Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone's children's book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for ??1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country.

The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn't think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said.

The novel, inspired by film noir(黑色电影), fantasy(幻想)and a fascination(迷恋)with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires(吸血鬼)and werewolves(狼人). This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant(后裔)of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world.

Waterstone's head children's buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker's "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker's writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan's does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural. 

"I have a feeling that Tom has real potential(潜能)and could be one of the big names in children's writing in the future."

This year's shortlist also included Michael Broad's Jake Cake, Philip Caveney's Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd's A Swift Pure Cry. Last year's prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane.

How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize? 

A. He was proud of his ability of making up stories.        

B. He was shocked and didn’t believe it was true. 

C. He was very surprised and delighted. 

D. He had expected he would win the prize.

Why was Tom Becker’s novel successful according to Wayne Winstone? 

A. Because his novel was inspired by film noir, fantasy and a fascination.

B. Because the novel was about the dark side of the 19th century.

C. Because his novel was intended for teenagers between the ages of nine and 12.

D. Because his writing style is attracting with the mix of adventure and the supernatural

Which of the following is WRONG according to passage?

A. The novel Darkside is Tom Becker’s first novel.

B. The novel Darkside will be on display all over the country.

C. Philip Caveney also won the prize in 2007.

D. Jonathan is a major character in the novel Darkside.

What can we infer from the passage?

A. Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children’s writing in the future.

B. Darren Shan’s novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12.

C. The Waterstone’s children’s book prize is an important prize for young novelists.

D. The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year.  

The best title for the passage is probably_______.

  A. Tom Becker— a great writer for children

B. First-time author wins children’s fiction prize

C. An imaginary big prize

D. Tom Becker's writing style

Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He stopped by the fence in front of the house where he lived with his aunt Polly. He looked at it, and all joy left him. The fence was long and high. He put the brush into the whitewash and moved it along the top of the fence. He repeated the operation. He felt he could not continue and sat down.
He knew that his friends would arrive soon with all kinds of interesting plans for the day. They would walk past him and laugh. They would make jokes about his having to work on a beautiful summer Saturday. The thought burned him like fire.
He put his hand into his pockets and took out all that he owned. Perhaps he could find some way to pay someone to do the whitewashing for him. But there was nothing of value in his pockets —nothing that could buy even half an hour of freedom. So he put the bits of toys back into his pockets and gave up the idea
At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea came to him. It filled his mind with a great, bright light. Calmly he picked up the brush and started again to whitewash.
While Tom was working, Ben Rogers appeared. Ben was eating an apple as he walked along the street. As he walked along, he was making noises like the sound of a riverboat. First he shouted loudly, like a boat captain. Then he said “Ding-Dong-Dong”, “Ding-Dong-Dong” again and again, like the bell of a riverboat. And he made other strange noises. When he came close to Tom, he stopped.
Tom went on whitewashing. He did not look at Ben. Ben stared a moment and then said: “Hello! I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush carefully along the fence and looked at the result with the eye of an artist. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for the apple, but he kept on working.
Ben said, “Hello, old fellow, you’ve got to work, hey?”
Tom turned suddenly and said, “Why, it’s you, Ben! I wasn’t noticing.”
“Say —I’m going swimming. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d rather work — wouldn’t you? Of course you would.”
Tom looked at the boy a bit, and said “What do you call work?”
“Why, isn’t that work?”
Tom went back to his whitewashing, and answered carelessly.
“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to say that you like it?”
The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth, stepped back to look at the result, added a touch here and there, and stepped back again. Ben watched every move and got more and more interested. Soon he said,
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom thought for a moment, was about to agree; but he changed his mind.
“No —no —it won’t do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. It has got to be done very carefully. I don’t think there is one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it well enough.”
“No —is that so? Oh come, now —let me just try. Only just a little.” “Ben, I’d like to, but if it isn’t done right, I’m afraid Aunt Polly … ”
“Oh, I’ll be careful. Now let me try. Say —I’ll give you the core of my apple.”
“Well, here —No, Ben, now don’t. I’m afraid …”
“I’ll give you all of it.”
Tom gave up the brush with unwillingness on his face, but joy in his heart. And while Ben worked at the fence in the hot sun, Tom sat under a tree, eating the apple, and planning how to get more help. There were enough boys. Each one came to laugh, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was tired, Tom sold the next chance to Billy for a kite; and when Billy was tired, Johnny bought in for a dead rat —and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, Tom had won many treasures.
And he had not worked. He had had a nice idle time all the time, with plenty of company -and the fence had been whitewashed three times. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, Tom would have owned everything belonging to his friends.
He had discovered a great law of human action, namely, that in order to make a man or a boy want a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to get.
【小题1】How many characters are mentioned in this story?

A.7B.6C.5D.4
【小题2】Why did Tom take all his bits of toys out of his pockets?
A.Because he is tired and wanted to play with his toys.
B.Because he wanted to throw his toys away.
C.Because he wanted to know if he could buy help with his toys.
D.Because he wanted to give his toys to his friends.
【小题3】Tom was about to agree to let Ben whitewash when he changed his mind because ______.
A.Tom wanted to do the whitewashing by himself
B.Tom was afraid Ben would do the whitewashing better.
C.Tom was unwilling to let Ben do the whitewashing
D.Tom planned to make Ben give up his apple first
【小题4】We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.Tom was good at whitewashing the fence, so he looked at the result of his work with the eye of an artist.
B.Tom was unwilling to whitewash the fence, but he managed to let other boys do it for him
C.Tom had a lot of friends who are ready to help others.
D.Tom was interested in whitewashing the fence.
【小题5】What made Ben Rogers eagerly gave up his apple and offer to brush the fence for Tom?
A.His curiosity about Tom’s brushing job.
B.His warm heart and kindness to friends.
C.Tom’s threat.
D.Aunt Polly’s idea.
【小题6】Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A.Tom And His Fellows
B.The Happy Whitewasher
C.Whitewashing A Fence
D.How To Make The Things Difficult To Get

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