Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing?

Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, Scarpetta (Putnam). She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic(法庭的) intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you're entering—this isn't for the faint of heart, let's say.

If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher's wonderful new book, Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World (Riverhead). Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you've never experienced life as a bestselling writer (as she has done, in her book years back, Reviving Ophelia), you'll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet.

What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer's new novel, Oh, Johnny (Random House), about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there's an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader's Digest (March, on stands now), by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him.

Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, Wishful Drinking (Simon & Schuster). Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives.

What does the writer want to tell us by the underlined sentence?

A. The world is complex and hard.           B. Scarpetta is a thriller.

C. The fiction is hard to understand.     D. Society is hard to fit into.

Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher?

A. She is an adventurous writer.    B. She doesn’t care about fortune.

C. Her books normally sell well.   D. She can help you achieve writing skills. 

To get further information about Jim Lehrer, you may________.

A. go to Reader’s Digest issued in March     B. go to Random House

C. analyze the characters in Oh, Johnny     D. read the novel Oh, Johnny

Which book isn’t directly based on the writer’s own life?__________________

A. Seeking Peace.             B. Reviving Ophelia.

C. Wishful Drinking.            D. Oh, Johnny.

THE BRONTE FAMILY

Yorkshire, England was the setting for two great novels (小说) of the 19th century. These were Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The youngest sister, Anne, was also a gifted novelist, and her books have the same extraordinary quality as her sisters’.

Their father was Patrick Bronte, born in Ireland. He moved with his wife, Maria Bronte, and their six small children to Haworth in Yorkshire in 1820. Soon after, Mrs. Bronte and the two eldest children died, leaving the father to care of the remaining three girls and a boy.

Charlotte was born in 1816. Emily was born in 1818 and Anne in 1820. Their brother Branwell was born in 1817. Left to themselves, the children wrote and told stories and walked over the hills. They grew up largely self-educated. Branwell showed a great interest in drawing. The girls were determined to earn money for his art education. They took positions as teachers or taught children in their homes.

As children they had all written many stories. Charlotte, as a young girl, alone wrote 22 books, each with 60 to 100 pages of small handwriting. Therefore, they turned to writing for income. By 1847, Charlotte had written The Professor; Emily, Wuthering Heights; and Anne, Agnes Grey. After much difficulty Anne and Emily found a publisher(出版商), but there was no interest shown in Charlotte’s book. (It was not published until 1859.) However, one publisher expressed an interest in seeing more of her works. Jane Eyre was already started, and she hurriedly finished it. It was accepted at once; thus each of the sisters had a book published in 1847.

Jane Eyre was immediately successful; the other two, however, did not do so well. People did not like Wuthering Heights. They said it was too wild, too animal-like. But gradually it came to be considered one of the finest novels in the English language. Emily lived only a short while after the publication of the book, and Anne died in 1849.

Charlotte published Shirley in 1849, and Villette in 1853. In 1854 she married Arthur Bell Nicholls. But only a year later, she died of tuberculosis(肺结核) as her sisters had.

We know from the text that      .

A. Jane Eyre was published in 1847    

B. Charlotte Bronte wrote 22 books in all

C. the Bronte sisters received good education     

D. Patrick Bronte helped his daughters with their writing

The underlined words “the other two” in the 5 th paragraph refer to      .

       A. Shirley and Villette   B. The Professor and Agnes Grey

       C. Agnes Grey and Wutheriing Heights   D. The Professor and wuthering Heights

What do we know about the Bronte sisters from the text?

       A. Their novels interested few publishers.

       B. None of them had more than two books published.

       C. None of them lived longer than 40 years old.

       D. Emily was the least successful of the three.


June 27, 2010, is the 130th anniversary of the birth of Helen Keller, and each year the week in which her birthday falls is recognized as Deaf-Blind Awareness Week (海伦凯勒周). In honor of Helen Keller—and other members of the deaf-blind community, this week is devoted to the deaf-blind.
Every year the last week of June is devoted to one thing – recognition of the deaf-blind people in our midst. While the purpose of Deaf-Blind Awareness Week is to show respect for Helen Keller, the deaf-blind woman who was born that week, the week focuses on increasing public awareness and understanding of deaf-blindness.
According to the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), about 70,000 people have hearing and vision loss. More than ten years ago, Deaf-Blind Awareness
Week became an event officially recognized by the Federal government.
The story of Helen Keller is well known. Born on June 27, 1880, the healthy baby was developing normally. But at the age of 19 months, an illness left her deaf and blind. When Helen was six, her equally famous teacher, Anne Sullivan, was able to teach her to communicate. Helen Keller went on to do well in all aspects of her life: graduating from college with honors and writing, lecturing, and inspiring people worldwide.
【小题1】 Which of the following is NOT the purpose of Deaf-Blind Awareness Week according to the passage?

A.To show respect for Helen Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan.
B.To show respect for Helen Keller.
C.To increase public awareness of deaf-blindness.
D.To increase public understanding of deaf-blindness.
【小题2】When is Deaf-Blind Awareness Week?
A.June 27, 2007.B.The last week of June ten years ago.
C.June 27, 1880.D.The last week of June every year.
【小题3】According to the passage, Helen Keller______.
A.was born deaf and blindB.did not do very well in college
C.was taught to communicate at the age of 16
D.inspired people all over the world with her books and lectures
【小题4】 What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Deaf-Blind Awareness WeekB.Helen Keller
C.The Helen Keller National CenterD.Anne Sullivan

The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.

Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”

The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .

Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

1.The book Gone with the Wind was _________.

A. first published on a newspaper            B. awarded ten Academy Awards

C. written in “The Dump”                  D. adapted from a movie

2.The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.

A. be very pleased with                 B. show great respect for

C. be much taller than                  D. show little interest in

3.Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?

A. Because she was rich enough.

B. Because she was injured then.

C. Because her husband didn’t like it.

D. Because she wanted to write books.

4.We can know about Margaret Mitchell from the passage that _________.

A. her height made her marriage unhappy

B. her interest in writing continued as an adult

C. writing stopped her working as a reporter

D. her life was full of hardship and sadness

5.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell.

B. Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success.

C. An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House.

D. Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer.

 

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