1 . Wuthering Heights
Suddenly we heard the sound of a carriage in the courtyard. He went to the window and I hurried to the door to open it.
It was the two Lintons, Hindley Frances and Catherine. They all ran into the house and stood in front of the large fire in the sitting room to get warm.
I told Heathcliff to go and join them. He opened the kitchen door as Hindley was coming out of the sitting room. When Hindley saw him, he pushed him back into the kitchen saying Joseph! Keep him away from the sitting room.
Then he noticed Heathcliff’s nice clothes.
“Look at you!” he said sneering. “Who do you want to impress? Get out or I’ll pull your hair until it’s longer than it is now!”
“It’s long enough already,” observed Edgar Linton. He was standing at the siting room door. His hands over his eyes like a mane!
Edgar didn’t say this to insult Heathcliff but Heathcliff had a quick and violent temper. He suddenly picked up a pan of hot apple sauce and threw the contents in Edgar’s face. Edgar screamed. Hearing her brother’s cries, Isabella, followed by Catherine, came running out. Hindley grabbed Heathcliff by the arm, took him to his room and gave him a beating.
I didn’t have much sympathy for Edgar but I cleaned his face. His sister was crying and wanted to go home. Catherine was confused and embarrassed and didn’t say anything.
1. Hindley makes fun of Heathcliff because of________.| A．his appearance |
| B．his relationship with Isabella |
| C．his kindness |
| D．his bad cooking skill |
| A．selfish |
| B．friendly |
| C．aggressive |
| D．romantic |
| A．She loved him. |
| B．She did not care about him. |
| C．She was upset at him. |
| D．She felt sorry for him. |
2 . Have you ever tried to write a poem? It’s easier than you might think. Poems are a lot like song lyrics. A good poem reveals an honest feeling about something.
Then, choose your topic. What would you like your poem to be about?
Now freely write for five minutes about your topic. Then go back and read it. Do any words or phrases stand out? Circle these to use in your poem.
Write your poem. Remember, a poem doesn’t have to rhyme (押韵).
Have a friend read your poem aloud to you.
I believe that poetry is the most exquisite (优美的) form of writing. And anyone can write a poem if they want to.
| A．First, pay attention to the world around you |
| B．Explore different types of poems |
| C．If you choose a topic you feel strongly about |
| D．Follow these steps to write a poem |
| E．It doesn’t have to use sentences |
| F．Do you like the way it sounds |
| G．Choose a paragraph from a favourite book and turn it into a poem |
3 . William Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the English language and is known around the world. But how much do you really know about him?
Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon, located in central England, in 1564. At age 18, he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children. Then Shakespeare went to London to work as an actor and writer. In 1599, the Globe Theatre was built in London. It was in this theatre that some of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. In 1613, the theatre was destroyed by a fire. However, a modern reconstruction of the theatre was built near the original site in 1997, so even today you can go to the Globe Theatre to see one of Shakespeare’s plays.
His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets and some other poems. He is best known for his plays, which have been translated into every major language and are performed more than those of any other playwright (剧作家) in the world. Shakespeare’s works remain very popular. But why do we like these old plays? Perhaps it is because they all contain fantastic stories. His characters suffer bloody battles, deaths by poison, and dramatic family battles. His plays are full of exciting storylines and lessons about morality.
Hamlet, for example, is about revenge (复仇) and also about how difficult it is to take action sometimes, even when it is important to do so. Hamlet’s father is murdered by another man, who then marries Hamlet’s mother. Everybody wants to see Hamlet dead. Hamlet must take revenge. But will he be able to? The famous quote “To be or not to be, that is the question” comes from this play.
1. How is Paragraph 2 organized?| A．In order of time. | B．In order of location. |
| C．In order of importance. | D．In order of preference. |
| A．poems | B．characters |
| C．childhood | D．achievements |
| A．experience history | B．enjoy good stories |
| C．admire heroes | D．gain knowledge |
| A．He is afraid of death. | B．He hates his father. |
| C．He is in a dilemma. | D．He never takes action. |
4 . Rachel Kunhner, the author of Telex from Cuba, The Mars Room, and The Flamethrowers, has got some excellent books for you.
Agortino by Alberto Moravla (1944).
When my son turned 13, my mother said to me, “You have to read Agostino.” Agosino is a perfect novella and perhaps the best literate ever written about being a 13-year-old boy. It’s painful and tender and funny. A masterpiece.
The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen(1967—71).
Ditlevsen was a 20th-century Danish writer. Her trilogy of short memoirs, Childhood, Youth, and Dependency, is becoming the subject of a literary craze. As 8oon as you sink your teeth in, you’ll understand why. The books are fascinating. The problem is they bite back. I’m still recovering.
Star by Yukio Mishima (1960).
There are a lot of Mishima novels that haven’t been translated into English. This novella about a movie star losing touch with reality only recently was. “A true star, ” Mishima writes, “never arrives. Showing up is for second-rate actor who need to seek attention. ” Want to seem glamorous? Stay home. Attending things is for the second-rate.
The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes (1963).
Donna Tart once recommended Hughes to me. I’m so glad she did. While Hughes’ most famous book, deservedly 80, is In a Lonely Place. The Expendable Man has one of the best opening sequences of any mystery novel: A man driving from L. A. to Phoenix picks up a hitchhiker—a dirty and ungraceful teenage girl—with grave consequences.
1. Which book may appeal to readers crazy about mystery-solving stories?| A．Star. | B．The Expendable Man. | C．The Copenhagen Theology. | D．Agostino. |
| A．There has been no English version of the book Star up to now. |
| B．The Copenhagen Trilogy describes the author’s whole life. |
| C．All these books are recommended to Rachel Kuchner by others. |
| D．Agostino is a good choice for parents of teenagers. |
| A．A column. | B．A guidebook | C．An announcement. | D．A textbook |
5 . I realized that I spent far too much time on the Internet last year, for obvious reasons. I suspect Fm not alone. And just like magic, Suzanne Park’s Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous came across my desk, a story about a 17-year-old Korean American influencer who ends up in a digital detox (脱瘾) camp. My first reaction was to shrink, worried about how much of my social media self I would see in this book, and how much relative therapy (疗法) I would undoubtedly require as a result. But Sunny is such an amazing heroine that I was laughing out loud by Page 10.
Sunny is literally born an influencer. Thanks to a video, “Goggle Girl” becomes Internet famous. She keeps up the persona as she grows older, procuring almost 10,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel alone. But disaster strikes when she forgets to turn off the camera one afternoon during a live stream. This will result in Sunny’s dismissal from her L. A. private school— unless her parents send her to a digital detox camp, as per the principal’s request.
The customers in the camp are Internet addicts ranging from fantasy sports and gaming players to mean girl Internet celebrities. Sunny is forced to spend a month in the cornfields of Iowa among these celebrities with no digital devices. Except the burner phone she brings secretly in because she’s in the running for an influencer competition, and she actually has a shot! But the other competitor is the meanest girl in camp, who also happens to have ten times Sunny’s following.
The book is a total joy to read. I appreciate that Park does not approach social media as the enemy in this book, and for that reason I can enthusiastically recommend it to any young folks who are particularly web-savvy (精通的).Sunny reminds readers of the power of Internet fame, and the consequences if that power isn’t used wisely.
1. How did the author feel when first seeing the book?| A．She felt amazed at its cover. |
| B．She felt concerned about its contents. |
| C．She felt confident of its style. |
| D．She felt upset about its plot. |
| A．Postponing. | B．Appreciating. | C．Obtaining. | D．Introducing. |
| A．People there are physically abused. |
| B．Life there without digital products. |
| C．It holds many competitions monthly. |
| D．It is specially designed for Internet celebrities. |
| A．To review a book. |
| B．To introduce a great camp. |
| C．To record an unforgettable experience. |
| D．To stress the advantage of social media. |
At the beginning of the 18th century, there appeared an
Science fiction pioneer and writer Wu Yan won this year’s National Outstanding Children’s Literature Award for his
His fellow science fiction writer Liu Cixin, author of The Three Body Problem, believes China Orbit is too complicated to be classed under a single category. He speaks highly of China Orbit as
8 . ABC Poetry Contest
For this contest you are challenged to write an ABC poem.
●Write a one-stanza (一节), five-line poem.
●The first letter of each of the first four lines follows the order of the alphabet while the last line can be any letter. For example, a poet might choose to use the following letter combination: D-E-F-G-A.
●The lines may be of any syllable length. Also, line length may vary from line to line.
●The poem may be about any subject or topic.
●Rhyme and meter are optional.
●Example:
If I Were a Hero
Above huge hills if ever I could rise,
Beyond the gravity as Iron Man flies.
Climbing and hanging if towers I could touch,
Dashing as the Spider-Man, if fingers were such.
Quickly I would be happy and quickly I would dance.
Write about anything using this format. An ABC poem usually only has one stanza. But we are keeping the format open. You can submit a traditional ABC poem or you can include additional stanzas. If you include additional stanzas they must follow the ABC format but not necessarily have the same starting letters.
The winners will take away cash prizes consisting of a first prize award of $200, a second prize of $100, and a third prize of $50, as well as 10 honorable mention certificates. All writers will receive feedback about their submission.
Deadline: 30th June.
1. What do we know about an ABC poem?| A．It is usually written in rhyme and strict meter. |
| B．The starting letter of its first line should be A. |
| C．The starting letter of its last line has no restriction. |
| D．It usually has five stanzas and five lines in each stanza. |
| A．Your poem should focus on the specified topic. |
| B．You should submit your poem before June, 2021. |
| C．Each line of your poem should be similar in length. |
| D．Stanzas of your poem should follow the ABC format. |
| A．A cash award. | B．A certificate. |
| C．A sample of the poems. | D．A suggestion for their submission. |
9 . The Awakening
This was Kate Chopin’s second and final novel, published in 1899. It was one of the first novels that focused on women, marking the birth of women’s liberation in America. We follow Edna Pontellier, an obedient (顺从的) wife and mother, who becomes close to a charming young man Robert Lebrun. It’s the time when she begins to struggle for her independence and self-fulfillment.
At the time of first publication the book met with mixed reactions, mainly due to presenting attitudes that were against established gender roles.
Waterloo
A great and terrible story of a battle that was fought 200 years ago, told with energy by Bernard Cornwell who combines his storytelling skills with a researched history to give a vivid account of every dramatic moment.
Through letters and diaries, the author also sheds new light on the private thoughts of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington. Waterloo proves that Bernard Cornwell’s non-fiction is as fine as his novels, if not finer.
The Fifth Child
This is a classic tale from Doris Lessing, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Published in 1988, the book describes the changes in the happy life of Harriet and David Lovatt, as a result of the birth of their fifth child, Ben.
Ben is a highly abnormal child, large, ugly, and uncontrollable. His birth marks the beginning of the misery and suffering for the entire family.
The Gambler
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Gambler is the tale of Alexy, a tutor who works for a Russian general and his family. He falls in love with the general’s niece, Polina—a young woman who pulls his strings like a master puppeteer (操纵木偶者).
A hopeless gambler whose passion for the game greatly goes beyond his ability to win, Alexy finds himself out of control. If you’d like to add a Russian classic to your book challenge, this is the perfect choice for you.
1. What can we learn about Kate Chopin?| A．She was a productive author. | B．She was an obedient wife. |
| C．She fought for women’s rights. | D．She loved a young man. |
| A．Fans of Russian literature. | B．Gamble’s opponents. |
| C．Women’s right supporters. | D．Tutors with passion. |
| A．The Awakening | B．Waterloo | C．The Fifth Child | D．The Gambler |
There are various reasons
