Question

The first time she saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time he saw Juli Baker, he ran. For six years of living close by, they had played the same game of cat-and-mouse (Juli was the cat; Bryce was the unfortunate mouse).

For years Juli dreamed of one thing: her first kiss from the boy. Nothing else seemed to matter. But when Juli’s favorite sycamore tree is threatened by developers, things begin to change. She begins to see things and places and people in a different light. Things, for years, she thought to be important, become things she can live without; and people she thought to be the center of her universe, become nothing more than a star in a faraway galaxy.

Things begin changing with Bryce also. It all begins with the eggs…which then cause a domino effect of changes with his relationships with his best friend, his father, the Bakers and, ultimately, Juli.

I had seen this book on the shelf at bookstores for years, but never bothered to pick it up because it looked to be another book from Jerry Spinelli (not exactly my favorite author in the world) and so, continually, I would walk past it without giving it a second glance. If by chance I had picked it up, I most likely would not have read it, since the summary on the back didn’t seem too appealing. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I heard about Flipped the movie. I read an interview with Callan McAuliffe (the actor who portrays Bryce) and thought that Flipped was a romance right up my alley; cute, innocent and as far from Jane Austin as you could get. After reading the interview and a summary of the movie, I found the plot-line to be somewhat appealing and a definite breath of fresh air opposed to the dark material I have been recently reading and writing. I found the book a few days later in a Goodwill bookstore and finished it in three days.

The story isn’t what you would consider deep…it isn’t shallow and pointless either…I guess you could say it’s the perfect balance of life-lessons and innocence.

You read about Bryce and Juli (each from their own points of view) and how, throughout six years, their lives and views and opinions change and develop. Flipped is somewhat of a coming of age story about two kids learning to see life from the other’s point of view and learning that growing up isn’t about staying the same, but changing; changing likes and dislikes; changing friends and crushes and views on family.

Uniquely written, every other chapter showing the same scenes and events, only from the other’s point of view, you see how the saying, “Two sides to every story,” is true. You are able to see both Juli and Bryce’s reasons for doing what they do and saying what they say…not just what the other sees.

It will be interesting to see how this writing style comes into play in the movie. Overall I thought this story was incredibly cute and light-hearted, although it didn’t entirely meet my expectations. Especially the ending. I felt as though it ended quite abruptly and that there was more story that needed to be told.

But even with that, after having taken a step back and taken my mind off of Flipped, I find the story has stuck with me and stayed in the back of my mind, making me highly anticipate seeing this book turned to a film. I understand why it has been so popular for almost two decades and am looking forward to seeing Flipped on the big screen soon.

1.According to Paragraphs 1 and 2, what is the relationship between Juli Baker and Bryce Loski？

A. Lovers. B. Neighbors.

C. Daughter and father. D. Sister and brother.

2.What has happened to Juli after her favorite sycamore tree is endangered?

A. Bryce Loski has become an insignificant figure in her life.

B. Things and people around her have changed beyond recognition.

C. She has come to realize that she is the center of the universe.

D. The sycamore tree is nothing more than a star in faraway galaxy.

3.Which of the following sentences best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?

A. After reading the interview with Callan, the author confirmed his pervious attitude to Flipped.

B. After reading the interview with Callan, the author was deep impressed by his story of romance.

C. It was the interview with Callan that made the author realize that it was a book to his taste.

D. It was the performance of Callan that inspired the author to read the original work.

4.According to Paragraph 6, what is the theme of Flipped?

A. Generation gap. B. Growing pains.

C. Forever love. D. Changing lifestyles.

5.In the author’s opinion, Flipped doesn’t provide us readers with ________.

A. a happy ending for Juli and Bryce B. limited appeal for re-appreciation

C. much space for individual imagination D. a smooth ending to the whole story

6.The passage is mainly about ________.

A. a beautiful love story between Juli Baker and Bryce Loski

B. a cute and innocent love story that you shouldn’t miss

C. how an amazing movie was adapted from a love story

D. how a summary prevents readers from moving forward

Answer 1