【推荐1】Here are five movies that are perfect for English learners.

The Social Network (2010)

Starring (主演) Jesse Eisenberg. Directed by David Fincher.

Story: how Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook.

For learning English: Its natural conversation is enjoyable to listen to and easy to follow.

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Directed by James Ivory.

Story: a drama (戏剧) about the relationship between a butler (男管家) and a housekeeper in an English rich family.

For learning English: The film is set in an English upper-class home in the 1930s, so the characters speak very formally. Before watching the film you could read the novel that the film is based on by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Toy Story (1995)

Starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Directed by John Lasseter.

Story: an animated (动画的) film about toys that come to life when children and adults aren’t around.

For learning English: Animated films are usually aimed at children and this means the storylines are uncomplicated (简易的).

Willy Wonka& the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Starring Gene Wilder. Directed by Mel Stuart.

Story: things go wrong when a group of kids get a free tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

For learning English: You’ll enjoy it for its dark humour and interesting characters. On top of that, you’ll hear some passages selected from English literature.

12 Angry Men (1957)

Starring Henry Fonda. Directed by Sidney Lumet.

Story: a jury (陪审团) of 12 people have to reach the same decision on whether a boy killed his father.

For learning English: The conversation is easy to understand and the entire movie is set in the jury room and this lets you really focus on what’s being said.

1. Who plays the part of a housekeeper and speaks very formally in one of the above films?

A．Jesse Eisenberg.	B．Henry Fonda.
C．Gene Wilder.	D．Emma Thompson.

2. Parents would be more likely to take their kids to see .

A．Toy Story	B．The Social Network
C．12 Angry Men	D．The Remains of the Day

3. If you want to know more about Facebook, you can choose to see .

A．Toy Story	B．The Remains of the Day
C．The Social Network	D．12 Angry Men

【推荐2】根据短文内容，完成图表中所缺信息。

When HAMLET meets PEKING OPERA

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 came to town!

Dating back to the 18th century, Peking Opera has 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.

Starting with an orchestra(管弦乐队)playing traditional Chinese instruments, the opera brought a completely new sound to my Western ears. At first, I thought what I heard was a violin, but later I learnt that it was an instrument with two strings called jinghu. Then, seeing the main characters come on stage, I was surprised! The costumes and masks were amazing. The performers of course sang in Chinese, but the music, unbelievable movements and mime (哑剧)helped get the meanings across to the audience. The voices 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(鞭子)stood for a horse, and a screen with Chinese characters, a study. Using such techniques, the opera had turned a small stage into the whole universe.

Easily my favorite 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 impressive and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers or athletes! Everyone was clapping.

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 theme of Hamlet. So, if you want to see a show that combines music, singing, drama, poetry and costume design with dramatic effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes!

The Revenge of Prince Zidan	Before the performance	He was very confident that he could understand Peking Opera     1    , because he knows Shakespeare’s works so well.
	2     the performance	He was surprised because: A. the costumes and masks were amazing; B. The voices sounded really unique - some of the female voices were     3     to break glass; C. The stage was simply designed; D. The movements of the characters were impossible     4    .
	After the performance	He was impressed with mixed feelings of love, fear, sadness and     5    .

【推荐3】Crosstalk, a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a comeback in China’s tea houses and theaters. Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin, entertained by the apprentices(徒弟) of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan—all leading crosstalk artists of years past—for only 20 yuan.

The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation (复活) of crosstalk in Beijing and other places.

Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911), Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out. The city was well-known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances.

Known in Chinese as xiangsheng (literally, “face and voice”), crosstalk was the chief form of comedy throughout most of the 205^th century. In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere, temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters.

Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to social issues of the time. Although there’re hundreds of traditional pieces, they’re constantly rewritten to suit the times and audience, while new works are written as well. It’s one of the features that have made crosstalk a public art form throughout its history.

“Crosstalk was in the doldrums(萎靡不振) with competition from other art forms, especially TV,” said Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China (NSAS). “But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans, especially young people, growing aware (意识到) of its rare qualities.

“More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl students”, said Wang. “They’re sure that crosstalk will have a strong market.”

1. In Chinese crosstalk means “_________”.

A．storytelling

B．face and voice

C．folk tale

D．dialogue

2. From the text, we can know_________.

A．crosstalk first arouse in Tianjin

B．crosstalk was mainly performed at teahouses in the past

C．crosstalk was the most popular art form in the 20th century

D．crosstalk has a history of over 100 years

3. Crosstalk has been a public art form party because_________.

A．it is a popular traditional art after all

B．the pieces contain some famous folk tales

C．the crosstalkers make it return to teahouses

D．the pieces are made to suit the times and the audience

4. We can learn that the future of crosstalk first lies in_________.

A．setting up more storytelling art schools

B．beating TV and other arts

C．young people’s understanding of its value

D．a strong market

【推荐2】A day away from the stress of city life!

A perfect experience for nature lovers!

Our One-Day tour will take you to see the most beautiful sunset and sunrise at the top of Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain).

Schedule

Early in the morning: take the cable car to the top of the mountain to see the breathtaking sunrise at Cloud Dispelling Pavilion.

Late in the morning: Visit such famous places as the Sixinfeng Peak, the Black Tiger pine tree, the Writing Brush Peak or the Xihai Scenic Area.

At noon: have a traditional Chinese lunch at a hotel on the top of the mountain.

In the afternoon: go to the city centre of Huangshan and take a walk along Tunxi Old Street, where traditional old buildings line the quiet street.

In the evening: Return to the Cloud Dispelling Pavilion to enjoy the sunset.

Price: $327

What's included

Professional and friendly English-speaking tour guide; Breakfast, lunch, dinner; All entrance fees; Cable car fees to and from the Cloud Dispelling Pavilion: Two nights at Beihai hotel or similar standard hotels; Hotel pickup and drop-off.

What's not included

Expenses to and from Mt. Huangshan; Local Chinese-speaking tour guide;

Other attractions not included in the schedule.

1. Where should the tourists go to see the sunset and sunrise?

A．Sixinfeng Peak.	B．Writing Brush Peak.
C．Xihai Scenic Area.	D．Cloud Dispelling Pavilion.

2. When will the tourists go to Tunxi Old Street?

A．In the morning.	B．At noon.
C．In the afternoon.	D．In the evening.

3. Where will tourists have their dinner?

A．At a hotel	B．In Cloud Dispelling Pavilion
C．Not mentioned	D．In Tunxi Old Street

4. This one-day tour is most probably suitable for

A．the Chinese	B．the British
C．the Dutch	D．the Germans

【推荐3】Here are some works of writers who got famous by writing just one book.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

It was written in just 3 weeks and released in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine and it brought an enormous amount of reputation to the author instantly. After the publication of the novel, a huge popular anger erupted in society. People called it immoral and tried to ban it. But the book turned out to be the most successful novel of the playwright (剧作家) Oscar Wilde.

Winnie-the-Pooh

Alan Milne was quite a famous playwright before releasing the stories about Winnie-the-Pooh. But the success of the books became so famous that all of his other works went far into the shadows. Milne didn’t like that he was considered a children’s writer. As sad a sit might sound, his works for kids tuned out to be like Frankenstein’s monster the creature that swallowed its creator.

The Catcher in the Rye

In the 1940s, Salinger gained a reputation of a skillful novelist. However, the author faced real success after he released his novel The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. The book, written about a 17-year-old teenager, experienced popularity and earned the love of readers all around the world. Surprisingly, the author forbade any adaptations of the book into movies or theatrical performances.

Wuthering Heights

Unlike her sister, Charlotte, poet Emily Bronte only wrote one novel. It was published in 1847 and stayed almost unnoticed during the author’s life. The novel got universal recognition in the late 19th century and took a strong place in English literature. The novel has been screened many times in the 20th century.

1. What did Oscar Wilde and Alan Milne have in common?

A．They were playwrights.	B．They got famous for kids’ books.
C．They were not recognized at first.	D．Their works aroused people’s anger.

2. What can we know about The Catcher in the Rye?

A．It was Salinger’s only one novel.	B．It was written specially for teenagers.
C．It hasn’t been made into films or plays.	D．It enjoyed popularity mainly in the US.

3. Which of the following was its author’s first novel?

A．The Picture of Dorian Gray.

B．Winnie-the-Pooh.

C．The Catcher in the Rye.

D．Wuthering Heights.