题目内容
A Journey of Discovery
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most famous American novels.
Published in 1884, it was one of the first novels in the USA written in common, everyday language. For example, using non-standard English, Twain wrote, ‘I haven’t got no money,’ to mean ‘I do not have any money’. In this way, Twain made his characters very true to life.
The story is told by Huckleberry Finn, called Huck for short, who runs away to escape his abusive father. At first, Huck goes to a small island in the middle of the Mississippi River. There, he finds Jim, a black slave who has run away to escape slavery. The two of them stay on the island for a few weeks and become friends, but they must leave because Huck learns that people are looking for Jim. They decide to travel on a raft on the Mississippi River to reach the Ohio River, which will take them north to a state that does not allow slavery.
During their journey, Huck and Jim visit many places along the river and meet many different people. Unfortunately, most of the people they meet are not good. For instance, Huck and Jim meet a family, the Grangerfords, who have been fighting with another family, the Shepherdsons, for so many years that nobody remembers how the fight began. While Huck stays with the Grangerfords, the fighting starts again, and several members of both families are killed. Lat6r, Huck and Jim meet the King and the Duke, two men who take control of their raft and make money by tricking people. During the confusion following one of these tricks, Huck and Jim escape with their raft.
Although the people Huck and Jim meet are bad, they are also funny. Mark Twain used humour to show readers the problems of American society in the t800s. More importantly, despite all of the bad things that happen to Huck and Jim, the novel has a happy ending for both of them. Jim gets his freedom because his owner has died and set him free in her will, and Huck learns that his father has died, so he is also safe.
The Aclventures of Huckleberry Finn is an adventurous and humourous story, and it teaches modern readers a lot about American society in the 1800s.
| The passage | The passage ‘A journey of discovery’ is a brief (71) _______ to the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which (72)________ out in I884. |
| The novel | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of the most famous American novels, is an adventurous and humorous story. The novel was (73) __________ in America in the 1800s, when slavery existed. In the novel Mark Twain used common and everyday language to make his characters very true to life and used humour to (74) _________ readers the problems of American society in the 1800s. |
| The main (75) _______ | Huck fled his father and settled himself on an island in the Mississippi River, (76) __________ he met Jim and made friends with him. (77) ___________ that people were looking for Jim, they decided to travel to a northern state that did not allow slavery. During the journey, Huck and Jim visited many places and met many different people. Though many of the people they met were not good, they (78) ____________. |
| Conclusion | Modern readers can learn a great (79) ____________ about American society in the 1800s from Huck and Jim’s adventures during their journey to (80) ____________ |
71. introduction 72. came 73. set 74. show 75. character(s)/plot/story76. where 77. Learning/Knowing 78. survived 79. deal 80. freedom
阅读下面短文,根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意:每个空格只填一个单词。
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product;the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external(外在的)result or a product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion,the student whose grades improve,the foreigner who learns a new language—these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast(对照),the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine,since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way.The process is not the road itself,but the attitudes,feelings people have,and their caution or courage,as they meet with new experiences and unexpected difficulties.In this process,the journey never really ends;there are always new ways to experience the world,new ideas to try,new challenges to accept.
In order to grow,to travel new roads,people need to have a willingness to take risks,to face the unknown,and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow. Do we see ourselves as quick and curious?If so,then we tend to take more chances and to be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we're shy and indecisive?Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate,to move slowly,and not to take a step until we know the ground is safe. Do we think we are slow to adapt to change or that we're not smart enough to deal with a new challenge?Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of insecurity and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we protect ourselves too much,then we stop growing. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.
| Two basic ways to see growth | 【小题1】 | Examples |
| Product | Easily identified and measured | ●The worker 【小题2】 a promotion ●The students making 【小题3】 in grades ●The foreigner learning a new language |
| Process | ●【小题4】 to determine ● Never really ends | ●People's attitudes,feelings and their caution or courage,as they are 【小题5】 with new experiences and difficulties beyond 【小题6】 . ●Being 【小题7】 to take risks,to face the unknown,and to accept possible 【小题8】 |
| 【小题9】 | ●Too much self 【小题10】 can prevent us from growing. | |
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?
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A.A journey of self-discovery. |
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B.Life in the world of diving. |
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C.Life with foster parents. |
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D.A travel around the country. |
2. What do the coach’s words in Paragraph 2 suggest?
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A.James is a successful diver. |
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B.James is an independent young man. |
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C.James is an outgoing young man. |
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D.James is a hopeful swimmer. |
3. The snake stone in the novel is .
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A.a stone with an address on it |
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B.a gift from the swimming coach |
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C.a clue left by the birth mother |
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D.a fossil left by the foster parents |
4.Which of the following is true about the novel?
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A.The story has a sad ending. |
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B.The story takes place in the city of London. |
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C.The characters are vividly described. |
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D.The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother. |
5.It can be concluded that James’ journey is _________.
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A.disappointing |
B.boring |
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C.comfortable |
D.worthwhile |