1 . About a decade ago, I attended a dinner in Guangzhou. The bird’s nest soup was gentle and delicious, the fish fresh and perfectly steamed. The most memorable dish, however, was the plain soup served at the end. Made from chicken, probably with ham as well, it was simple but perfect.
Ending a banquet with soup may seem odd to Westerners, accustomed as they are to sweets at a meal’s close. But, as Fuchsia Dunlop, an English food writer, explains in her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, “The transparent soup is an ideal conclusion to a meal.”
Invitation to a Banquet is Ms Dunlop’s seventh book. Unlike those for which she is best known, including The Food of Sichuan, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper, and Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook(about Hunanese cuisine), this is not a cookbook. Instead, she has chosen 30 dishes and used each to illustrate different aspects of Chinese cuisine—and, in turn, Chinese life and history.
“Westerners have traditionally assumed that the Chinese eat animal parts because they are poor, when in fact turning up one’s nose at pigs’ heads and legs shuts the door on a wide range of foods that are really wonderful,” Ms Dunlop argues in the book.
In short, Ms Dunlop has made a convincing case for the superiority of Chinese cuisine, but in a delighted and expansive rather than chauvinistic (沙文主义的) way. She shows how it has absorbed foreign influences(as other cuisines have, too), how it has changed with China’s increasing wealth and how central it is to the country’s intellectual and cultural history.
She makes an equally good case in this book that the Chinese food most Westerners can find at their local takeaway is neither inauthentic nor wrong. Instead, it reflects local tastes which are as representative of the cuisine’s diversity as a frozen pizza is of Italy’s adventurousness. The local takeaway has made the real thing more accessible than ever outside China.
1. Which word best describes the author’s impression of the dinner in Guangzhou?| A．Favorable. | B．Conservative. | C．Negative. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper. | B．The Food of Sichuan. |
| C．Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. | D．Invitation to a Banquet. |
| A．Avoid eating pigs’ heads and legs. | B．Go to the most expensive restaurants. |
| C．Be open-minded about any Chinese food. | D．Don’t try the local takeaway outside China. |
| A．A cookbook. | B．A book review. | C．A biography. | D．A travel journal. |
2 . Best Books for Children 2024
Who’s Cute? by Camilla Reid
Meet the cute woodland creatures in the forest and find out which is the cutest. Will it be the tiny, baby rabbit, the little mouse or the young, wide-eyed owl? An adorably illustrated board book for babies and toddlers with a surprise mirror ending, Who’s Cute? will be read and enjoyed time and again.
Keep Smiling by Floella Benjamin
Vina is known for her smile; her mum says that sharing it is the best gift she can give. But the day she starts her new school, Vina finds that her smile has mysteriously disappeared. As she searches for it all over the school, she learns that sometimes happiness is found in the most unexpected places. With its message of positivity, this book offers a great starting point to help young children to talk about their feelings.
The Little Mermaid by Campbell Books
Dive in the sea with this best-loved fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. This board book’s push, pull and turn mechanisms give little hands many surprises to discover as they follow the underwater adventures. Nneka Myers’ bright, bold illustrations of the little mermaid, the prince, the sea witch (巫师) and many more favorite characters will attract babies and toddlers as you read the story together.
I’m Not Scary! by Rod Campbell
A fun touch-and-feel mini-beasts story from Rod Campbell, creator of the preschool lift-the-flap classic, Dear Zoo. Join in the fun by touching a scritchy-scratchy grasshopper, a shiny beetle and even a slimy snail in I’m Not Scary!, an interactive touch-and-feel book, packed full of favorite bugs and mini-beasts. But will you be brave enough to touch all the creatures?
1. What does Keep Smiling teach readers about?| A．How to adapt to a new life. | B．Being brave to express oneself. |
| C．Being creative when making friends. | D．Where to find happiness. |
| A．They have illustrations. | B．They teach ocean diving. |
| C．They are fairy tales. | D．They involve sea creatures. |
| A．Rod Campbell’s. | B．Camilla Reid’s. |
| C．Campbell Books’. | D．Floella Benjamin’s. |
3 . Nearly two decades ago when the Google Books Project digitized and freely distributed more than 25 million works, book publishers argued that free digital distribution weakens the market for physical books. However, new research from Imke Reimers and Abhishek Nagaraj reveals that the opposite—increased demand for physical books, through online discovery—could be true.
The two researchers focused on a particular part of Google Books’ digitized works: those from Harvard University’s Widener Library, which helped seed the project in its early days. The condition that enabled their experiment: Harvard’s digitization effort only included out-of-copyright works, published before 1923, which were made available to consumers in their entirety. The works from 1923 and later were still copyrighted and not digitized.
The researchers analyzed a total of 37,743 books scanned (扫描) between 2005 and 2009. They looked at sales for the two years before this digitization period and the two years after, and found clear differences in the increased sales between digitized and non-digitized books. Approximately 40% of digitized titles saw a sales increase from 2003-2004 to 2010-2011, compared to less than 20% of titles that were not digitized. The increase in sales was also found to be stronger for less popular books.
“If a book is readily available online, people may decide that it’s a useful book and want to buy it,” Reimers said. “The ‘discovery effect’, which even increased the sales of a digitized author’s non-digitized works, is a strong driver of increased sales. It’s not a huge jump in sales, but it’s still good news for publishers.”
“And book lovers,” Reimers said, “are known for their preference for physical books, as opposed to digital versions, which could also play a role.” She added, “Whenever I talk to people about my research on books, at some point they all say, ‘I just love the feel of a book in my hand.’”
1. Why did the researchers choose the publications before 1923 for their research?| A．They were all masterpieces. | B．They were mostly searchable. |
| C．They were not protected by copyright. | D．They were only partly downloaded for free. |
| A．By interviewing book users. | B．By comparing the sales data. |
| C．By classifying the book titles. | D．By referring to historical records. |
| A．To point out the limitations of the study. | B．To stress people’s different reading tastes. |
| C．To tell another contributor to the sales rise. | D．To show a growing trend in reading books. |
| A．Consumers Are Enthusiastic About E-books |
| B．Book Publishers Object to Digitizing Books |
| C．Physical Bookstores Are Declining in Importance |
| D．Digitizing Books Promotes Demand for Physical Copies |
4 . Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024
The Novel Fair is an annual competition initiated by the Irish Writers Centre (IWC). Described by The Irish Times as “A Dragons’ Cave for writers”, each year the Fair aims to introduce up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents.
The Prize
The twelve winners will have the opportunity to present the summary of their novels directly to industry professionals. Leading publishers and agents will be invited by the IWC to meet these writers in person or through a series of online meetings. To get fully prepared for the meeting with publishers and agents, the winners will receive a place in a workshop on “How to Promote Your Novel”, two weeks in advance. Also, applicants who are longlisted (初选) but do not make it to the shortlist of twelve will have their works evaluated and criticized by the judging panel.
How to Enter
Entry fee for application is £ 55 (Members of IWC can enter for a discounted fee of £ 45). This competition only accepts manuscripts (原稿) for novels. Applicants are required to send a summary within 300 words and up to five chapters of their novels, which should be 10,000 words (+/-10%). Manuscripts should be submitted online. There is a limit of one entry per applicant.
Entries are welcome from anywhere in the world. Before entering the competition, please ensure that you have read the Novel Fair Terms & Conditions 2024 very carefully as the Fair is open to only novelists who have never published work previously. If you have any questions about the application process, please email novelfair@irishwriterscentre.ie.
1. Why does the IWC hold the Fair?| A．To serve as a platform for writers. | B．To advertise local books. |
| C．To encourage young people. | D．To arouse enthusiasm for reading. |
| A．Improve their writing skills. | B．Deal with the judging panel. |
| C．Learn about publishing process. | D．Present their novels attractively. |
| A．A novel published in 2023. | B．A summary of 200 words. |
| C．A paper manuscript by post. | D．A submission of seven chapters. |
5 . These novels focus on the excitement and drama of returning to class.
The First Rule of Punk
By Celia C. Pérez
(Puffin Books)
On the first day at her new middle school, Malú upsets a popular classmate and violates the dress code with her punk style. Her dad reminds her of the first rule of punk: Be yourself. Will keeping his advice in mind help Malú have a better rest of the school year? Ages 10 and up.
It’s the First Day of School...Forever!
By R. L. Stine
(Square Fish)
This classic book from the author of the Goosebumps series is filled with suspense and humor. Every day, Artie wakes up and the same thing happens — he bumps his head and gets ready for the first day of fifth grade. A twist ending helps explain why nothing changes from day to day. Ages 8–12.
New Kid
By Jerry Craft
(Quill Tree Books)
On the first day at a fancy prep school, Jordan realizes he’s one of only a handful of Black students. He doesn’t feel like he fits in with his classmates or his old friends in the neighborhood. Will he continue to feel stuck between the two worlds? This book is the only picture novel to win the famous Newbery Medal. Ages 8–12.
Save Me a Seat
By Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
(Scholastic)
If you’re a fan of Fish in a Tree, you may enjoy this novel about two fifth graders. Ravi recently moved from India to New Jersey and feels like an outsider. Joe gets looked down upon because he needs extra help at school. As time passes, they realize they may share a lot in common. Ages 8–12.
1. Whose book is suitable for a 15-year-old boy?| A．R. L. Stine’s. | B．Jerry Craft’s. |
| C．Celia C. Pérez’s. | D．Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan’s. |
| A．New Kid. | B．Save Me a Seat. |
| C．The First Rule of Punk. | D．It’s the First Day of School...Forever! |
| A．They are familiar with each other. | B．They both come from India. |
| C．They are quiet in class. | D．They both encounter challenges. |
6 . Books for children
Cyril and Pat by Emily GravettThis clever picture book shows younger readers the charming friendship between Cyril, a squirrel and Pat, who isn’t. Their friendship is powerful and shows children that it’s worth sticking up for those you care about. With vivid illustrations of life, leaves and flowers, an unexpected world is brought to life, and it’s the one that younger readers will delight in exploring every time they visit a park.
No One Is Angry Today by Toon TellegenFollowing a series of forest animal friends through their everyday lives, these stories examine why we do the things we do and how we feel about our actions. The brevity, clarity and high quality of these short stories also make them useful texts to study in literacy lessons, particularly in terms of viewpoint and writing styles.
The Midnight Panther by Poonam MistryPanther feels out of place and takes an adventure in the jungle to overcome challenges, conquer his insecurities and find out where he belongs. The Midnight Panther is an outstandingly illustrated and magical fable picture book. The atmospheric storytelling makes this book a joy to read aloud to a class and the breathtaking imagination lends itself to inspiring children’s creative writing.
Fiona the Fruit Bat by Dan RiskinFiona is the fruit bat who is afraid of the dark, afraid of the unknown and afraid to try flight. But calming and confidence-building words from her mother show her way. A good book to help children deal with new and unfamiliar situations. Reading this will not only teach them about overcoming fear, but also the science behind echolocation and lives of fruit bats.
1. What do we know about Cyril and Pat?| A．They are good friends. | B．They are both squirrels. |
| C．They enjoy collecting leaves. | D．They often visit remote parks. |
| A．Cyril and Pat. | B．Fiona the Fruit Bat. |
| C．No One Is Angry Today. | D．The Midnight Panther. |
| A．How to coexist with wildlife. | B．How to handle new situations. |
| C．How to get on with their mother. | D．How to develop an interest in science. |
7 . Popular Libraries in the World
The idea of a public library —— where anyone in the community is trusted to borrow books, often for long stretches of time, for free —— is fairly magical. Some of the libraries in the world are pretty popular now.
The British Library, London, the UK
The British Library is comparable to the Library of Congress in terms of the size of their holdings, many of which are unique. According to its annual report, the British Library welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the figure in 2016-2017 represents a small but disappointing reduction in the overall visitor numbers.
The State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
According to its annual report, the State Library of Victoria’s visitors broke the 2 million in 2016-2017 visit record for the first time in its history, making it the busiest library in Australia. It also recorded many online visits, accessed collection items and uses of digitized collection items.
The New York Public Library, New York, the USA
The New York Public Library reports that it has hosted millions of visitors and circulated large numbers of items over their locations. According to a press, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building —— the main branch of the library —— yearly receives the greatest number of visitors.
The National Library of China, Beijing, China
Established as the Imperial Library of Peking in 1909, the National Library of China is now the largest library in Asia, with holdings of over 30 million items. The library’s annual report puts its total visitors across multiple locations at several million every year.
1. What do we know about the British Library?| A．It holds many rare collections. |
| B．Its visitors are constantly on the rise. |
| C．It has the largest collection of books in Europe. |
| D．Its coverage is the smallest in the world’s libraries. |
| A．They possess two branches. |
| B．They gain plentiful visitors. |
| C．They are the busiest libraries in their countries. |
| D．They face a decline in tourism in the 20th century. |
| A．Finance. | B．Culture. |
| C．Architecture. | D．Technology. |
8 . A moment occurs in the exchange between professor and student when each of us adopts a look. My look says, “What, you don’t understand?” Theirs says, “We don’t. And we think you’re making it up.” We are having a problem. Basically, we’ve all read the same story, but we haven’t used the same analytical approaches. It may seem at times as if the professor is inventing interpretations out of thin air.
Actually, the truth is that as the slightly more experienced reader, the professor has acquired over the years the use of a certain “language reading”. Besides, he has grasped three professional tools-memory, symbol and pattern. These items separate the professional readers from the ordinary ones.
English professors are cursed with memory. When reading a new book, I constantly seek out connections and inferences, recalling faces and themes from past readings. I can’t not do it, although there are plenty of times when that ability is not something I want to exercise. This does not necessarily improve the experience of popular entertainment.
Professors also read and think symbolically. Everything is a symbol of something, it seems, until proven otherwise. We ask: What does the thing over there represent? The kind of mind that works its way through undergraduate and then graduate classes in literature and criticism tends to see things as existing in themselves while also representing something else. This tendency to understand the world in symbolic terms is enhanced by years of training and rewards the symbolic imagination.
A related phenomenon in professorial reading is pattern recognition. Most professional students of literature learn to take in the specific detail while seeing the patterns that the detail reveals. Experience has proved to them that life and books fall into similar patterns. Literature is full of patterns, and your reading experience will be much more rewarding when you can step back from the work, even while you are reading it, and look for those patterns.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By describing a real-life scene. | B．By using popular quotes. |
| C．By presenting conflicting ideas. | D．By raising an interesting question. |
| A．They have limited life experience. |
| B．They lack chances for sufficient reading. |
| C．They are unable to analyze the text thoroughly. |
| D．They do not trust the professor’s teaching abilities. |
| A．They have a strong desire to not have their good memory. |
| B．Their reading habit doesn’t always guarantee desirable effects. |
| C．Their memory adds to their reading pleasure of popular works. |
| D．They keep making connections with their own life while reading. |
| A．Identify the hidden text modes. | B．Perceive many things at the same time. |
| C．Look for details and language patterns. | D．Memorize patterns of symbolic meanings. |
9 . Jose Alberto Gutierrez’s life would never be the same again after finding a copy of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy in the garbage 20 years ago. It happened while he was driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods at night and seeing deserted books. It sparked his desire to start rescuing books from the garbage. He took home between 50 and 60 books every morning after his nine-hour shift. Eventually, he turned his book collection into a community library.
Colombia’s capital city of Bogota has 13 million residents and 19 public libraries. However, these libraries tend to be far away from where rural and poorer communities live. The option of buying new books is non-existent for families struggling to make ends meet. Having access to a library of books and being taken away to another world while immersed in a book is a luxury for the kids who visit Gutierrez’s library.
Gutierrez grew up poor, and his family could not afford to educate him beyond primary school. Nevertheless, his mother was a keen reader and read stories to him every night. Her love for books left a deep impression on Gutierrez, who never let a lack of formal education stop him from reading classics by the likes of Victor Hugo, Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Today, his community library, called “The Strength of Words”, occupies most of his home and is piled from floor to ceiling with fiction and non-fiction titles. Everything from school textbooks to story books can be found in his collection of more than 20,000 books!
The Strength of Words library opens every weekend. It is not just school-going children who are enjoying the benefits of The Strength of Words library. Adults are also welcome to expand their horizons and develop new skills to build a better life for themselves.
Despite having done so much for his community, Gutierrez is not yet content to call it a day. He continues to search through bins for reading material and has even travelled to book fairs in Mexico and Chile to sell his idea of building library from unwanted books.
1. What inspired Gutierrez to build the community library?| A．Famous novelists he liked very much. |
| B．The dilemma he faced on the night shift. |
| C．Abandoned books he came across at work. |
| D．The hobby he has taken up since childhood. |
| A．Gutierrez’s mother was a good reader. |
| B．Gutierrez was greatly influenced by his mother. |
| C．Gutierrez led a difficult life during his childhood. |
| D．Gutierrez had a disadvantage of poor education. |
| A．Responsible and ambitious. | B．Humble and thoughtful. |
| C．Committed and sensitive. | D．Creative and courageous. |
| A．A book holds a house of gold. |
| B．Constant dropping wears the stone. |
| C．Good things come to those who wait. |
| D．One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. |
10 . Books are excellent gifts. Here are four of the year’s most talked-about titles.
Ordinary Monsters | By J. M. Miro
Miro has temporarily abandoned literary fiction in favour of a new series of historical fantasy novels. Ordinary Monsters is about a group of children with magical gifts who come together and pool their powers to escape the bad shape-shifting man that’s going after them.
Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces | By Elamin Abdelmahmoud
The soundtrack to The O. C., a drama series, and the strange beauty of Highway 401 were important factors in developing selfhood of Abdelmahmoud. This book describes his own experience of moving from Khartoum, Sudan, to Kingston, Canada, in the early 2000s at age 12.
A Magic Steeped in Poison | By Judy I. Lin
Harry Potter has his magic stick. And Ning, the heroine of Lin’s first novel, has tea, which in her world carries magical properties. Lin has created a pleasing Young Adult fantasy rich in Chinese mythology (神话). In this book, Ning enters a competition to find the most gifted tea master, Shennong.
A Ballet of Lepers | By Leonard Cohen
Unlike many other posthumous (死后出版的) works, you can count on Cohen’s to be worth your wait. Before his death, he said that the novel contained in the book, which was never published, was likely better than The Favourite Game, a novel he published during his lifetime. This book also includes a radio play script (剧本) and a handful of short stories.
1. Which book is a mirror of the author’s life story?| A．Ordinary Monsters. | B．Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces. |
| C．A Magic Steeped in Poison. | D．A Ballet of Lepers. |
| A．They are about teamwork. |
| B．They are based on an imaginary world. |
| C．They both involve Chinese characters. |
| D．They draw inspiration from other novels. |
| A．It is a collection. | B．It is Cohen’s best novel. |
| C．It is a fantasy novel. | D．It is adapted from a play. |
