water.

When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said. Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.

Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers. Duret caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after.

The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn’t realize his story of heroism had greatly moved New York until he was leaving the city the next morning.

“I don’t really think I’m a hero,” said Duret. “Anyone would do the same thing.”

1.Why was Duret in New York?

A.To meet his girlfriend.

B.To spend his holiday.

C.To work as an engineer.

D.To visit the Andersons.

2.What did Duret do shortly after the ambulance came?

A.He was interviewed by a newspaper.

B.He went to the hospital in the ambulance.

C.He disappeared from the spot quickly.

D.He asked his girlfriend for his dry clothes.

3. Who dived after Duret into the river to save the little girl?

A.David Anderson

B.A passer-by

C.His girlfriend

D.A taxi driver

4.What is probably the headline of this news report ?

A.A Careless Father

B.A Poor Girl

C.Warm-hearted Onlookers

D.Brave Frenchman Found

 

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