It was in the Victorian Era (维多利亚时期) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronté sisters and others.

     Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes.

     The Bronté sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year.

     An interest in rural(田园的) matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others.

     Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well-known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children’s books, which featured (以……为特色) animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902.

1.What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text?

A. He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing.

B. He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside

C. He wrote about the struggles of the poor in London?

D. He published the highly successful children’s book

2.Which is TRUE about the Bronté sisters?

A. They were English writers of the 1830s.

B. They paid to have their first book published.

C. They began their writing from the rural life.

D. Their first book was successful.

3.Who wrote the famous children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit according to the text?

A. Lewis Carroll.                B. The Brontésisters.

C. Thomas Hardy.               D. Helen Beatrix Potter.

4.The author states in the last paragraph that ________.

A. Edward Lear was famous for writing about animals

B. adventure novels were not written for children at first

C. Thomas Hardy was not as famous as Lewis Carroll

D. society changed rapidly in the Victorian Era

5.This text is mainly about ________.

A. literature in the Victorian Era

B. writing styles in the Victorian Era

C. famous works in the Victorian Era

D. the importance of literature in the Victorian Era

语法填空

31.Tom looked at me ______ (curious), he wanted to know everything.

32.There are _______ (variety) kinds of plants in the world.

33.He couldn’t afford the fare, so he had to earn his passage _______ doing jobs on the ship

34.Whether it will do us harm or good still _______ (remain) to be seen.

35.She is always complaining, for she is not content _______ what she has had.

36.When the day breaks, the soldiers found themselves _______ (surround) by their enemies.

37. -- Must I finish my paper before 4 o’clock?

   -- No, you ______. You may hand it in tomorrow.

38.Van Gogh was ______ unique painter for his painting style was quite different from others.

39.The discovery of new evidence led to the thief _______(catch).

40. _______ needs further discussion whether we can raise money for the Hope Project.

41.He couldn’t say a word when he heard the _______ (disappoint) news.

42.That they won the game was _______ we had expected.

43.She always criticized Tom, _______ made him very unhappy.

44._______(see) I was angry, she stopped talking and left.

45.Helen ______(leave) her key in the office, so she had to wait until her husband came back.

Little Mark is only 6, but he has an IQ of 200, a genius among geniuses. But his intelligence comes at a cost. His parents must keep him intellectually simulated（启发）while making sure he is like any other little boy.

Mark has been attracted by the way how the world works since he was a baby. When he was 3, Mark was reading fluently, mostly self-taught. His parents haven't been able to keep him away from books since.

"I tried many times to stop him reading. We worry about his crazy fond of reading because he constantly wants to read every-thing whatever it is.”

A psychologist at the Centre for gifted children tested Mark and gave him an IQ of 200. The average child of Mark's age has an IQ of 100. At 200, Mark is a genius-even compared with other child geniuses.

"With children like Mark you can tell that's a bright child as soon as they walk in. They just have this sort of intensity, and maybe they're not so good at communicating with people," the psychologist said. "He will never fit perfectly into a class where he's with children of his age.”But Mark's mother worries about the "socially isolated" labels. "Nobody wants their child to grow up with that image. I want him to communicate with others freely, but not to be frustrated academically, so it's really hard to find a balance," she says.

Helen Dudeney from the Talented and Gifted Children Association says Mark is one in a million with such a high IQ. She points out that geniuses are still rare and difficult for the public education system to handle. "The lack of coping comes because teachers aren't trained in teaching gifted children," says Dudeney.

Helen believes it's also extremely important for them to be recognized and supported in their talents. Mark's parents are trying to figure out how best to help Mark. At the moment, there are few options. Mark finds first year work boring and simple, but he must learn to complete the work. His mother says, "We just want to be happy. Just to have a happy childhood and want to go to school every day.”

1.By saying "But his intelligence comes at a cost. ",the author means that        

2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?      

3.If there are 6. 6 billion people in the world, the number of geniuses with an IQ of 200 will be

________．

4.What would be the best title for the passage?        

Anne looks______in red while green clothes are nice ______Helen.

　 A. good; on 　 B. well; in  C. good; at 　 D. well; for

We have moved into a four-room flat so far. Our room is between _____.

 A. Mary’s and Helen’s  B. Mary and Helen’s

 C. Mary and Helen        D. Mary’s and Helen