1 . Stories of immigrants attract me a lot, especially the life stories of Italians who have come to America since the 1700s. In each of these stories I see elements of my own story, that of leaving my birthplace and family and creating a new life in a different culture and in a different language.
The child of Italian immigrants and an award-winning scholar of Italian literature, in the book My Two Italies, Joseph Luzzi struggled to create or find his own identity from an early age. Even more problematic for him was “which” Italy to “choose,” the one he inherited from his family, poor and linked to old traditions and customs he finds rude and somewhat cruel, or the one he finds in literature and art books that show him a country with a modern literary culture.
The choice becomes even sadder as in his professional life he becomes a scholar of Italian literature and culture. He describes episodes of his youth that show the clash between the first and the second generation immigrants that are both funny and tragicomic (悲喜剧式的). These episodes highlight the daily customs his parents brought from their hometown that are in conflict with Joseph’s desire to “fit in” the American culture. Joseph’s visits to Italy as a student and then as a scholar deepen the divide between his two Italies and highlight his quest for identity.
The author’s personal changes are full of quotes and comments on the cultural and political landscape of Italy. I find that his insights on contemporary Italian cultural and political phenomena are particularly interesting. In this book, Joseph touches or comments in depth about several issues concerning Italian life, such as the relationship between dialects and the official “Italian” language, and the Southern “question” or the uneasy interaction between Northern and Southern Italians.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is personal, moving, educational and entertainment. I hope you will enjoy it too!
1. Why is the author interested in stories of immigrants?| A．He left his birthplace to go to America. | B．He was a child of Italian immigrants. |
| C．He lived in America as an immigrant. | D．He likes to learn the Italian language. |
| A．Seeking out the the true Italian within himself. |
| B．Inheriting traditions and customs from his family. |
| C．Bridging the gap between the rude and modern culture. |
| D．Finding the country with a modern literacy culture. |
| A．Interaction. | B．Divide. | C．Difference. | D．Conflict. |
| A．He developed the desire of fitting in American culture after his first visit to Italy. |
| B．Deep understanding of Italian culture and politics helped him settle inner changes. |
| C．Joseph’s parents hardly required him to inherit traditional Italian culture and customs. |
| D．Issues concerning Italian life had a positive impact on the relation within his family. |
2 . Shortly after its opening on the first day of Chinese New Year, The Wandering Earth began to gain momentum (展现强劲势头). In a little over a week, it made 2.8 billion yuan in the domestic market alone. The film’s popularity and success has come as a surprise to many reviewers especially since there hasn’t been that much success for Chinese-produced science fiction in the past. Many agree that this film will change the embarrassing situation and bring in a new age for Chinese science fiction.
As a genre (类型), Chinese science fiction has lagged behind general fiction in both the film and publishing industries. Even Liu Cixin’s (the author who wrote the short story on which The Wandering Earth is based) The Three Body Problem —which is currently quite popular — didn’t have many readers until it was translated into English and won the Hugo Award (雨果奖) in 2015. Personally, I haven’t read much of any genre written in Chinese, but I do notice that there aren’t many separate sections of the bookstore dedicated to science fiction. I cannot speak for everyone, but some people seem to have misunderstandings regarding the genre.
My parents were the type who tried to steer me in the direction of non-fiction and the classics. They believed that science fiction and fantasy were “unrealistic nonsense” and would “rot my brain.” Actually, great science fiction writers do their research. More often than not, one can learn a great deal about science and its possible development from reading science fiction. Sure, some of the concepts may be confusing or technical in nature, but that is also part of the appeal. Things like the internet, electric cars and tablet computers were first theorized (建立理论) in science fiction before they were invented. The author simply uses a combination of science and their imagination to create worlds different from the Earth of today, from which we can get bits and pieces that can be turned into a reality.
The world is changing. There may very well be a time when Earth is no longer able to sustain the entire population. We could be living on Mars or in giant spaceships; perhaps we will be forced to move Earth to a new solar system just like The Wandering Earth. Each of these scenarios has appeared in science fiction multiple times. If we are to be prepared for what is to come, we can look into modern science fiction for a window into the future.
1. According to the article, which of the following statements about The Wandering Earth is NOT true?| A．Critics did not expect too much of the film before its release. |
| B．It is the first time that Chinese science fiction has succeed in the film industry. |
| C．The film was adapted from a short story in Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem. |
| D．In the future we might be faced with similar crises to the one described in the movie. |
| A．has little interest in science fiction |
| B．has never read Chinese science fiction |
| C．was not allowed to read science fiction by his parents |
| D．has not been prepared for the future development of science and technology. |
| A．the practical significance of science fiction |
| B．real technologies inspired by science fiction |
| C．people’s misunderstandings about science fiction |
| D．imaginary worlds created by science fiction writers |
| A．strategies | B．proposals | C．ideas | D．pictures |
3 . Looking for Emily
By Fiona Longmuir
When Lily moves to a sleepy town by the sea she thinks nothing exciting will happen to her again. Then she discovers a secret museum: the Museum of Emily, filled with the belongings of a girl who disappeared many years ago. Will Lily find out what happened to Emily?
Spellstoppers
By Cat Gray
In the seaside village of Yowling, Max learns that he is a “spellstopper” — someone with the ability to control magic. When Max’s granddad is kidnapped (绑架), Max is thrown into an adventure (冒险). Will Max save the day?
Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower
By Susan Brownrigg
Set in the seaside holiday center of Blackpool, England, in the 1930s, this is young detective (侦探) Gracie Fairshaw’s second adventure. She’s excited to see a preview of the Children’s Ballet’s latest performance (演出), but it all goes very wrong and it looks like someone is trying to make the show look bad. It’s up to Gracie and her friends to stop them.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks
By Emily Kenny
Alice Tonks joins a new boarding school by the sea but on her first day an encounter (相遇) with a seabird shows she has the ability to talk to animals — and that they need her help. Alice is used to being on her own but soon she’s teaming up with lots of new friends to work out this problem.
1. Which of the following books mentions a secret museum?| A．Spellstoppers. |
| B．Looking for Emily. |
| C．The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks. |
| D．Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower. |
| A．She is good at controlling magic. |
| B．She gets bored at ballet shows. |
| C．She lives in modern times. |
| D．She is a new detective. |
| A．They are all set at the seaside. |
| B．They all focus on friendship. |
| C．They all describe strange things in school. |
| D．They are all based on the authors’ personal experiences. |
1. 人物介绍；
2. 你的评析。
注意：
1. 参考人物：Henry Adams, the brothers (Roderick and Oliver), the clerks or the owner in the tailor’s shop…；
2. 写作词数应为80左右；
3. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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1.
2.
3.
4. A young pre-reader,
6 . When Salva Dut’s school is caught in the crossfire of the Second Sudanese (苏丹) Civil War, he must flee into wild lands to avoid being killed or forced to fight as a child soldier. Salva ends up living in various refugee (难民) camps, sometimes having to travel hundreds of miles in order to reach relatively safe locations.
At the same time in South Sudan, Nya travels many miles each day to get water for her family. This long walk and the lack of clean water causes Nya and her family many problems until one day, a man and his work staff arrive to dig a well in Nya’s village.
A Long Walk to Water connects the true stories of Salva Dut and Nya. The pictures of their country, Sudan, are shown in the eyes of children, which makes the book good to middle grade readers. Before you have students begin the book, it would be helpful to have a lesson on the Second Sudanese Civil War. Backgrounds of the geography of South Sudan and the two different tribes (部落) — Dinka and Nuer — will further help bring students into the situations in this work.
Students can study the way Salva’s and Nya’s stories are told, and try to tell the relations between the stories. They offer various ways of view on the human life that students can discuss. Class discussion can also include the cultural relations of the Dinka and Nuer tribes and why they often fight against each other.
After reading this book, you may want to consider doing something for the project Water for South Sudan. But your class’s ability to sponsor (出资，赞助) a well in Sudan will probably depend on the school leaders. So, before starting this unit, you may want to raise this idea to them and decide what your school can do about it.
1. What probably is the book A Long Walk to Water mainly about?| A．A travel journal in South Sudan. | B．A tale between two Sudanese children. |
| C．Life in Sudan from the view of children. | D．The cause of the Second Sudanese Civil War. |
| A．They leave Sudan in the end. | B．They grow up as neighbors. |
| C．They suffer from tribe fighting. | D．They are children soldiers. |
| A．Start a new project for Sudan. | B．Solve the water problem in Sudan. |
| C．Ask for students’ sponsorship. | D．Make the school play an active role. |
| A．A teaching advice. | B．A book introduction. | C．A reading guidance. | D．A research on Sudan. |
1. 写信目的；
2. 简单介绍这本书；
3. 简述推荐理由。
参考词汇：文学 literature 西游记 Journey to the West 徒弟 apprentice 真经 the true story
注意：1. 词数120左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头语和结束语已为你写好。
Dear Peter,
I am glad to learn that
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Looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
8 . Four Famous Books in American History
The 1920s was the first recognizably “modern” period in American history and the books at that time remain current in many sense. Here are 4 books published in the 1920s that everyone should read.
The Great Gatsby
Whether or not it truly is his “best” novel , there's a reason that F. Scott. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby remains his most popular work today. The themes in the novel reflect the sudden change in America itself. The novel also conveys the American Dream, the idea that self-made men and women could make themselves into anything in this country. Fitzgerald rejected the idea, however.
Ulysses
Ulysses employs, “stream of consciousness”, a technique that seeks to exactly copy the inner monologue of a person, which was commonly credited to William James. James Joyce wasn't the first writer to use this technique (Dostoevsky used it in the 19th century), but he was the first one to attempt it on the massive scale in this book.
The Sound and the Fury
William Faulkner's greatest work is this novel that is usually considered as one of the most challenging novels. The story is of a big family in decline. For much of the novel, the point of view is the first person, while the final section suddenly switches to the third person. Techniques like that are what make this book remarkable.
Red-Harvest
This classic novel from Dashiell Hammett remains incredibly influential for its tone, language and plot. A private detective is hired to clean up a corrupt town, a place where the police also involve in the corruption. Sounds familiar, right? It's because so many books, films, and TV shows have stolen the basic plot of Red Harvest.
1. Which book reflects the change of the society then?| A．The Great Gatsby | B．Ulysses. | C．The Sound and the Fury | D．Red Harvest. |
| A．It uses the technique of stream of consciousness. | B．It is the most popular work in 1920s. |
| C．It has been adapted a lot for films. | D．It is written in different persons. |
| A．The crime. | B．The language learning. |
| C．The bravery of the police. | D．The adventure in the harvest time. |
In Jeff Kinney’s book Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Greg Heffley’s mother suggests a family road trip. Family road trips are
As one of the
I strongly suggest this book to young readers. It’s really interesting and
10 . Books open doors in our minds. Here are 4 must-read books especially for novel lovers, and you should read them at least once in your life.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
It is the story of the unlikely and complicated friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant, and Hassan, the son of his father's servant until cultural and class differences and the war tear them apart. It's a story about the long shadows that family secrets cast across decades, the enduring love of friendship, and the transformative power of forgiveness.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
This Newbery award-winning novel tells the story of Annemarie, a Danish girl growing up in World War Ⅱ Copenhagen with her best friend, Ellen, who happens to be Jewish. When Annemarie learns that the Nazis are inflicting（迫害）on the Jewish people, she and her family make every effort to protect Ellen and her parents, as well as countless other Jews. Lowry's novel is a powerful reminder that cultural and religious differences are no divide between true friends.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
When 11 year-old orphan Anne Shirley goes to live with the middle-aged brother and sister Matthew and Manila Cuthbert, she discovers that there's been some mistake and that they had actually wanted to adopt a boy. This is a heartwarming story of love and friendship and a reminder that sometimes life not working out the way we want it to is actually the best thing that can happen.
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
It tells the story of a little boy who falls to Earth from an asteroid after visiting several other asteroids to try to understand mankind. The Little Prince is an allegory（寓言）about the foolishness of man and man's tendency toward self-destruction through violence, as well as a heartwarming tale of the transformative power of friendship and trust.
1. What do we know about the book Number the Stars?| A．Its story is set in World War Ⅰ. |
| B．It is a Newbery Award winner. |
| C．It is written by Khaled Hosseini. |
| D．Its main character Annemaire is Jewish. |
| A．Parental love. | B．Family secrets. |
| C．Friendship. | D．Peace and War. |
| A．To give tips on how to read novels. |
| B．To stress the importance of reading. |
| C．To introduce some must-read novels. |
| D．To recommend award-winning authors. |
