1 . Nasugraq Rainey Hopson is an author and illustrator (插图画家). She has written short stories and made art inspired by her Iñupiaq culture. The Iñupiaq people are native to Alaska, the US. Hopson’s first and only novel to date, Eagle Drums, is set in Iñupiaq tales about a great festival. The great festival is still celebrated locally today.
In the book, the hero Pina struggles with the suffering from losing his brothers, who have traveled to a nearby mountain and never returned. Pina decides to go to the same mountain, trying to uncover the facts, where he happens to meet Savik, who gives Pina a choice: To follow him or to meet the same fortune as his brothers. Pina’s decision takes himself on a journey that exposes himself to the dances and songs that are part of Iñupiaq culture. Eagle Drums describes aspects of Iñupiaq life as a world that doesn’t exist much in the current world, such as walking in the tundra (苔原) and imagining mythological beings and talking animals everywhere. It will definitely inspire the teen magical thinking in its beauty.
Hopson wants to write more Iñupiaq stories. “We have a lot of oral history and stories in our culture,” she says. Hopson explains that Iñupiaq people use their voices, facial expressions and movements to express emotions as they tell a story. “But you can’t do that when you’re writing,” she says. “It’s very uncomfortable, in a way, to have to write down something that is a performance.” But she’s up for the challenge.
Eagle Drums is for anyone who is looking for a vivid adventure. Hopson says that when Iñupiaq kids read her work, they get excited about seeing something from their own area and their own culture. Other kids who read her work tell Hopson they’re excited about experiencing a story they’ve never experienced before in a new place. “You know, that’s the best part, hearing feedbacks,” she says.
1. What do we know about Eagle Drums?| A．It is based on the author’s culture. | B．It is about a world-famous festival. |
| C．It is one of the author’s best novels. | D．It is rich in illustrations on each page. |
| A．Its intention. | B．Its background. |
| C．Its content. | D．Its comment. |
| A．The Iñupiaq people are poor performers |
| B．The Iñupiaq culture is too rich for words. |
| C．The Iñupiaq language is difficult to catch on. |
| D．The Iñupiaq stories are little known by people. |
| A．A news report. | B．A childhood story. |
| C．A diary entry. | D．A book review. |
2 . Children’s books that teach kids to love animals
“Before You Were Mine”
written by Maribeth Boelts; illustrated by David Walker G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
“Boelts’s restrained (婉约的) text and Walker’s affecting illustrations combine to touch the hearts of dog-loving children who will almost certainly give their pets an extra hug afterwards. A note on adopting a shelter pet follows this powerful emotional offering.”
-- Kirkus Reviews
“Hachiko”
written by Pamela S. Turner; illustrated by Yan Nascimbene Candlewick Press
“This touching tale of a dog’s devotion to -his master is a well-known story in Japan, told here in the first person through the eyes of a fictional boy named Kentaro. The boy and many others care for the dog, who becomes a celebrity due to his faithful nature, with a statue of the dog put up in the station even before the dog’s death from old age.”
-- School Library Journal
“A Boy and a Jaguar”
written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Citia Chien Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
“It’s a picture book about Alan Rabinowitz’ s own childhood. Rabinowitz grew up with a severe stutter (口吃的), something he had to overcome before he could pursue career that has made him a voice for the endangered animals.”
-- NPR
“Talking Tails”
written by Ann Love & Jane Drake; illustrated by Bill Slavin Penguin Random House
“Amusing ink-and-watercolor illustrations from Slavin are integrated into the text of this entertaining look at the history of pet keeping. With information about keeping fish, birds, horses and ferrets (雪貂), most of the space is devoted to cats and dogs.”
-- Publishers Weekly
1. What do the first two books have in common?| A．Both tell a well-known true story. | B．Both tell a touching story about dogs. |
| C．Both are published by the same press. | D．Both are written by the same person. |
| A．“Hachiko”. | B．“Talking Tails”. |
| C．“A Boy and a Jaguar”. | D．“Before You Were Mine”. |
| A．Bill Slavin. | B．Catia Chien. | C．David Walker. | D．Yan Nascimbene. |
3 . If you want to understand China but can’t afford an expensive international flight, these four books can give you a complete overview of the country.
River Town
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler-This book is a journal of the author’s two years spent teaching English in a small town called Fuling, situated on the banks of the Yangtze River. Hessler writes about his experiences living in a foreign culture and observing the lives of the town’s residents. The book was published in 2001 and has won several awards, including the Kiriyama Prize.
Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China
It is a book that tells the story of China’s modernization. It was written by Ezra Vogel and published in 2011. The author describes how Deng Xiaoping’s policies led to significant changes in China’s economy and society. The book has received critical honors and won the Lionel Gelber Prize In 2012.
The Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence
This book is a comprehensive history of China from the Ming dynasty to the present day. The author, a prominent scholar of Chinese history, provides a detailed analysis of the social, cultural, and political changes that have taken place in China over the past 500 years. The book was first put out in 1990 and has since been revised and updated several times. This book was the top bestseller for years.
Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China
Written by Leslie T. Chang, this book, published in 2008, is reportage on the lives of young women who leave their rural homes to work in factories in China’s cities. Chang, a former New York Times correspondent (someone who is employed by a newspaper or a television station etc. to report news from a particular area or on a particular subject), interviewed hundreds of factory girls to provide insight into the social and economic changes in China.
1. What kind of book is River Town?| A．Science fiction. | B．Nonfiction. |
| C．A travel guide of Fuling. | D．A reference book. |
| A．It was published 500 years ago. | B．It was written by a history teacher. |
| C．It was very popular. | D．It has remained the same since its first publication. |
| A．River Town. |
| B．Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. |
| C．The Search for Modern China. |
| D．Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. |
4 . How would human beings react if we found out we’re not alone in the universe? What if we knew an alien civilization was to invade (入侵) Earth? What would we do?
These are the questions asked in The Three-Body Problem. When a secret military project sends signals into space to get in touch with aliens, an alien civilization in face of destruction receives the signals and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, people begin to separate into different groups: those who welcome aliens and those who want to fight against them.
The novel was written by Chinese author Liu Cixin and published in 2008. Translated into English in 2014 and almost 20 languages since, it was called an absolute “must-read in any language” by Booklist magazine. Liu has won several awards for it and in 2015, he became the first Asian to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the highest award in science fiction.
Just from the title, one could imagine that the text might be heavy with physics terms (术语). But as US writer Jason Heller said: “Indeed this science fiction is full of lengthy passages explaining technical terms. But Liu Cixin supports all of that burning-brain theory with empathetic (感同身受的) characters and thrilling story plots.”
At the very heart of science fiction — and what makes it truly appealing to readers — is the concept of an uncertain future. This allows the author to push the boundaries of readers’ imaginations. Liu fully uses this approach to keep readers anxiously turning the page. While reading, they ask themselves, “What would I do?”
In an interview with The New York Times, Liu said, “China is on the path of rapid modernization and progress, kind of like the US during the golden age of science fiction in the 1930s to the 1960s. The future in the people’s eyes is full of attractions and hope, but also threats and challenges. That makes for very fertile soil.”
1. Why does the author ask the 3 questions in Paragraph 1?| A．To warn us of the crisis Earth is faced with. |
| B．To introduce the novel The Three-Body Problem. |
| C．To show the author’s worries about Earth. |
| D．To remind us to watch out for alien civilizations. |
| A．It is about a fight between aliens and an army on Earth. |
| B．It was translated into many languages once published. |
| C．It has gained worldwide recognition and great success. |
| D．It targets the readers with a good knowledge of physics. |
| A．Explaining very difficult physics terms. |
| B．Exploring the boundaries of readers’ imaginations. |
| C．Applying the concept of an uncertain future. |
| D．Encouraging readers to ask themselves questions. |
| A．China is now in the golden age of science fiction. |
| B．The USA authors can’t create science fiction now. |
| C．Now Chinese people are confused about the future. |
| D．China’s progress mainly depends on fertile soil. |
5 . In recent years, science fictions are becoming increasingly popular. Science fiction writers using their magical imagination create imaginary worlds that attract a great number of readers especially teenagers. But how can they make it so believable?
The way things work in your imaginary worlds will be based on actual science. So you must be familiar with the scientific laws related to your creation. If you’re writing about humans living on a planet with zero gravity, then you need to know the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
Then the rules in your creation can be different from our daily life, so you have to figure out the exact rules of your imaginary worlds.
When you are writing, remember to make it feel real. You are creating a new real world for the readers.
| A．And you have to follow them. |
| B．You are inviting them to visit the new world. |
| C．You have to get rich imagination to create science fictions. |
| D．Make sure what you are writing is not against basic science. |
| E．Characters in the imaginary worlds always have super power. |
| F．Here you will find the answer if you are longing to create one. |
| G．Your preparation work also involves planning everything in great detail. |
6 . Romanticism in Poetry
Romanticism was a literary and artistic movement of the late 18th and mid-19th centuries. Romantic emotions were expressed in poems, stories, art and music.
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
William Wordsworth was a famous Romantic poet in England. In fact, his name is synonymous (与……密切相关的) with the English Romantic movement. Wordsworth grew up in one of the most beautiful areas of England. This area is called the Lake District.
As an adult, Wordsworth worked together with the fellow poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In 1798, they published a book of poetry called “Lyrical Ballads”. This book announced the beginning of the English Romantic movement.
Li Bai (701-762)
Li Bai was born in Suiye, an area of China. As a boy, he lived in Sichuan with his family. At the age of 25, he began travelling around the country.
| A．He wrote and recorded his miserable experience. |
| B．He made friends with scholars and kept journals. |
| C．The countryside there is wild, natural and beautiful. |
| D．These emotional works celebrated the beauty of nature, and the mysterious. |
| E．Romanticism is marked by human’s strong love for nature and harmony. |
| F．Romanticism has been a part of human creative expression all over the world. |
| G．Its poems used language and situations from real life and celebrated nature in a new way. |
Rachel Carson was a scientist by profession, but she published her book Silent Spring in 1962. By imagining
Silent Spring was not, however, received
Personally, I enjoy Carson's book. Half a century later it remains a book
8 . On a rainy afternoon, maybe one of the following books will keep you company leisurely, allowing you to spend your time alone as well as stepping into a different world.
Don’t Shed Your Tears for Anyone Who Lives on These Streets, by Patricio Pron
In April 1945, Italy, a writer disappeared at a conference and was found dead at another place. Thirty years later, a young man interviewed survivors from the conference, trying to uncover the truth about what happened and its consequences. This novel, by a well-known Argentine writer, explores art, crime and politics.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
At thirty-six, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed (诊断) with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient. This autobiography finds hope and beauty in the face of death as Kalanithi attempts to answer the question “What makes a life worth living?”.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Set in a small Alabama town in the 1930s, the story focuses on honest, highly respected lawyer Atticus Finch who puts his career on the line when he agrees to represent Tom Robinson, a black man accused of committing a crime.
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A true (as told to me) story by Bess Kalb
Bess Kalb saved every voicemail from her grandmother Bobby Bell who died at ninety. In this book, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as loving as it ever was in life and brings us several generations of brave women. They include Bobby’s mother, who traveled alone from Belarus to America to survive, and Bess’s mother, who always fought against convention.
1. What type of book is the first novel?| A．Sci-fi. | B．Biography. | C．Detective books. | D．History books. |
| A．To Kill a Mockingbird. |
| B．When Breath Becomes Air. |
| C．Don’t Shed Your Tears for Anyone Who Lives on These Streets. |
| D．Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A true (as told to me) story. |
| A．Bobby Bell. | B．Bess Kalb. | C．Bess’s mother. | D．Bobby’s mother. |
9 . The Hitchhiker’ s Guide to the Galaxy (HG2G) by Douglas Adams
This is a comedy science-fiction series about a man’s adventures in space. It was initially a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It is extremely funny and inventive, and has a very British sense of humor, whose true meanings foreign readers can hardly make out though it has been translated into French and Italian and so on. But when I read it I feel a strong connection to my home. It was published in paperback by Pan Books, after BBC Publishing had turned down the offer of publishing a novelization, an action they later regretted.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Have you ever read a description of a landscape or countryside that made you feel like you were actually there? For me, this book does exactly that. It is about a young girl who is taken to live in a big house in my hometown and discovers a secret garden.
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
This book takes the form of a series of letters, and follows the story of a young orphan(孤儿), Judy, as she goes to university and discovers a whole world of new experiences. This book always reminds me of my family, especially my mother, because she used to read it to me when I was ill in bed.
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
This was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and for this reason it still strongly reminds me of England and my childhood. It is also set in Yorkshire where I was born and spent my childhood, and follows three children living next to a railway and their adventures.
1. What do we know about HG2G?| A．It was based on true adventures. |
| B．Its language is abstract and inventive. |
| C．Its humor is hard for foreigners to understand. |
| D．It was adapted for radio after being published. |
| A．Daddy-Long-Legs & HG2G. |
| B．The Secret Garden & The Railway Children. |
| C．The Secret Garden & HG2G. |
| D．Daddy Long Legs & The Railway Children. |
| A．They follow children’s adventures. |
| B．They are British countryside series. |
| C．They refer to the author’s childhood. |
| D．They bring memories of home to the author. |
游子吟
作者：孟郊（唐）
慈母手中线，游子身上衣。
临行密密缝，意恐迟迟归。
谁言寸草心，报得三春晖。
注意：
1. 字数100字左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
