Part one: First Major Novels

    If Dickens had remained the author of Pickwick, Oliver Twist, and The Old Curiosity Shop, he might have gained lasting fame only as an author of cheerful comedy．But Dombey and Son, published in 1846 and continued till 1848, is a realistic novel of human life in a society which had taken more or less its modern form．The novel is a study of the influence of the values of a business society on the members of the Dombey family．

Part two: ___________

In 1851 Dickens was struck by the death of his father and one of his daughters within 2 weeks．Partly in response to these losses, he created a series of works which have come to be called his “dark” novels and which rank among the greatest success of the art of fiction．

Part three: Later Works

In 1859 Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities, a historical novel of the French Revolution, which is read today most often as a school text．It is a fine picture of the historical period and a moving tale of a surprisingly modern hero．Besides publishing this novel in the lately founded All the Year Round, Dickens also published 17 articles, which appeared as a book later．

Dickens’s next novel, Great Expectations (1860～1861), tells the story of a young man’s moral(道德的) development in the course of his life-from childhood in the provinces to gentleman’s role in London．Not based on his own life like David Copperfield, Great Expectations belongs to the type of fiction called, in German, Bildungsroman (the novel of a man’s education or formation by experience)．

56．Which of the following Dickens’ novel shows a clear change of style?

A．David Copperfield          B．Pickwick                       C．Dombey and Son            D．Oliver Twist

57．The best title for Part two might be _______．

A．Unexpected deaths          B．Dark novels     C．Great losses      D．The art of fiction

58．According to the passage, A Tale of Two Cities _______．

A．is about the Industry Revolution     B．can be found in most of the textbooks

C．is better than his “dark” novels       D．is probably published in a new magazine

59．In Great Expectation, Dickens writes about _______．

A．the growth of a man                            B．how to become a gentleman

C．his own life experience                  D．a man’s school education

Part one: First Major Novels

If Dickens had remained the author of Pickwick, Oliver Twist, and The Old Curiosity Shop, he might have gained lasting fame only as an author of cheerful comedy. But Dombey and Son, published in 1846 and continued till 1848, is a realistic novel of human life in a society which had taken more or less its modern form. The novel is a study of the influence of the values of a business society n the members of the Dombey family.

Part two:       

In 1851 Dickens was struck by the death of his father and one of his daughters within 2 weeks. Partly in response to these losses, he created a series of works which have come to be called his “dark” novels and which rank among the greatest success of the art of fiction.

Par three: Later Works

    In 1859 Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities, a historical novel of the French Revolution, which is read today most often as a school text. It is fine picture of the historical period and a moving tale of a surprisingly modern hero. Besides publishing this novel in the lately founded All the Year Round, Dickens also published 17 articles, which appeared as a book later.

    Dickens’s next novel, Great Expectations(1860~1861), tells the story of a young man’s moral（道德的）development in the course of his life-from childhood in the provinces to gentleman’s role in London. Not based on his own life like David Copperfield, Great Expectations belongs to type of fiction called, in German, Bildungsroman (the novel of a man’s education or formation by experience.)

1．Which of the following Dickens’ novel shows a clear change of style?

      A．David Copperfield                                B．Pickwick

       C．Dombey and Son                                 D．Oliver Twist

2．The best title for Part two might be        .

       A．Unexpected deaths                               B．Dark novels

       C．Great losses                                        D．The art of fiction

3．According to the passage, A Tale of Two Cities      .

       A．is about the Industry Revolution            B．can be found in most of the textbooks

       C．is better than his “dark” novels              D．is probably published in a new magazine

4．In Great Expectation, Dickens writes about          .

      A．the growth of a man                            B．how to become a gentleman

       C．his own life experience                         D．a man’s school education

First lady of California, Kennedy family member, TV journalist, bestselling author Maria Shriver has had her share of fame. But when she read that kids' main goal these days is “to be famous”， she had to speak up. The speech below, delivered at her nephew's high school graduation last June, is included in her new book, Just Who Will You Be?

“Famous people always seem to look happy. They always look rich. But for whatever it's worth, fame isn't a worthy goal. Fame can't make you happy, in and of itself. It can't make you feel worthy. It can't give you a life of meaning and joy. That,_I've learned, is strictly an inside job. The only way you can come to feel good about yourself and to find a life of meaning and joy is to find your own path. Live your own life, not an imitation of someone else's.”

“We live in a world that seems to put a premium on (重视) the trappings of fame. But figuring out who you are and fulfilling your own dreams— that's a worthy goal. The people I've met who are happiest in their lives, famous or not, have done just that.”

“So ask yourself what you want to be famous for. And set your sight high—because you can be famous for doing something great in this world, something that matters, something that makes life better. We need famous people with integrity (诚实), character, and vision, people who want to lead, who want to make the world a more peaceful and compassionate place—where people feel accepted and valued for who they are.”

1．The passage is mainly about ________.

A．Maria Shriver's life

B．Maria Shriver's opinion on what a worthy goal is

C．Maria Shriver's books

D．Maria Shriver's attitude toward famous people

2．What can we know about Maria Shriver?

A．She is the wife of the governor of California.

B．She is the daughter of President Kennedy.

C．She likes traveling around the world.

D．She mainly writes children's books.

3．The underlined word “That” in the second paragraph refers to “________”．

A．fame 　　　　　 B．happiness

C．a worthy goal 　　　 D．a life of meaning and joy

4．Which of the following will Maria Shriver agree with?

A．We should learn from famous people in order to be famous.

B．Famous people are happier than rich people.

C．Doing things to make our world a better one is a worthy goal.

D．Being happy about whatever you do is important.

Mo Yan, a Chinese writer has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan--a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi in shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory, In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the stone year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific （多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, be is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony was held on December 10. Mo Yan won a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million

1. 1.

   How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

   1. A.
      Excited and proud
   2. B.
      Worried and cautious
   3. C.
      Uncertain and shocked
   4. D.
      Happy and surprised
2. 2.

   Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was ________

   1. A.
      on a farm
   2. B.
      in a factory
   3. C.
      in the army
   4. D.
      in a school
3. 3.

   One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he _________

   1. A.
      explains difficult matters in simple words
   2. B.
      focuses on social problems in the country
   3. C.
      writes about topics he is familiar with
   4. D.
      describes his characters in a unique way
4. 4.

   What’s the best title for this passage?

   1. A.
      Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
   2. B.
      An Introduction to Nobel Prize
   3. C.
      How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize
   4. D.
      A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan

Mo Yan, a Chinese writer has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.

Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan--a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory, In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.

He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the stone year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific （多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.

The awarding ceremony was held on December 10. Mo Yan won a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million.

46. How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

A. Excited and proud.              B. Worried and cautious.

    C. Uncertain and shocked           D. Happy and surprised..

47. Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was ________.

    A. in the army                   B. in a factory

    C. on a farm                   D. in a school

48. One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he _________.

    A. explains difficult matters in simple words

    B. writes about topics he is familiar with

    C. focuses on social problems in the country

    D. describes his characters in a unique way

49. What’s the best title for this passage?

    A. Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature  B. An Introduction to Nobel Prize

    C. How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize        D. A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan