A Book Review—The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty

The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages．

The theme: The main theme is a teenage research of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age．Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries．As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more．You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going．”

The characters: James is the hero of the story．He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母)．Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother．The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically．

The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother．The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie．It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there．

The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother．With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found．James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels．The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel．He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before．Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness．As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending．Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home．”

1.What is the main theme of the novel?

    A．A journey of self-discovery．       

B．Life in the world of diving．       

C．Life with foster parents．          

D．A travel around the country．

2.What do the coach’s words in Paragraph 2 suggest?

    A．James is a successful diver．       

B．James is an independent young man．

    C．James is an outgoing young man．    

D．James is a hopeful swimmer．

3.The snake stone in the novel is        ．

    A．a stone with an address on it       

B．a gift from the swimming coach

    C．a clue left by the birth mother     

D．a fossil left by the foster parents

4.Which of the following is true about the novel?

    A．The story has a sad ending．        

B．The story takes place in the city of London．

    C．The characters are vividly described．                  

D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother．

5.It can be concluded that James’ journey is _________．

    A．disappointing      B．boring       C．comfortable      D．worthwhile

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

When I was in middle school, I was one of the smaller players on the basketball team. In our first game of the season, we were   31  to face a good team, all of whom were tall guys. Naturally, at my   32 , it would have been easy to be   33  by our competitors.

On game day, my basketball coach called me over to him. He was a strong and tough coach, and in his   34  rough manner said, “Joel, you’re not that   35 , but let me tell you that size doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid. What   36  is right down in here.” He pointed his finger at his  37  as he continued, “Joel, you’ve got a big heart, and you’re to   38  it this year.”

When I heard the coach’s   39  , I stood taller than usual! I thought to myself: The coach believes in me! My confidence   40  and I played better that year than I’d ever done before.

It’s   41  what we can achieve when we know somebody really believes in us. That coach took a little time to make a big   42   . He took time to make me confident in myself. If we’re going to   43  the best in people, we need to sow seeds of   44  .

As the saying goes, “Love looks for a way of being constructive.”   45  , love looks for ways to help improve somebody else’s life.

When people are   46  us, they should leave better off than they were before. People should feel   47  and inspired after spending any time with you and me  48  feeling discouraged or defeated.

Remember, there’s   49  greater investment（投资）in life than in being a people builder. Relationships   50  much more to us than our achievements.

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When Li Jinyu went back from Brazil after years of hard training, he seemed to see a new starting point in front of him. Li, a key player of Jian Li Bao Football Team, has a round and lovely face. When talking to people, he often says, “I’ve got a lot of dreams, and the biggest one is to help to develop our national football.”
Li began to play football 17 years ago. In 1985 a football coach was looking for little players in a school. Li tried to win the coach’s favor. His father, a football fan, asked the coach to give his son another chance to have a test. This time, the coach agreed to take Li as a player. Every day, his father would take him to the training school, and carry him back when the training was over, whether it was raining or shining. With the help of his coach, Li quickly grew into a good young player. He is said to have the sharpest mind on the playground among all Chinese football players.
The only child of the family as he is, Li loves his parents as much as they love him. During the spare time of the training course or after a game, he has often called home to ask after his parents.
Li also enjoys good relations with his fans. He has received many letters from across the country, but he said he felt sorry because he could not answer every letter. “However, I have taken good care of every letter from my fans. This is perhaps the best way to show my thanks,” he said.
Now at the age of 24, Li likes to go shopping after days of hard training on the playground. He is also interested in bowling and tennis. Dreaming of becoming a first-class player, he is now working very hard on the road to success.
60. When did Li begin to play football?

A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."
【小题1】What is the main theme of the novel?

A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty

The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.

The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."

The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.

The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.

The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."

1.What is the main theme of the novel?

A．Life with foster parents.                  B．Life in the world of diving.

C．A journey of self-discovery.                D．A travel around the country.

2.What do the coach's words in Para. 2 suggest?

A．James is a successful diver.                B．James is a hopeful swimmer.

C．James is an outgoing young man.            D．James is an independent young man.

3.The snake stone in the novel is ____________.

A．a stone with an address on it               B．a clue left by the birth mother

C．a gift from the swimming coach             D．a fossil left by the foster parents

4.Which of the following is true about the novel?

A．The story has a sad ending.

B．The story takes place in the city of London.

C．The characters are vividly described.

D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother.