Four adventurous novels will quickly take you away on an epic journey without leaving your couch.
This Tender Land
by William Kent Krueger
It is about four Creat Depression orphans who flee their harsh school in a canoe down the Mississippi. This is a historical fiction novel that not only captures the time and place of the Great Depression but the characters that lived through it. It is packed with so much heart that you won’t be able to put it down.
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
I’ve always been attracted by the idea of the Wild West, and really Lonesome Dove is considered one of the best western novels out there. The book follows Jake Spoon, a former Texas Ranger, who’s on the run from a sheriff (治安官) from Arkansas and would love to be anywhere but Lonesome Dove. Truly this story is about carving out a place for yourself in the world.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light
by Petina Gappah
Based on true events, this novel follows the incredible journey of the men and women who carried Dr. Livingston’s body and all of his work across Africa so that he could be returned to England and all of his research could be preserved. This is a powerful and adventurous story that leads the reader on a winding tale as his loyal followers attempt to get the Scottish doctor home.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
by Balli Kaur Jaswal
This family drama truly feels like an adventure as you flip through its pages. At the last request of their dying mother, three estranged (疏远的) British born Punjabi sisters are forced to take a pilgrim’s tour (朝圣之旅) to Amritsar together. This is a powerful and evocative (唤起感情的) travel story from the perspective of three very different women. Together they learn about themselves, about their mother and their lives.
1. Who wrote a historical fiction novel?| A．William Kent Krueger. | B．Larry McMurtry. |
| C．Petina Gappah. | D．Balli Kaur Jaswal. |
| A．This Tender Land |
| B．Lonesome Dove |
| C．Out of Darkness, Shining Light |
| D．The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters |
| A．Because they learn about themselves. |
| B．Because their mother likes travelling. |
| C．Because they are very fond of travelling. |
| D．Because their dying mother asks them to do so. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The sky is blue, and the sunshines on the street in Paris, where Mr. Gallais has been selling old classic books to tourists for more than 30 years.
Locals and tourists around the world would come to Mr. Gallai’s shop and 230 other open-air booksellers’ to buy book. However, because of the lockdown regulations to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the booksellers had to face the problem of losing the business and living difficulties these years.
“Sales have decreased by an average of 80 percent this year,” Mr. Gala is said, “which is throwing many booksellers into dangerous situations.” Still, some booksellers want to work. They are eager to keep the tradition that dates back to the l6th century. Many of the booksellers are retired workers living on pensions (养老金). They gather literature books and magazines. A growing number of people in their 30s and 40s have joined their ranks. They want to feel free from working outside an office in rain or shine.
Even before the pandemic, the booksellers were fighting with the cultural changes that people don’t read paper books as much as they used to. If they do read paper books, most readers will often choose Amazon.com to buy ones.
1. How long has Mr. Gallais been selling old classic books along the bank?| A．More than 16 years. | B．More than 19 years. |
| C．More than 23 years. | D．More than 30 years. |
| A．The booksellers’ competition. | B．The lockdown regulations. |
| C．The trend of a new profession. | D．The popularity of E-books. |
| A．They are not willing to accept advances. |
| B．They are eager to live a challenging life. |
| C．They want to feel free from working outside. |
| D．They can earn a large amount of money. |
| A．Mr. Gallais isn’t a bookseller. |
| B．Middle-aged people don’t join the ranks. |
| C．Retired booksellers don’t gather literature books and magazines. |
| D．Booksellers make efforts to keep the bookselling tradition. |
【推荐2】When was the last time you went to your local library? Last week? A month ago? A year ago?
For many reasons, borrowing books from libraries seems to be in decline. With advances in technology, it is now possible for people to download and read whatever they like on electronic devices such as Kindles.
Call me old-fashioned, but I've never got into the e-book: I like to have printed books lining my bookshelves; I love the smell of a new book; and I enjoy leafing through paper pages—as long as I avoid the paper cuts! Also, what would I do with my vast bookmark collection if everything I read was electronic?
I prefer paper books to e-books, and I also prefer to own them myself. Libraries only lend books, so of what use are they to someone like me, or to someone who prefers e-books?
Personally, I still love libraries. They offer a quiet space to sit, read, think, do research…a real escape from the outside world. When I was at university, I frequently spent hours at the school library and borrowed numerous printed materials, as it was just too expensive to buy brand new books every week to read for seminars and lectures. Libraries are free!
Libraries often organize interesting activities as well. At home, my local library hosted actors, historians and other speakers during the town's annual art and literature festival. Well-known authors are also invited to libraries to give speeches or lead discussions about their work. Events such as these are a great way to appeal to people of all ages in the community and encourage the use of libraries.
Since moving abroad to work in Quebec for a year, the importance of libraries has become clear to me on an even more personal level. The school I work in has an incredible library, which is proving invaluable when I want a good book to read but am feeling conscious that everything I would want to read during the year is unlikely to fit in my suitcase by the time l go home!
There are still many fantastic ways to use libraries—maybe we just need to be more awake to them!
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The reason why people like reading books on Kindles. |
| B．The reason why people seldom borrow books from libraries. |
| C．The advantages of modern technology. |
| D．How to download electronic books. |
| A．To tell her personal story. | B．To introduce a special book. |
| C．To explain how to read books. | D．To show she loves printed books. |
| A．read many e-books | B．bought many new books |
| C．often visited the school library | D．gave a speech at the school library |
| A．To take part in interesting activities. |
| B．To lead discussions about her work. |
| C．Because she couldn't afford to buy new books. |
| D．Because she couldn't bring many books back home. |
| A．To give some advice on reading. | B．To stress the advantages of libraries. |
| C．To compare different kinds of books. | D．To share the author's reading experience. |
【推荐3】How to choose your favourite books quickly
There are many interesting books available in libraries or bookstores, but sometimes people feel confused in finding a good book for them to read.
Scan the top selling lists.
You can start to find out some books that are included in the top selling lists. Usually, those books are very good either in their contents or in the writing styles of the authors.
You can also ask some of your friends about their favorite books. You can ask them to tell you about the general contents of the books or about the writing styles. If you are interested in the books recommended by your friends, you can list them on your must-buy books. However, you should not ask the whole stories or contents of the books. Sometimes, getting more information of book contents might make you lose interest in those books.
Ask recommendations from salespersons.
You can ask recommendations or opinions from salespersons in the bookstore.
Read the book in a glance.
It is quite easy, right? Now you should not worry about getting a good reading for your spare time anymore. You can easily get it by using those ways.
| A．Ask your parents for help. |
| B．Turn to your friends for advice. |
| C．You can read the book in a glance. |
| D．Tell them what kind of books you are interested in. |
| E．You can find most of your favourite books by this way. |
| F．If you are facing this problem, you should not feel confused. |
| G．A lot of people read those books because they are really good books to read. |
【推荐1】Online Free Courses
How to Write an Essay
College Writing 2.1x is an introduction to academic writing for English language learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, an self-editing. The course includes a review of basic grammar, and strategies for writing effective sentences and paragraphs, introductions and conclusions, longer texts, and topic sentences. Students will take part in online discussions and complete an essay for this part of the course .
Length: 5 weeks
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Instructor: Maggie Sokolik from the University of California
Upper-Intermediate English: Technology Today
Take your English language skills to the next level. We will discuss technological advances as you improve your English vocabulary and grammar and learn how to write a business plan . The course includes video lessons, reading activities, grammar explanations and exercises, listening activities , and speaking practice.
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Sign Language Science : Factors Contributing to Natural Change
In this course, we will explore how language changes over time. We know from documentation that early American Sign Language ( ASL ) does not look the same as it does today. That's because, as it was passed down , it developed and changed . In this course, we will look at the historical data and discuss how the language changed.
Length : 5 weeks
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Learn to Program in Java
Ready to start your programming journey? In this course, you'll learn not only how to code(编码） in Java but also how to break down problems and implement(实现）their solutions using some of the basic computer science tools.
Length : 4 weeks
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Instructor: Kasey Champion from the University of Washington
1. What do the first two courses have in common?| A．Both last for one and a half months |
| B．Both are offered by the same university |
| C．Both require students to have discussions online. |
| D．Both include an explanation of grammatical rules. |
| A．Ted Supalla. | B．Derek Brown. |
| C．Maggie Sokolik. | D．Kasey Champion. |
| A．Testing English language skills. | B．Giving tips on academic writing. |
| C．Improving practical coding skills. | D．Discussing Sign Language science. |
【推荐2】The COVID-19 pandemic led to a great number of rescheduling release dates (上映日期). Despite how the reality the calendar develops, these are some films we’re crossing our fingers that we will get to see this year.
Malcolm & Marie
Release date: February 5
Director: Sam Levinson
A director and his girlfriend’s relationship is tested after they return home from his movie premiere (首映) and await critics’ responses. The romantic drama is directed by Sam Levinson.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release date: December 17
Director: Jon Watts
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe.
West Side Story
Release date: December 10
Director: Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of the famous Broadway musical of the same name, which itself was based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is finally seeing the light of day in late 2021.
The Matrix 4
Release date: December 22
Director: Lana Wachowski
Lana Wachowski is set to bring us another sci-fi action-adventure set in the digital world where she helped create way back in 1999.
1. What type of film is Malcolm & Marie?| A．Comedy. | B．Fantasy. |
| C．Romance. | D．Sci-fi. |
| A．We can see another superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in it. |
| B．It stars Jon Watts. |
| C．People do not know who is Spider-Man. |
| D．We can’t see the villains in other Spider-Man films. |
| A．Malcolm & Marie. | B．Spider-Man: No Way Home. |
| C．West Side Story. | D．The Matrix 4. |
【推荐3】Are you looking for somewhere special to go this weekend? Do you want to try something new?
Check out one of these hot new restaurants.
Fast Best
Fast food doesn't have to be junk food, as this café proves. Do you fancy a really good hamburger made with the best ingredients, or old-fashioned fish and chips fried to perfection, all on the table in super-quick time? Speed and quality are important here, and the prices aren't bad either.
Your Local Caff (小餐馆)
Remember when cafés served full English breakfasts—sausages, beans, fried bread, bacon and eggs—with a strong cup of tea? Well, this place still does and you can have your breakfast at any time you like during the day while you listen to your favourite tunes from the 1980s.
Last Days of the Raj
A centrally located Indian restaurant, perfect for eating before or after the cinema or a show. In summer enjoy your meal in the beautiful garden. The most popular dishes are lamb and chicken cooked with mild, medium or hot spices. For brave customers there is extra hot!
The Chocolate Box
The owner of this small café used to cook all kinds of food, but then she realised she preferred desserts to anything else. If you want meat or fish, don't come here. They only do desserts! Lots of different kinds of sweets. Chocolate lovers will be excited by the range of chocolate cakes.
1. Fast Best suits a person ______.| A．who has a sweet tooth | B．who loves spicy food |
| C．who wants to have good breakfast | D．who gets 30 minutes off for lunch |
| A．You can listen to great music in it. | B．It serves hot food with pepper. |
| C．It serves an all-day breakfast. | D．It is prefect for vegetarians. |
| A．Fast Best. | B．Your Local Caff. |
| C．Last Days of the Raj. | D．The Chocolate Box. |
