1 . If you’ve ever needed an excuse to bury yourself in a really good book, now is the time, 2021 is filled with page-turners, must-reads and novels with beautiful sentences. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite stories of the new year. If it’s out now, get your copy; if not, get ready to pre-order.
Outlawed
Price: $26. 00, $18. 18 (30%off)
Welcome to the new feminist (女权主义) world. Anna North’s western novel follows Ada, a 17-year-old who has to run away from her town after she’s unable to get pregnant (怀孕) a year into marriage. It features everything you have ever wanted in a read: strange cowgirls, a group of feminist outlaws and more.
The Push
Price: $26. 00, $16. 16 (38%off)
Nothing like a psychological thriller to kick off a new year that is hopefully not as psychologically disturbing as last year. In Aslhley Audrain’s fiction, a new mother begins to doubt not all is right with her baby.
The Wife Upstairs
Price: $27. 99, $19. 09 (32%off)
This modern adaptation of Jane Eyre trades in Gothic mystery for southern secrecy. In Rachel Hawkins’ latest page turner, expect the romance you love in the original tale with all the modern features.
Aftershocks
Price: $26. 00, $16. 86 (35% off)
This one is actually not a fiction book, but we couldn’t not include—it’s that good. Nadia Owusu’s powerful memoir (回忆录) tells her childhood and perhaps an even more meaningful journey, the one to self-discovery.
1. Which of the following books is the cheapest after the discount?| A．Aftershocks. | B．Outlawed. |
| C．The Push. | D．The Wife Upstairs. |
| A．Nadia Owusu. | B．Rachel Hawkins. |
| C．Anna North. | D．Ashley Audrain. |
| A．It is adapted from Jane Eyre. |
| B．It is a thriller about a mother and her baby. |
| C．It is a western novel about a feminist. |
| D．It tells a writer’s self-discovery journey. |
2 . Could J. K. Rowling please leave Harry Potter in peace? 2010 was a good time to move on. We all know that Harry Potter’s last adventures hit the bookstore in 2007, and three years later the Warner Bros adaptations ran their course in cinema, too. For many fans, the young wizard had worked his magic through most of their childhood. But in 2018, a new Harry Potter extended universe film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald, was out.
I love Harry Potter series and I always will. It’s all there in my memory: I remember the first delight at reading “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal”. The wizarding treasure hunt, thrown by my parents for my ninth birthday with my dad dressed as Hagrid in the garden, was so clear in my mind. I remember deciphering (破译) my copy of the Deathly Hallows, the first book I read in English, and having to check the French for “wand”. The 2001 trip to the cinema to see Philosopher’s Stone, and all the ones that followed are kept clearly.
However, someone needs to call a halt to the endless afterlife of Potter’s fictional universe. It was enough in the seven books and eight films. We didn’t and don’t need a community website, a theatre play, the printed script of said movie, and even more movies.
Rowling has created 21st-century modern literary classic. I always look up to her as the textbook classy writer: respectfully drawing attention from readers, successful but wise enough to withdraw. She also cares much about the causes she holds dear. In 2011 alone, she donated 16% of her net worth to charities. Of all contemporary authors who hit gold, Rowling remains one of the very most inspirational.
The saddest thing is that Rowling helped with the writing of the Cursed Child. She regularly “revealed” new details about Potter’s magical world on Twitter. Today, I decided to give up: I don’t follow Rowling on Twitter. I don’t want to see the new film. Thank you, Joanne Kathleen Rowling. I have enough valued stories—I don’t need new ones any more.
1. The last book of Harry Potter series was published in ______ .| A．2007 | B．2010 | C．2011 | D．2017 |
| A．felt rather easy to understand Harry Potter series |
| B．was quiet fond of Harry Potter series and its films |
| C．read Harry Potter series with the help of his parents |
| D．missed the time of watching Harry Potter movies with his parents |
| A．Share. | B．Appreciate. | C．Stop. | D．Change. |
| A．The talent J. K. Rowling has. |
| B．The author’s praise for J. K. Rowling. |
| C．The influence of J. K. Rowling’s works. |
| D．The author’s expectations of J. K. Rowling. |
3 . This year we had kids and caregivers in mind. So here are some favorite books for kids picked by readers and expert judges to while away the hours at home.
The Snowy Day
－by Ezra Jack Keats
One morning, a little boy in Brooklyn wakes up to a changed world - shining with fresh snowfall. Young Peter is black.Author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats was white,but his sensitive description of a child's first experience with snow won the Caldecott Medal and was embraced by parents and children of all colors. (For ages 0 to 2)
Dreamers
－by Yuyi Morales
Yuyi Morales was born in Mexico and came to America with her baby boy in 1999. She builds that experience into a poetic praise for the immigrant experience - for learning a new life and language and for the dreams, hopes and talents immigrants bring to the USA.(For ages 4 to 8)
Hidden Figures
－by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman
Margot Lee Shetterly adapts her groundbreaking book about Black female mathematicians at NASA for young readers, with illustrations by Laura Freeman. A great pick for any future mathematician or astronaut.(For ages 4 to 8)
Wells&Wong Mysteries
－by Robin Stevens
Best friends Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong do what any ambitious young women at boarding school would do: They form a detective agency and quickly run up against their first real case when Hazel finds the body of their science teacher on the gymnasium floor.
(For ages 10 and up)
1. Which writer is an award winner?| A．Ezra Jack Keats. | B．Yuyi Morales. |
| C．Margot Lee Shetterly. | D．Robin Stevens. |
| A．The Snowy Day. | B．Dreamers. |
| C．Hidden Figures. | D．Wells &Wong Mysteries. |
| A．The way they are created. | B．The authors’ experiences. |
| C．The ages of the potential readers. | D．The theme they try to convey. |
4 . Sometimes a book comes along that isn’t just “interesting” or “well done”— it’s a book where it seems like the author looked into your brain and wrote a book specifically for you. A book like that for me was released this week. It’s called 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet, written by editor Pamela Paul.
Paul lists 100 things we used to do that the Internet has either changed or taken over completely: writing letters, print newspapers, the joys of being bored, and not having all the knowledge in the world in your pocket.
As I’m a longtime accumulator of random knowledge, certain entries on the list—Being the Only One, Figuring Out Who That Actor is—hit me where live; remembering detailed facts is no longer nearly as impressive when everyone has the capability to find the answer in seconds.
On and on the list goes, with every minor shift adding to the pile. What this book does so well is illustrate the growth of that pile; while any individual item might be no big deal, the collected set is significant. It’s a list of ways in which the world now is different from the world then.
Obviously, Paul isn’t saying that everything back then was better. Time marches on, after all. and it’s tough to argue against the many benefits that the Internet has brought into our lives. But that isn’t really the point. It’s not about whether it used to be better. It’s that it used to be different.
100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet is a fun read for those of us who share some of Paul’s memories and experiences. We remember what it was like and we like to remember. The landscape has shifted, and no doubt it will shift again as technology’s advancement continues apace. This book serves as a reminder of the simple truth that when gains are made, sometimes something is lost.
1. What is the purpose of the text?| A．To review and recommend a good read. |
| B．To comment on the effect of the Internet. |
| C．To argue for the viewpoint of a new book. |
| D．To urge the readers to value what they have. |
| A．Maps and Eye Contact. |
| B．E-pay and Compact Disks. |
| C．Postcards and Homeschooling |
| D．Bad Photos and Washing Machines. |
| A．Prove what I’m good at. |
| B．Introduce how I grew up. |
| C．Describe the place I live in. |
| D．Speak out what is on my mind. |
| A．Things in the past are better. |
| B．There’re no gains without pains. |
| C．The internet is a double-edged sword. |
| D．Technology is constantly changing the world. |
5 . If you are looking for recommendations on biographies(传记) that will educate you, comedies that will make your belly ache or stories that present the unique challenges women face every day, read on.
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
A classic that never gets old. Set in rural England in the early 19th century, this tale centers around the Bennet family, a family of five daughters and their two parents who are desperate to find at least one of the daughters a wealthy match. Austen’s story focuses on the tension between marrying for love instead of just for power and fame, and also the unique pressure on women to find financial security by way of marriage at the time.
“Women in Science:50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World” by Rachel Ignotofsky
It is a sweetly illustrated and educational book that highlights the contributions of 50 women in the fields of technology, science, engineering and mathematics, from present day all the way back to 360 AD.
“Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” by Elena Favilli
It tells the stories of female heroes from years ago and present day. With color portraits and biographies that are short and sweet, this book is a page-turner for anyone wanting to learn about influential women in the past and present.
“Becoming”by Michelle Obama
We wouldn’t be able to write this list without including Michelle Obama’s memoir. “Becoming” has the former FLOTUS discussing her childhood, family, motherhood, her own FLOTUS impact, the pressures of being part of the first Black family in the White House and balancing her public life now. And of course she writes all about meeting her husband and the many unique challenges they faced too.
1. What did the Bennets intend to do?| A．To marry their daughters to rich men. |
| B．To lessen pressure on their daughters. |
| C．To help their daughters marry for true love. |
| D．To make their daughters financially independent. |
| A．Jane Austen’s. | B．Rachel Ignotofsky’s. |
| C．Elena Favilli’s. | D．Michelle Obama’s. |
| A．They are all classics. | B．They are all biographies. |
| C．They are all related to the female. | D．They are all about heroes. |
