2 . Who was it on the top floor?

The lamp lit up a man’s face. Pip didn’t recognize it, but the expression showed that its owner was pleased to see Pip.

Suddenly Pip knew who he was when he sat down in a chair near the fire! The convict in the churchyard years ago!

“You helped me, Pip,” said the man. “I have never forgotten it.”

Pip felt none for him, saying, “If you’ve come here to thank me, it isn’t necessary. You must understand... But you are tired. Would you like something to drink before you go?”

“Thank you. I know, you are no longer what you used to be. It doesn’t hurt to ask how you managed to live such a life as a gentleman.”

“I have a benefactor,” Pip replied, embarrassed.

“Could I guess your income?” said the convict, smiling. “Is the first figure five?”

Pip’s heart started to beat very fast.

“And do you have a guardian whose name begins with the letter J?”

Suddenly Pip understood why the man was there. He stood up and held the back of a chair. The man took Pip’s hands and kissed them. But Pip still remembered that this man was a criminal.

“You’re like a son of me, Pip. I was working for you in Australia,” the man went on. “I’m happy you are spending my money.”

Pip smiled and listened weakly.

“It wasn’t easy for me to see you and stay with you here. I was sent away for life. If they find me back in London, they’ll hang me.”

Feeling even worse and too confused, Pip just said, “You are tired. You need a good sleep. Good night.”

After an hour or two, something started to become clear to Pip. Miss Havisham had no interest in his future or plans for him and Estella. She was using them to take her revenge on men!

Poetry is a     1    (combine) of “sound” and “sense”. First, you can read a poem aloud to detect rhythms, rhymes or other special effects. Next, ask some basic questions about it and find out     2    the images in it refer to through exploring our surroundings. Then, be patient when exploring it. Finally, remember that it is unnecessary to fully understand the poem when     3     (appreciate) its inner beauty.

In China, LI Bai is widely recognized as one of the greatest romantic poets. He showed his talent for writing romantic poems when he was young.

On the one hand, the formation of Li Bai’s romantic style benefited from his love of reading and travelling. From the classics to ancient philosophies, from legends to historical stories, this young man familiarized himself with classical Chinese culture and the     4    (wise) of previous generations.     5     his early twenties, he left home and began his travels, during     6     he developed a love of nature and     7    ( inspire) to write numerous poems in the romantic style.

On the other hand, the social and historical context also played an important role in the development of Li Bai’s romantic style.     8    (grow) up in the most glorious period of the Tang Dynasty, LI Bai developed a free and unconstrained personality, which strongly influenced his poetic production.

The majority of Li Bai’s poems are in the romantic style and rich in imagination and free expression of strong feelings. However, all of them would be less functional     9     the use of artistic techniques such as exaggeration and metaphor.

Li Bai’s poems have inspired generations of poets both at home and abroad. American poet Pound is one of them. Today, LI Bai’s poetry continues to     10    (enjoy) by a large number of readers all over the world.

6 . BRIEFLY NOTED

My Fourth Time, We Drowned, by Sally Hayden. In 2018, Hayden, an Irish journalist, received a Facebook message from a man kept in a refugee (难民) camp, which afforded her a window into the horrors faced by African refugees. Through interviews with people involved, Hayden learns they are abused and sold as goods without mercy and how Western institutions like the European Union turn a blind eye.

Dream-Child, by Eric G. Wilson. This exciting representation of Charles Lamb is the first full-length biography (传记) of the Romantic-era essayist and poet since 1905. Perhaps best remembered as the co-author, with his sister, Mary, of Tales from Shakespeare, Lamb cared for his sister, who was in poor health. While faced with depression, Lamb was identified as a pioneer and his essays exhibited a look at modern city life.

Run and Hide, by Pankaj Mishra. Mishra’s novel follows three college classmates desperate to escape their lower-middle-class situation, casting a critical eye on self-made men. While two of them struggle with the heights they have reached, the narrator avoids becoming trapped in similar situations by returning to a mountain village to work as a translator. Written clearly, the novel gives the readers an insight into the ideas of freedom.

The White Girl, by Tony Birch. This novel, set in a remote Australian town in the nineteen-sixties, centers on an Indigenous (土著的) woman, Odette, and her granddaughter. As Odette attempts to protect her granddaughter, she finds inequality in society. Birch illustrates how Australia’s policies treated the Indigenous people unfairly.

9 . Rachel Carson was a scientist by profession, but the lines from the open chapter of her 1962 book Silent Spring. “A Fable for Tomorrow”, show her talent as a writer. By imagining a world without birds, she aimed to alert (使警惕) not only the scientific community but also the general public to the damaging effects of human activity on natural ecosystem-----in particular, to the harmful use of pesticides (杀虫剂), such as DDT. She believed that the chemical industry was knowingly causing harm to plants, animals and even humans, and wished to see pesticides used in a more responsible, limited and carefully monitored way.

Carson urged people to make themselves aware of the facts and do something about the situation. Silent Spring contains a lot of scientific research and case studies. The book details the programme of removing gypsy moth, which killed birds, in addition to killing gypsy moths. Another case study was the fire-ant programme that killed cows, but not fire ants. The book also gives dozens of other examples of removal programmes that did nothing to reduce the problems they were originally designed to solve. The 50 or so pages at the end of the book list Carson’s source, showing how thorough and precise she was as a scientist.

Silent Spring was not, however, received positively by everyone. Though Carson’s research was strong and was supported by most scientists who reviewed her book, the book quickly became a target for critics in the pesticide industry. They said that Carson did not understand the science behind her arguments because she was a marine biologist rather than a chemist. Some also said that her work was more emotional than scientific.

These were attempts to damage Carson’s reputation (名声) and stop her from influencing public policy, but she remained determined to stand by her research. Carson appeared in public and on television to defend her claims----and today, more than 50 years after it was published, the voice of Silent Spring is still ringing loud and clear.

10 . Everybody knows that reading nonfiction books can help them become more determined and build routine. And this improved lifestyle will reduce their anxiety. When it comes to fiction, on the other hand, people often dismiss the idea.    1    

The substantial benefit of reading fiction is that it will help change your perspectives. When you read a self-help book, you often consume a series of lessons with examples and practical advice.     2     Fiction, in contrast, gives you access to the struggles, and ideas of various characters. The exchange of information is multi-aided. And once you start considering conflicting views of a particular event, you’ll realize that you can’t control everything.

    3     When we’re dealing with daily stress factors, we feel like the world is falling upon us. In a fictional novel, the characters might experience the same troubles, but we’re removed from them. As such, we have a birds-eye view over what’s happening in the story. And this view is what we need to reduce our anxiety in the real world.

Fictional stories are also a great way to grasp the power of change-both in the story and in your life in general. When you’re reading a story, you’re following a journey, and developments in the fictional universe. These changes are imaginary.     4     In the Alchemist, for example, the main character is traveling for months to find a treasure. He believes that finding the prize will give him joy. Throughout his voyage, he experiences many setbacks, and his vision of the treasure changes. The evolution of the boy in The Alchemist is a reflection of our life.     5     But after many trial and error lessons, we realize that our heart wasn’t in it.