【推荐1】New to Hindi language cinema? We’ve got you covered! Dhaliwal has created a list of the best Bollywood movies for beginners.

Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Mughal-e-Azam tells the tale of a Mughal prince’s romance with a court dancer. The film’s dialogue, music, and the breathtaking chemistry of the leading couple have been buried in the minds of generations.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Nothing could possibly go wrong given Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s winning blend: an all-star cast, super-hit music, and to top it all, an excellent script. If you were to watch only one Indian film to get an idea of what most of us go to the movies for, let it be this one.

Lagaan (2001)

Bringing together the top three things that Indians absolutely love – the sport of cricket, superstar Aamir Khan and patriotism (爱国主义) – Lagaan is nothing short of great. The story focuses on an Indian village standing up by challenging the British to a cricket match. It’s no wonder that it’s one of the only three Bollywood movies to have ever been nominated (提名) for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

Wake Up Sid (2009)

The reason why Wake Up Sid is well-received is the simplicity with which it explores the modern relationships of urban youth. At the core of the story is a sweet, heartfelt romance between a girl struggling to find her place in a new city and a boy trying to find himself. There’s also a gentle underlying romance with the remarkable city – Mumbai.

1. Which film can best present the charm of films to the audience?

A．Lagaan	B．Wake Up Sid
C．Mughal-e-Azam	D．Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

2. Dhaliwal speaks highly of the movie Lagaan because it ___________.

A．has an all-star cast

B．possesses an excellent script

C．reflects what Indians value most

D．has won an award at the Oscars

3. What do the film Mughal-e-Azam and Wake Up Sid have in common?

A．Superstars performed in them.

B．They are stories with romance.

C．Music is one of their highlights.

D．Both of them deals with urban youth

【推荐3】I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet. As a high school student with English literature as one of my main subjects, I have to! Shakespeare’s Hamlet is probably the most important play by the most important writer in English. Almost everybody knows “To be, or not to be”, right? Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times, I was full of confidence-until the Peking Opera will came to town!

Dating back to the 18th century, Peking Opera has a over two hundred years of history. Does this mean it’s easier than a Shakespeare play to understand? To find out the answer, I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan — the Peking Opera version of Hamlet.

...The costumes and masks were amazing. The performers of course sang in Chinese, but the music, exaggerated movements and mime helped get the meaning across to the audience. The voice themselves sounded really unique-some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple: a decorated whip represented a horse, and a screen with Chinese characters, a study. Using such techniques, the opera had transformed a small stage into the whole universe. Easily my favourite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage. I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip before! That was simply incredible. It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers or athletes!

Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. But, in fact, I was on the edge of my seat! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance, I could easily recognize the me of Hamlet. So, if you want to see a show that combines music, singing, drama, poetry and costume design with explosive effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes.

1. Why was the writer full of confidence?

A．He had read much about Peking Opera before.

B．He came from the same country as Shakespeare.

C．He thought he had a good knowledge of Hamlet.

D．He knew various operas in the world.

2. Which was the favourite part about the performance?

A．Its explosive effect.	B．The traditional Chinese instruments.
C．The characters’ movement on stage.	D．The story itself.

3. As a westerner, how could the writer understand and enjoy the performance?

A．With the help of other audience.	B．Through the music, movements and mime.
C．Through the performers’ costumes and masks.	D．By observing the audience’s reactions.

4. What’s the similarity between Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the Peking Opera version?

A．The two operas had the same theme.

B．They came from the same story in history.

C．The Peking Opera version was adapted from Hamlet.

D．The two operas used almost the same techniques.

【推荐1】Which book should you read based on your next travel destination?

As you’re traveling around Amsterdam, read “The Fault in Our Stars”.

There’s also a film version of this book. Amazon

Previously adapted into a film in 2014, John Green’s story of star-crossed teenagers famously includes a trip to Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House and The Rijks museum are two of many major destinations mentioned in the book.

Plus, the bench from the film adaption of this novel has even become its own tourist spot.

Bring “One Hundred Years of Solitude” to read in South America.

The book is set in South America. Amazon

A significant work of literature, Gabriel García Márquez’s classic follows generations of the Buendía family as they live in their South-American town. García Márquez’s magical realism paired with his lush descriptions make the book a perfect read for visiting some of the breathtaking sights of South America.

“Call Me by Your Name” by André Aciman should perhaps be read in the summertime, in Italy.

The novel is set in part of Italy. Amazon

André Aciman’s novel is said to take place in the Northern-Italian seaside region of Liguria. And if you’ve seen the 2017 coming-of-age film adaptation of the book, you’ll already know the story depicts beautiful summers in Northern Italy, complete with seaside encounters and lush greenery.

If you’re visiting New York City, enter the mind of Holden Caulfield.

The book mentions plenty of NYC landmarks. Penguin Books

“The Catcher in the Rye” is a classic tale of a lost teenager’s unplanned trip to New York City. In the JD-Salinger novel, Holden visits a nightclub in the East Village, goes ice skating in Rockefeller Center, and takes his sister to the Central Park Zoo.

“Midnight’s Children” is a fantastical novel that illuminates some of the histories of India.

The book features plenty of magical elements. Amazon

Salman Rushdie’s story begins at midnight, on the night of India’s independence, when the 1,001 children born that hour are found to possess magical powers. Featuring lush imagery and magical realism, the book is set during 20th-century India.

1. What do “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Call Me by Your Name” have in common?

A．They were set in summer seaside.

B．They included famous characters.

C．They highlighted local destination.

D．They were once adapted into films.

2. What makes “One Hundred Years of Solitude” a must to read during the trip to South America?

A．The vivid description combined with magical realism.

B．The breathtaking sights described in this work.

C．The generations living in the South-America town.

D．The work’s significance in modern literature.

3. Which is you best choice if you are going to New York City?

A．“Midnight’s Children”	B．“Call Me by Your Name”
C．“The Catcher in the Rye”	D．“The Fault in Our Stars”

【推荐2】Book clubs are a great way to meet new friends or keep in touch with old ones, while keeping up on your reading and taking part in lively and interesting discussions. If you’re interested in starting a book club, you should consider the following options and suggestions.

The first thing you’ll need is your members. Think carefully about how many people will participate and what the club’s focus will be. For example, some book clubs focus only on fiction, others read nonfiction. All of these possibilities can make for a great club, but it is important to decide on a focus at the beginning so the guidelines (准则) will be clear to the group and potential members.

After making the basic preparations, recruitment (招募) can begin. Try to invite friends and family, advertise in the local newspapers, stores, colleges, libraries, and bookstores. When enough people express interest, schedule a kick-off meeting during which decisions will be made about useful guidelines that will ensure the club runs smoothly. This meeting will need to determine where the group will meet; how often the group will meet, and on which day of the week and at what time; how long the meetings will be; how books will be chosen and by whom; who will lead the group; and whether snacks will be served and if so, who will supply them. By the end of this meeting, these guidelines should be set and a book selection and date for the first official meeting should be fixed.

Planning and running a book club is really challenging, but when a book club is run effectively, the experience can be extremely happy and satisfying for everyone.

1. According to the passage, when one starts a book club, the first thing to do is ________.

A．Try to invite friends and family.	B．put an ad in a local newspaper.
C．decide on the focus and size of the club.	D．decide when and where to meet.

2. A good title for this passage would be ________.

A．Book Clubs: A Great Way to Make New Friends.

B．Starting a Successful Book Club: A Guide.

C．Five Easy Steps to Starting a Successful Book Club.

D．Reading in Groups: Sharing Experiences, Developing Friendships.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Smaller groups are better for a lot of reasons.

B．The social aspect of book clubs is more important than anything.

C．Starting your own book club is better than joining an existing one.

D．When you start and run a book club, good preparations is necessary.