Charles Dickens
It has been 150 years since Charles Dickens died, 184 years since his first work was released to the public and 156 years since his last completed book came out. In all of this time, these novels have never been out of print. Dickens may have left us, but his work remains timeless,
Most people have read, watched or at least heard of Dickens’ stories, but what makes him and his work so popular? Since he began novel writing in his 20s, Dickens constantly produced quality classics. Year after year his awaiting fans were not left
In the Victorian era he lived in, much of the work Dickens produced
Any Dickens fans will know the diverse and outrageous (耸人听闻的) characters coming to life between the pages.
Over a century and a half later, Dickens’ themes can be relevant to today’s world problems. His words and imagery have been transformed further into the media of modern film, television and even musical adaptations.
2 . New Journalism, American literary movement in the 1960s and 70s, pushed the boundaries of traditional journalism and nonfiction writing. The genre combined journalistic research with the techniques of fiction writing in the reporting of stories about real-life events.
As in traditional investigative reporting, writers in the genre immersed (沉浸) themselves in their subjects, at times spending months in the field gathering facts through research, interviews, and observation. Their finished works were very different, however, from the feature stories typically published in newspapers and magazines of the time. Instead of employing traditional journalistic story structures and an institutional voice, they constructed well-developed characters, sustained dialogue, vivid scenes, and strong plotlines marked with dramatic tension.
Some observers praised the New Journalists for writing well-crafted, complex, and convincing stories that revitalized readers' interest in journalism and the topics covered, as well as inspiring other writers to join the profession.
A.Others firmly opposed the use of those techniques, arguing that any departure from facts, however minor, discredited a story and moved it away from journalism into the realm of fiction. |
B.They also wrote in voices that were distinctly their own. |
C.The New Journalists argued that objectivity does not guarantee truth and that so-called “objective” stories can be more misleading than stories told from a clearly presented personal point of view. |
D.The New Journalists expanded the definition of journalism and of legitimate (正统的) journalistic reporting and writing techniques. |
E.The New Journalists’ ideas continue to be explored and refined by new generations of reporters and editors. |
F.Others, however, worried that the New Journalism was replacing objectivity of with a dangerous subjectivity that threatened to undermine the credibility of all journalism. |
A. community B. emerging C. address D. effortlessly E. vehicle F. encouraged I. challenge G. noticeably H. welcoming J. prioritized K. lack |
The Power of Poetry
“Thank you for leading us to these places of comfort,” one participant said. “It helped me feel connected to a greater sense of being, which is so needed during these times.” Her words echoed (和……共鸣) many of the participants’ feelings in Finding Comfort, the first installment of the Hope Storytelling Project.
We were inspired to create the project, a series of virtual poetry workshops held in partnership with the Cambridge Public Library and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, for a simple reason: to create
In this time of social isolation and uncertainty, the need for meaningful connections is more apparent than ever. The longer the pandemic continues, we, as a nation, are quickly realizing how there is a(n)
One of the most powerful and simple ways of dealing with emotional issues is communicating and listening to others with our undivided attention and open minds. Therefore, in designing the Hope Storytelling Project, we
In our first workshop, participants shared childhood stories, memories about loved ones, and about the things they missed, such as hiking, going to work or simply hugging a friend. In the span of an hour, the virtual space felt
It is time to recognize how powerful creative expression, through mediums such as poetry, can be in times of despair, and we believe all aspects of poetry—reading, writing and sharing—can serve as an incredible cure for loneliness. In times like these, poetry will
4 . Some literary characters capture the imagination of readers. Their adventures, experiences, talents and personalities make them
Watson narrates this first case which involves the murders of two men. The story has two parts. In the first part, Holmes solves the crime and captures the killer. The second part gives the backstory as to why the killer murdered his
The Red-headed League is on many people’s lists of their favorite stories
A.imaginable | B.intelligible | C.powerful | D.unforgettable |
A.criminals | B.processes | C.details | D.expressions |
A.consulting | B.investing | C.conducting | D.enquiring |
A.natives | B.detectives | C.officials | D.rivals |
A.colleges | B.partners | C.relatives | D.victims |
A.including | B.representing | C.involving | D.praising |
A.urged | B.helped | C.warned | D.forced |
A.dearly | B.fully | C.highly | D.earnestly |
A.Therefore | B.Furthermore | C.Meanwhile | D.Then |
A.turns to | B.asks for | C.takes down | D.works out |
A.dirty | B.ordinary | C.special | D.wet |
A.on top of | B.at the back of | C.in front of | D.in the middle of |
A.escape | B.emerge | C.run | D.keep |
A.invented | B.organized | C.supervised | D.commanded |
A.yard | B.wall | C.hole | D.tunnel |
A. potential B. accesses C. touching D. promotes E. easily F. means G. presents H. responsible I. standing J. exposure K. given |
Why is Art so Powerful?
Perhaps the simplest answer to this question is that art touches us emotionally.
Art is powerful because it can potentially influence our culture, politics, and even the economy. When we see a powerful work of art, you feel it
It has the power to educate people about almost anything. It creates awareness and
It breaks cultural, social, and economic barriers. While art hardly really solves poverty or
It
The truth is that people have recognized how powerful art can be. Many times in history have we heard of people being criticized, threatened, censored, and even killed because of their artwork. Those
Working Out Worries by Writing
After his father was driven to the hospital for emergent treatment, 43-year-old Yanatha Desouvre began to panic. So, he did one thing that he knew would calm himself: He wrote. Over the next few weeks, Desouvre filled several notebooks, writing about his worry as well as his happy memories with his dad. “Writing allowed me to face my fear and process my pain,” he says. Psychologists refer to that kind of writing as “expressive writing”. People do it by recording their deepest thoughts and feelings. However, different from writing in a journal, expressive writing is to reflect honestly and thoughtfully on a particular frustration or challenge.
A well-known psychology professor says that hundreds of studies have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing and found it can help reduce pain and improve mood, sleep and memory. It may even help reduce symptoms of various illnesses, and prevent colds and flu.
Expressive writing takes effect because translating a painful experience into language allows people to make meaning out of it, some experts say. The process forces them to organize their thoughts and offers a sense of control, thus completing the pursuit of value from such an experience. Another research suggested that during expressive writing, the act of labeling a feeling can lessen the activity relating to nerves in the threat area of the brain. With these nerves relaxed, people can lower the symptoms of their diseases, enhance their appreciation for life, and increase the acceptance of various experiences in their lives.
What can’t be ignored is that it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other medical treatments. And people coping with a severe depression may not find it useful to do on their own, without therapy. Yet, it can be a powerful coping tool for many, in large part because it helps battle against their reluctance to face negative emotions.
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A. Inspired B. respect C. series D. extraordinary E. facility F. particular G. journey H. expand I. Determined J. limitless K. require |
Life of Pi
Ang Lee’s “Life is a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery.
The story begins in a small family zoo in Pondicherry, India, where the boy Piscine is raised. Piscine translates from French to English as “swimming pool”, but in India where many more speak English than French, his playmates of course nickname him “pee”.
The zoo goes broke, and Pi’s father puts his family and a few valuable animals on a ship bound for Canada. In a forceful
The heart of the film focuses on the sea
Pi and the tiger Richard Parker share the same possible places in and near the boat. Although this point is not specifically made, Pi’s ability to
During the course of 227 days, they come to a form of recognition. The tiger, in
Loving Legacy
Magic wands, flying broomsticks, terrifying monsters... these are the features of the fantasy genre. And over the last few decades, Harry Potter has remained at the top of the list for
Harry Potter might have started off as
I grew up reading Harry Potter. Like millions of other children, I waited on my eleventh birthday for an owl carrying a letter to inform me that I
Some may think that fantasy or science fiction has no place in literature, as they corrupt the mind and provide no useful lessons. These people are wrong. Characters in popular fantasy or science fiction novels are not much different from those in classic literature novels. Each embodies the emotion, character and thought
9 . Railroads and Literature
Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short stories, poems or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden years.
A.These writers who can genuinely be said to have created the “railroad novel” are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from memory. |
B.By the 1850’s and 1860’s, there was a great distrust among writers and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force. |
C.The “railroad novels” are good examples of the effects industry and business had on the literature of the United States. |
D.For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays an important role belongs to popular culture rather than to serious art. |
E.In fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830’s. |
F.Many writers had the experience of working on railroads. |
10 . Fait Diver: More Than Brief Stories
Every day, there are items in the news believed too minor to report at length. For these
Perhaps the finest flowering of fait divers was in the reports filed by the art critic Felix Feneon 1906. He gave the form more wit, more emotional
One can go days in New York without really thinking about how
A.curious | B.tiny | C.ridiculous | D.detailed |
A.tragedy | B.coincidence | C.imagination | D.thriller |
A.turning up | B.putting up | C.showing up | D.taking up |
A.images | B.imagination | C.figures | D.portraits |
A.motivative | B.sudden | C.original | D.weak |
A.Though | B.When | C.Since | D.Before |
A.expression | B.peace | C.health | D.discomfort |
A.identification | B.secret | C.appeal | D.approach |
A.a series of | B.a pair of | C.a collection of | D.a set of |
A.received | B.inspired | C.eliminated | D.drawn |
A.finally | B.accidentally | C.previously | D.unexpectedly |
A.fascinating | B.populated | C.brilliant | D.sophisticated |
A.previous | B.future | C.present | D.past |
A.believable | B.considerable | C.understandable | D.approachable |
A.deadly | B.lonely | C.lively | D.ghostly |