Lu Xun is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20^th century. Besides his famous stories, he also wrote many influential articles about the living conditions of Chinese people.

     Born in 1881 in a wealthy family, Lu Xun had a happy childhood. In 1893, however, his grandfather, a senior government official, was put into prison for taking money. At the same time, his father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing.

     By the time Lu Xun arrived in Nanjing to study at university in 1899, he already believed that Chinese society had to change and become modern. In 1902 he went to study in Japan. There, he began writing articles for several Chinese student magazines. He showed a gift for writing and translating and he even wrote several books, although none was popular. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money.

     After working for several years as a teacher in Beijing, Lu Xun again returned to writing. In 1918, he wrote his famous short story Diary of a Madman. It was the first Chinese novel published using the everyday language that people spoke, which helped make it a great success. This, together with his novel The True Story of Ah Q (1921), made Lu Xun a leading Chinese writer.

     Although successful, Lu Xun still worried greatly about China’s future. In 1926, he moved to Shanghai and gave up writing stories in order to devote himself to what he called “pen warfare”. He now only wrote articles which called on(号召) the people to fight against the government. For this, the government stopped him from publishing any more books. He was forced to write his articles using false names.

Since his death in 1936, Lu Xun’s importance and influence have grown. Today, many of his writings are included in school textbooks and his works are read by millions around the world.

41. Which of the following greatly influenced Lu Xun’s writing according to the passage?

   A. The people he met in Japan.

   B. The experiences in his early life.

   C. Working as a teacher in Beijing.

   D. His father’s being put into prison.

42. According to the passage, why was Lu Xun’s story Diary of a Madmam so popular?

   A. It was based on Lu Xun’s diary.

   B. It was the first novel to use everyday language.

   C. Its story took place in modern times.

   D. It was written using a western style.

43. The underlined word “This” (Paragraph 4) refers to      .

   A. the success of Diary of a Madman

   B. the use of everyday language

   C. the first Chinese novel

   D. The True Story of Ah Q

44. After moving to Shanghai, Lu Xun mainly wrote       .

   A. funny stories

   B. articles about himself

   C. articles against the government

   D. stories about government officials

45. In what order did these events take place in Lu Xun’s life?

   a. The government stopped him from publishing books.

   b. He wrote Diary of a Madman.

   c. His father became ill.

   d. He moved to Shanghai.

   e. His writings were put into textbooks.

  A. c-a-b-d-e     B. c-b-d-a-e

  C. a-c-d-b-e     D. a-d-b-c-e

     Lu Xun is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20^th century. Besides his famous stories, he also wrote many influential articles about the living conditions of Chinese people.

     Born in 1881 in a wealthy family, Lu Xun had a happy childhood. In 1893, however, his grandfather, a senior government official, was put into prison for taking money. At the same time, his father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing.

     By the time Lu Xun arrived in Nanjing to study at university in 1899, he already believed that Chinese society had to change and become modern. In 1902 he went to study in Japan. There, he began writing articles for several Chinese student magazines. He showed a gift for writing and translating and he even wrote several books, although none was popular. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money.

     After working for several years as a teacher in Beijing, Lu Xun again returned to writing. In 1918, he wrote his famous short story Diary of a Madman. It was the first Chinese novel published using the everyday language that people spoke, which helped make it a great success. This, together with his novel The True Story of Ah Q (1921), made Lu Xun a leading Chinese writer.

     Although successful, Lu Xun still worried greatly about China’s future. In 1926, he moved to Shanghai and gave up writing stories in order to devote himself to what he called “pen warfare”. He now only wrote articles which called on(号召) the people to fight against the government. For this, the government stopped him from publishing any more books. He was forced to write his articles using false names.

Since his death in 1936, Lu Xun’s importance and influence have grown. Today, many of his writings are included in school textbooks and his works are read by millions around the world.

41. Which of the following greatly influenced Lu Xun’s writing according to the passage?

   A. The people he met in Japan.

   B. The experiences in his early life.

   C. Working as a teacher in Beijing.

   D. His father’s being put into prison.

42. According to the passage, why was Lu Xun’s story Diary of a Madmam so popular?

   A. It was based on Lu Xun’s diary.

   B. It was the first novel to use everyday language.

   C. Its story took place in modern times.

   D. It was written using a western style.

43. The underlined word “This” (Paragraph 4) refers to      .

   A. the success of Diary of a Madman

   B. the use of everyday language

   C. the first Chinese novel

   D. The True Story of Ah Q

44. After moving to Shanghai, Lu Xun mainly wrote       .

   A. funny stories

   B. articles about himself

   C. articles against the government

   D. stories about government officials

45. In what order did these events take place in Lu Xun’s life?

   a. The government stopped him from publishing books.

   b. He wrote Diary of a Madman.

   c. His father became ill.

   d. He moved to Shanghai.

   e. His writings were put into textbooks.

  A. c-a-b-d-e     B. c-b-d-a-e

  C. a-c-d-b-e     D. a-d-b-c-e

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.

In which column will you probably find the above passage?

   A. Advice.                      B. News story.       

C. Advertisement.                D. Comments.

What does the writer intend 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.

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.
【小题1】 In which column will you probably find the above passage?

A．Seeking Peace.	B． Reviving Ophelia.
C．Wishful Drinking.	D．Oh, Johnny.

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.

1. In which column will you probably find the above passage?

   A. Advice.                      B. News story.       

C. Advertisement.                D. Comments.

2. What does the writer intend 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.

3. 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.        

4.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

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

   A. Seeking Peace.                                                             B. Reviving Ophelia.             

C. Wishful Drinking.                                                        D. Oh, Johnny.