Never Let Me Go is a novel by British author Sir Kazuo Ishiguro. It combines science fiction, horror, and coming-of-age elements in a beautiful but cruel story, which deals with the power of friendship, the pains of growing up, and self-sacrifice in the face of a cruel situation.
The book centers on Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy, who tells the story. It describes their childhood at a strange boarding school called Hailsham House, where the children all have excellent medical care but a very low quality of life. The students and teachers also act very strangely. A frightening reality is revealed: The students are all “donors”—clones of other people—who were created to donate their organs once they grow up.
The novel Never Let Me Go is not the only one by Sir Kazuo Ishiguro. He has also written six other novels, a number of short stories, four screenplays, and a handful of song lyrics. His moving words are highly regarded by both readers and critics. He has been nominated (提名) for the well-known Man Booker Prize four times, and he won in 1989 with his novel, The Remains of the Day. In 2017, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Though Ishiguro has written screenplays, he was not the one who adapted Never Let Me Go into a film. The film version was released in 2010 and still stayed true to the novel. Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield played Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. I was on the whole a success with critics and was well-liked at film festivals around the world. The movie version, however, could not live up to the book in the end. Although audiences generally praised the movie and the actors’ performances, the film version did not reach the same level of success as the novel.
1. What makes the boarding school strange?| A．It is at a non-profit. | B．It serves an immoral purpose. |
| C．The students have physical problems. | D．The students are all from poor families. |
| A．It differed from the novel. | B．It was a screenplay adapted by Ishiguro. |
| C．It got much praise from the audience. | D．It was more successful than the novel itself. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Ambitious. | C．Active. | D．Productive. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. | C．A children’s story. | D．A diary entry. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We asked some reporters to read and review some of the season’s best books. Here’s what they had to, say.
A Million Views
Brewster Gaines is an energetic child. He wants to be like his favorite YouTube stars and get a million views with one surprising video. But Brewster comes to understand it doesn’t matter how many views your video gets. What matters is the people you team up with to make those videos. Readers who appreciate a story that shows the power of friendship will find themselves unable to put down this fascinating novel by Aaron Starmer. A Million Views focuses on the joy of life beyond the Internet.— By Mason Langer
Odder
Odder is a sea otter who loves to somersault (翻筋斗) and swim in the ocean. After her mother is swept away by a storm, Odder is rescued. Eventually, her caretakers release her back into the wild. Things are going well until Odder meets a great white shark. She’s rescued once more. Will Odder ever see the ocean again? This book, by Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, is written in free verse (诗). It’s based on a true story from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in California. Anyone who loves animals and rescue stories should read it.— By Audrey Kim
Why Humans Build Up
Why Humans Build Up, by Gregor Craigie, explores famous skyscrapers, towers, and temples around the world. It also offers a deep dive into history. The book explains the many reasons why people have chosen to build skyward. Readers also learn about the hardships architects have faced over time. Photos and pictures add to the experience. This book is full of fun and interesting facts. It will appeal to readers, especially engineers. — By Aiden An
1. Who encourages us to connect to people around us?| A．Brewster Gaines. | B．Aaron Starmer. |
| C．Mason Langer. | D．Gregor Craigie. |
| A．History of the world. |
| B．World mystery buildings. |
| C．Facts and stories about buildings. |
| D．Famous architects around the world. |
| A．To entertain people. |
| B．To advertise some books. |
| C．To recommend some good books. |
| D．To share some reading experience. |
【推荐2】The Importance of Being Earnest (Author: Oscar Wilde)
This comedic play by Oscar Wilde lakes a sharp look at Victorian social values while following two men — Jack Worthing and Algerno Moncrieff — as they tell lies to bring some excitement to their lives. The Importance of Being Earnest was Wilde’s final play, and some consider it his masterpiece.
A Raisin in the Sun (Author: Lorraine Hansberry)
The story follows the Youngers, a working class black family living on the South Side of Chicago who move to an all-white neighborhood and struggling with the unfair treatment. In 1959, Lorraine Hansberry became the first black playwright to get a play produced on Broadway.
Frankenstein (Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
The story was published in 1818 and introduced readers to Dr Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who brings to life a creature that he put together from the parts of the dead body. Although Dr Frankenstein is frightened by his creation and gives up the plan halfway, the creature manages to educate itself and then seeks a punishment on his creator. The novel explores humanity’s desire for creation and the fear of change it brings.
Animal Farm (Author: George Orwell)
A group of farm animals fight against their master, Mr Jones, after they realize he is mistreating them and offering them nothing in return for their work. When they challenge the leadership, they are disciplined for speaking out. This classic isn’t about animal rights. It is a larger criticism (批判) of Soviet Communism. Orwell wrote it to protest against Stalinism in Russia.
1. Which book may interest one who is doing a project about black people in the US most?| A．The Importance of Being Earnest. | B．A Raisin in the Sun. |
| C．Frankenstein. | D．Animal Farm. |
| A．A fairy tale. | B．A romantic novel. |
| C．A mystery story. | D．A science fiction. |
| A．To raise people’s awareness of animal rights. | B．To record a historical event in a fun way. |
| C．To attack Stalinist government policies. | D．To promote Soviet Communism. |
【推荐3】Historical fiction allows the young to experience history in an entertaining way, to meet people or to learn about other times and places. The following are some books which are sure to bring your children different experiences.
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess
Author: Richard Platt
Illustrator (插头画家 ): Chris Riddell
Overview (概要): With an oversize format and wonderfully detailed illustrations, young readers get a firsthand view of daily life in a castle in 1285 as Tobias Burgess, who is 11 years old, recounts his experiences as a new page (男侍).
Awards: Parents’ Choice Awards, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 1999
Johnny Tremain
Author: Esther Forbes
Overview: Set in the 1770s, the story of Johnny Tremain, a 14-year-old orphan, is a dramatic one, focusing on his involvement in the Revolutionary War and the effect it has on his life.
Award: 1944 John Newbery Medal
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: 1943
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author: Jacqueline Kelly
Overview: Set in Texas in 1899, this is the story of Calpurnia Tate who is more interested in science and nature than in learning to be a lady and her life with her family, which includes six brothers.
Award: Newbery Honor Book
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: 2009
Across Five Aprils
Author: Irene Hunt
Overview: This novel covers five years in the life of young Jethro Creighton and focuses on how the Civil War affects life for Jethro, from the age of 9 to 14, and his family on their southern Illinois farm.
Awards: Five, including recognition as a 1965 Newbery Honor Book
Publisher: Follett Corporation
Publication Date: 1964
1. Which two persons share a similar life experience?| A．Tobias Burgess & Johnny Tremain. | B．Calpurnia Tate & Jethro Creighton. |
| C．Tobias Burgess & Calpurnia Tate. | D．Johnny Tremain & Jethro Creighton. |
| A．It’s a science fiction. |
| B．Its story happens in a castle. |
| C．Its story focuses on a girl’s childhood. |
| D．It’s the last book to come out among the four. |
| A．Henry Holt | B．Follett Corporation |
| C．Candlewick Press | D．Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
【推荐1】Fennec foxes (耳廓狐) are the smallest fox in the world, weighing between 0.6 to 1.5 kilograms and standing only 20 centimeters tall. They look so sweet that you can’t help but entertain the thought of taking one home.
Originally coming from North Africa, the fennec fox can live in a range of desert environments and can be found throughout the Sahara desert and east to Sinai. They prefer dry areas with desert grasses or scrub vegetation.
Their ears half as long as their body not only help to give off much heat from the desert without sacrificing precious water by sweating, but also help them listen for their meal underground. Once the fox locates a tasty meal, it uses all four of its feet to start digging. In the wild, fennec foxes are big fans of insects, specifically locusts and grasshoppers. But they actually feed on everything from birds and their eggs to mice and small rabbits, significantly bigger than them. Fennec foxes tend to hunt at night, and they don’t like company when they do it.
During the day, fennec foxes like to hide themselves in shady spots to avoid the heat. They’re expert burrowers (掘穴动物), digging out tunnels that can reach up to 10 meters in length. They usually dig a series of these tunnels, with multiple exits so they can make a quick getaway if they have to. They often live in family groups of up to 10. Scientists have even found instances of multiple family groups sharing one complex den.
It’s not encouraged for anyone to have a fennec fox as a pet. They need special care, housing, and a diet that the average person usually cannot provide. While fennec foxes are commonly trapped for sale in the domestic pet trade, their main predators are certain large varieties of African owl, so they should be included as a threatened Species in time.
1. What mainly attracts people to have a fennec fox as a pet?| A．Its small size. | B．Its good look. |
| C．That it eats a little. | D．That it is friendly to humans. |
| A．They use their ears to judge where food is. | B．Their sweat can draw insects to them. |
| C．They make good use of their eyes. | D．They smell where food is. |
| A．Beautiful. | B．Hidden. | C．Small. | D．Many. |
| A．African owls should be killed. | B．We should protect fennec foxes. |
| C．It’s necessary to raise the foxes at home. | D．In the wild Fennec foxes are short of food. |
【推荐2】Human experts spend years roasting and tasting coffee from many places to learn about the beans. They might then combine a coffee bean from Africa with another one from South America to come up with a new blend. But, a coffee roasting company in Helsinki, Finland is hoping that artificial intelligence, or AI, can help ease the workload.
Kaffa Roastery recently launched its “AI-conic” blend at the Helsinki Coffee Festival. The blend is a mixture of four kinds of beans, including Fazenda Pinhal from Brazil. It is the result of a joint project by Kaffa and Elev, a local AI business. Elev told The Associated Press that its computer models, similar to ChatGPT and Copilot, created a blend that would “push the boundaries of conventional flavor combinations. ”
Svante Hampf is the founder of Kaffa Roastery. He and his partners wanted to do an experiment to see what blend the computer would produce. “We basically gave descriptions of all our coffee types and their flavors to AI and instructed it to create a new exciting blend, ” Hampf said. The “AI-conic” blend combined beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala. It is described as “a well-balanced blend of sweetness and ripe fruit”.
Hampf said he thought the combination was “somewhat weird. ” He was surprised that the AI program chose to make the blend out of four different kinds of beans. Most humans choose only two or three beans. However, after the first blind test of the new blend, Kaffa’s coffee experts agreed that the AI-assisted blend was perfect. There was no need to change.
Elev’s Antti Merilehto said “AI-conic” is an example of “how AI can introduce new perspectives to seasoned professionals.” And the roasters at Kaffa said they hope the AI project will help to bring more things to the strong coffee culture in the country.
1. What does the first paragraph aim to do?| A．To present a trend. | B．To give an example. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To interpret a working principle. |
| A．It came from a joint effort. | B．It received positive feedback. |
| C．It showed us more possibilities. | D．It proved AI was better than human. |
| A．It was perfect. | B．It was a little strange. |
| C．It needed improving. | D．It was too sweet to eat. |
| A．Devoted. | B．Frustrated. | C．Overjoyed. | D．Experienced. |
【推荐3】The Sydney Opera House has become, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney’s best-known landmark and international symbol.
The base for the building was started in 1959 — years before the designs were finished. It took four years to design by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and by 1962 the designs were finalized and construction began. In total, it took 14 years to build and was officially opened on the 20th of October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Sydney Opera House is a fascinating building and heart of the city’s cultural scene. It opened with a concert hall, an opera theatre, a drama theatre and a recital (音乐演奏会) hall, as well as restaurants and bars. A fifth theatre was added within the structure in 1998.
The Sydney Opera House cost some $160 million to build and was paid for by the public who bought $10 tickets in a series of lotteries with a first prize of $1million.
More information about the Sydney Opera House:
Conducts 3,000 events each year
Provides guided tours to 200,000 people each year
Has an annual audience of 2 million for its performances
includes 1,000 rooms
Is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide
Has 2.194 pre-cast concrete sections as its roof
Has roof sections weighing up to 15 tons
Has roof sections held together by 350 kms of tensioned steel cable
Has over 1 million tiles on the roof
Uses 6,225 square metres of glass and 645 kilometres of electric cable
1. When were the designs of the Sydney Opera House started?| A．In1960. | B．In1962. | C．In1958. | D．In1973. |
| A．a drama theatre | B．an opera theatre |
| C．a concert hall | D．a reception hall |
| A．The Sydney Opera House has an audience of 2 million per year for its performances. |
| B．There are about 3,000 events held in the Sydney Opera House each year. |
| C．The Sydney Opera House is made up of more than 1,000 rooms. |
| D．The roof of the Sydney Opera House is made of concrete and steel. |
【推荐1】I often find myself drawn to books that explore rural settings. Here are a few books that I've read and loved.
Rush Oh!
by Shirley Barrett
Rush Oh! is one of the most touching books I’ve read. It follows the Davidsons, a whaling family from Wales. After the death of her mother, Mary Davidson has many worries: her five siblings（兄弟姐妹）and caring for her father. The author Barrett’s exploration of this world and her characters are bittersweet and humorous.
Questions of Travel
by Michelle de Kretser
Questions of Travel, is a portrait of Ravi, a Sri Lankan refugee（难民）who flees to Australia after his wife and son’s death, and Laura, a young woman who moves to London and back again. The writing is beautiful and touching. Never before have I read Sydney brought so vividly to life.
The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt
by Tracy Farr
Lena Gaunt, in her 80s, looks back on her long and fascinating life. She has eventually traveled widely as a player of an instrument. Lena Gaunt reveals the parts of her life that gave he joy—her music, her daughter, Grace, and her lover-as well as those touched by the sadness of loss.
Too Easy
by J. M. Green
Too Easy is an irresistible novel starring Stella Hardy, a social worker in Melbourne. When one of Stella's clients is murdered and a neighbor goes missing, Stella begins to investigate. The plot sets a cracking pace through police investigations and journeys to Western Australia.
1. Which of the following is set in Sydney?| A．Rush Oh! | B．The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt |
| C．Too Easy | D．Questions of Travel |
| A．Bittersweet teenage experiences. | B．Attractive musical instruments. |
| C．Heart-shaking investigations. | D．Happiness and sorrow in life. |
| A．To recommend excellent writers. | B．To analyze book qualities. |
| C．To introduce good works. | D．To express personal values. |
【推荐2】Looking for a good book? We have the world’s largest collection of expert book recommendations. The following are books that have been recommended over and over again, suggesting they are some of the most important books ever written.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Atomic Habits, published in 2018, will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits. If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again because you have the wrong system for change. James Clear will help you get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright was published in 2014. The book is the most detailed and thrilling account of the events that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers, based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews.
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Ammonite, Griffith’s first science fiction, which was published in 1992, won the Lambda Award and the James Tiptree Jr Award. It tells us a thrilling story: A human expedition to the planet Jeep is nearly wiped out by a virus that kills all the men and most of the women. Some centuries later, Marghe is sent to test a vaccine on the people there. As she lives and moves among them, Marghe finds herself changed in unexpected ways.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
First published in 1854, Walden details Thoreau’s experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, in woodland owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts. The book compresses the time into a single calendar year and uses passages of four seasons to symbolize human development.
1. Who wrote the book about the disaster of the Twin Towers?| A．James Clear. | B．Lawrence Wright. |
| C．Nicola Griffith. | D．Henry David Thoreau. |
| A．Atomic Habits. | B．The Looming Tower. |
| C．Ammonite. | D．Walden. |
| A．about thrilling stories | B．recommended by experts |
| C．newly published books | D．helpful in shaping your habits |
The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie by Chavonne D. Stewart The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie is the first book in a wonderful children's books series, which is fun and exciting and also teaches kids valuable lessons. It tells the story of Amilya Rose Patterson, a creative eight-year-old with “can do” attitude and full of imagination, who is determined to set out on a new adventure, even if it means getting into trouble in the end and learning a lesson. Once she sets her mind to do something, nothing can stop her. |
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Little Prince, the most translated book in the French language, tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to explore the universe, learning the unexpected and unpredictable changes of adult behaviour through a series of his personal journeys to Earth and further adventures. |
Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his test, though, it seems like that dream might never come true—until a family adopts (收养) him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus, who has autism (自闭症). But Gus acts so differently from anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn't even want him in the room. Chester is not sure how to help Gus since this isn't exactly the job he trained for—but he's determined to find it out and show he's the right dog for the job. |
Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson The novel tells the story of two totally different little girls—quiet, shy, artistic Emmie and popular, outgoing, athletic Katie—and how their lives unexpectedly intersect (相交) one day, when a note falls into the wrong hands. |
| A．Gus. | B．Emmie. |
| C．Katie. | D．Amilya. |
| A．The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie. |
| B．The Little Prince. |
| C．Chester and Gus. |
| D．Invisible Emmie. |
| A．They are stories about children. |
| B．They are written for parents. |
| C．They are about popular people. |
| D．They are love stories. |
