1 . Every year, Barnes & Noble picks the 10 best books of the year, covering all genres and age groups. If you’re looking for an amazing book to grab before the end of 2021, here are some of the best books of the year.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

This novel is both a historical and futuristic science fiction story that connects five characters across hundreds of years through their relationship to a book: “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” The book they find is about a shepherd named Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird, so he can live a carefree life forever. As each character finds this book, from a l5th century kid to a young teen on a futuristic interstellar ship, their stories meet in this complex yet fascinating read.

Crying in H Mart

When Michelle Zauner was 25, her mother s cancer changed her life forever and forced her to accept her Korean American identity in a desperate attempt to stay connected to her mother. As a talented musician, Michelle had previously been divorced from her cultural roots, but quickly turned to food to keep her mother's memory alive in this powerful and heartbreaking memoir.

Pony

It is a historical, middle-grade adventure novel intended for adolescents. It talks about a 12-year-old boy named Silas who is woken in the middle of the night to see his father being taken away by three horsemen. With only his horse named Pony by his side, Silas sets off on a life-changing mission to find his father.

You Will Get Through This Night

It is a nonfiction read about mental health that offers both a personal and professional outlook on how to survive the hardest mental health days. Dividing the book into three chapters — This Night, Tomorrow, and The Days After — Daniel Howell wants readers to not just survive the hard nights but properly care for our mental health.

1. What do Cloud Cuckoo Land and Pony have in common?

A．Plot.

B．Literary form.

C．Characters.

D．Writing background.

2. Which book is specially designed for teenagers?

A．Cloud Cuckoo Land.	B．Crying in H Mart.
C．Pony.	D．You Will Get Through This Night.

3. What is the feature of You Will Get Through This Night?

A．It is about psychological health.	B．It helps cure physical disabilities.
C．It is a collection of personal stories.	D．It mainly solves sleeping problems.

2 . From the ancient Chinese stories, to the stories in the medieval cathedrals（中世纪的教堂）in the west, it is perfectly clear that there is strong pleasure and meaning to gain from stories told through images or pictures. People are lucky enough to have had books with both pictures and words when they were children.    1    .

After the world wars, the cheap books without pictures were everywhere and it made reading books illustrated with pictures for adults a very luxurious thing. Somehow, pictures had also come to seem childish or strange.    2    Just as the ever-increasing popularity of the graphic novel（连环画小说）suggests, works both words and pictures are regarded as classics.

    3    In fact the former develops from the latter. Early writing systems such as those in Egypt and China: things in the world were expressed in written form by drawing special pictures.       4    In some languages, the sound associated with an image are separated from its original meaning.

What is the use of a book without pictures? Very little, it turns out, particularly if we consider that pictures are buried within the very symbols used to write words. As for a picture book for adults, author Tokarczuk sweeps away all doubts. She adores the picture book.    5    This kind of story is able to get through to anyone – regardless of age, cultural differences or level of education. It’s hard to disagree.

A．Because it is hard to read books with pictures.

B．And yet readers love stories told through pictures.

C．However, words and pictures are not always connected.

D．Text and picture, after all, are not so far apart.

E．For her it is a powerful, old way of telling a story.

F．Adults are thought foolish to read such books.

G．They often remember the pictures as clearly as the words.

3 . Writing a news article is different from writing other articles or informative pieces.     1     It’s important to be able to convey all the relevant information in a limited word count and give the facts to your target audience. Knowing how to plan a news article can help develop your writing skills and help you convey information clearly and briefly.

Gather all your facts. Before you write a news article, make a list or an outline of all the connected facts and information that need to be included in the article. This list will help prevent you from leaving out any relevant information about the topic or story.    2    

Create an article outline. Your outline, and subsequently your article, should be structured like an inverted pyramid.     3     You should not make your readers read several paragraphs before they get to the point of your article.

    4    . Your audience will influence the voice and tone of your article and help you to know what you should include. Once you know who you are writing for, you can format an outline that will get the best information to the right audience as quickly as possible.

Find an angle.     5     These questions will help you to make your news article unique and something that only you could write. Even if you are covering a popular story or topic that others are writing about, look for an angle that will make this one yours.

A．Know your audience.

B．Include all the important details.

C．It will also help you write a clean, brief article.

D．Why is this article unique to you? What is your voice?

E．Unlike other articles, it presents information in a specific way.

F．Be as specific as possible when writing down all of these facts.

G．It allows you to build your story so that the most important information is at the top.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

While English speakers look back to the time of Shakespeare and Milton 400 years ago as a Golden age, Chinese look back far     1     (far), to the Tang dynasty 1, 200 years ago as their Golden age of literature.

A key feature of Chinese poetry is     2     it is concise (简洁的). Each character places a thought, an impression, an image. Emphasis is put on use of rhythm and sometimes in a     3     (balance) look of the characters so that it is     4     (visual) pleasing on paper.

Amazing 48, 000 poems have survived from the many Tang dynasty poets. After the Tang, poets struggled     5     (establish) a modern style that was not rooted in the glories of the past. Later the style of the Song dynasty did become a popular form. So many people enjoy such     6     (popular) because it was more fluent and less rigid than that of the Tang.

Many poems contain specific events from Chinese history, and that makes understanding these poems     7     challenge to non-Chinese. Translating Chinese poems into English     8     (cause) all sorts of problems. For many years, writers have tried to convey the spirit of poems     9     different ways. Although much is lost in translation, the core (核心) meaning can     10     (catch) and appreciated.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Our everyday lives are filled with stories with their significance in showing us how we think about     1    （we）and the world. They concern every part of our daily lives as we chat, read books, browse the Internet, send text messages, listen to music and catch up or favorite television shows. Scientists tell stories by creating     2    （theory）that use current information to provide an explanation of a     3    （nature）phenomenon.

We live storied lives.

Stories are     4    （particular）beneficial for children. We often think of stories     5       a way to entertain young children or teach them to read, not     6    （recognize）that the story is the way that children make sense of the world. One of the most important ways in     7     families can support their children is to immerse them in stories and regularly surround them with oral and written stories as well as stories     8    （tell）through dance. music. film and art. What's more, sharing stories with children, thus enabling them to tell stories, imaginary and real,     9    （be）critical to the development of thinking. Not only do children learn about literacy，     10     they also learn how to think and figure out the significance of events.

6 . Five ancient Chinese poems about spring

As the winter chill still lingers through early spring longing for warm days has sprung up everywhere. Before the flowers are in full blossom here is a collection of ancient Chinese poems picturing the revival of life during spring. The English translations used in this article are from Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong.

Spring Morning — by Meng Haoran （689 —740） of the Tang Dynasty （618 —907）

This spring morning in bed I’m lying. Not to awake till birds are crying. After one night of wind and showers How many are the fallen flowers！

Written in a Village South of the Capital — by Cui Hu （772—846） of the Tang Dynasty

In this house on this day last year a pink face vied

In beauty with the pink peach blossoms side by side.

I do not know today where the pink face has gone

In the vernal breeze still smile pink peach blossoms full －blown.

Happy Rain on a Spring Night （Excerpts） — by Du Fu （712—770） of the Tang Dynasty

Good rain knows its time right, It will fall when comes spring.

With wind it steals in night, Mute, it moistens each thing.

Dreaming of the Southern Shore — by Bai Juyi （772—846） of the Tang Dynasty

Fair Southern shore

With scenes I much adore.

At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire

In spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire

Which I can’t but admire

Love Seeds — by Wang Wei （701 —761） of the Tang Dynasty

Red berries grow in the southern land

How many load in spring the trees？

Gather them till full is your hand

They would revive fond memories.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true？

A．Meng Haoran lived longer than other poets.

B．All of the poets were from the Tang Dynasty.

C．Both Cui Hu and Bai Juyi died at the same age.

D．Cui Hu wrote a poem highlighting the color pink.

2. Which one of the poems mentions the scene along a river？

A．Love Seeds	B．Happy Rain on a Spring Night
C．Dreaming of the Southern Shore	D．Written in a village South of the Capital

3. Which season are the poems probably talking about？

A．Winter

B．Autumn

C．Summer

D．Spring

7 . Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler

Saint Maybe is an example of how one small mistake can result in tragedy (悲剧) for a family with lives changed forever. The true strength of the novel lies in the author’s ability to write with sincerity and understanding. I’ve read this book many times over and always find it inspirational when it comes to writing my own novels about the complexities of family life.

— Eric James

Silly Verse For Kids by Spike Milligan

This book is so tiny and thin, but I loved all these funny poems inside-and it made me want to write rhymes. After reading this, I started writing my own poetry. I like including silly poems and lyrics in my books, which is definitely down to the influence of this book. It’s a book that you would read as a kid and it would really stimulate your imagination.

— Liz Pichon

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

A book read at my father’s knee and one that inspired my imagination and shaped my writing life. My desire to fall down a rabbit hole that might take me to Wonderland surpassed (胜过) my other childhood wishes. Wonderland with its Cheshire Cat and never-ending tea parties, which were reflected in a life-long love of cats and cakes, suited me best.

— Menna van Praag

Bambi by Felix Salten

My mum read this to me before I could read, and later I read it to myself again and again. In the Suffolk countryside where I grew up, I would often spot deer in the fields. This book made me stop and study the animal tracks on the ground and made me think about the world around me in a different way, setting me on the path to being a writer.

— Polly Crosby

1. What is the advantage of Saint Maybe?

A．The content of the book.	B．The example in this novel.
C．The complexities of life.	D．The author’s writing abilities.

2. Which book would you choose if you want to read poems?

A．Saint Maybe

B．Silly Verse For Kids

C．Alice in Wonderland

D．Bambi

3. What do the four books have in common?

A．They influence the four readers greatly.	B．They are mainly recommended for kids.
C．They can stimulate readers’ imagination.	D．They allow readers to see the world differently.

8 . What is the book mainly about?

A．A little girl's school life.

B．A special teacher's life

C．Two close friends

9 . I've been watching a lot of foreign-language television lately.( I do love good television.) It seems that all of a sudden there is a lot of non-American shows to watch. One night I may watch a Danish show, another night a show from Sweden or Mexico. And luckily for me, the world of children's books is following suit.

I had never heard of Gustavo Roldan before the book Juan Hormiga arrived at my door. Juan Hormiga, translated by Robert Croll, is, in a word, funny. Juan Hormiga is the one red ant among thousands of black ants, but it's not his being red that sets him apart from the rest of the colony. While every other ant is as hard-working as you might expect, busily collecting food or digging underground passages, that's just not Juan Hormiga's strengths. "If there was one way in which Juan Hormiga was second to none, it was his way of telling stories."

All those busy black ants could have hated the lazy Juan Hormiga. They could have denied him tunnel privileges or picnic pieces, but no, the other ants "didn't seem to mind too much". Juan is such a good storyteller that whenever he starts to tell a story, which seems to be whenever he's awake, all the other ants forget about their work and come close to listen to Juan tell his grandfather's adventures far beyond the world of the anthill.

It's hard to put into words what makes children's stories from other countries different from American children's stories. Certainly, European fairy tales historically have had a much darker tone than American fairy tales, as fairy tales from other countries. Language, culture, and historical context have a lot to do with what gives stories their taste, and it's no different with the Spanish Juan Hormiga. Juan Hormiga is a jewel of a story. It has everything my kids and I want from a book: silliness, adventure, daring and a satisfying ending.

1. What makes Juan Hormiga special?

A．His different color.	B．His way of telling stories.
C．His way of collecting food.	D．His talent for speaking foreign languages.

2. What do the black ants think of Juan Hormiga?

A．Lazy and dull.	B．Greedy and dishonest.
C．Smart and adventurous.	D．Gifted and appealing.

3. What do European fairy tales and the American ones differ in?

A．The background.	B．The happy ending.
C．The main tone.	D．The complicated plot.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To review a children's book.

B．To record an unforgettable experience.

C．To introduce the variety of television shows.

D．To show the close relationship between family members.

10 . The Swedish Academy announced on Thursday, 7 October that the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 is awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah. The 73-year-old author of 10 novels including well-renowned works such as Paradise and Desertion, received 10 million Swedish crowns.

After getting the award, Gurnah not only said he was grateful to the academy but added, “It’s just great—it’s just a big prize, and such a huge list of wonderful writers—I am still taking it in... I really had to wait until I heard it announced before I could believe it. ”

Born in 1948, Gurnah mainly grew up on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. Gurnah was forced to leave his farmily and his country in December 1963 just because he belonged to the victimized (受害的) ethnic group, Then he arrived in England as a refugee (难民) at the end of the 1960s, Until his recent retirement, he has been the Professor of English Literature at the University of Kent in Canterbury and he mainly focused on writers including Wole Soyinka and Salman Rushdie. In total he has published 10 novels along with short stories. The Royal Academy has noted that the theme of the refugee’s suffering runs throughout Gurnah’s work.

While Swahili was his first language, English became his tool for literature. His first novel was Memory of Departure in 1987 and it is about the failed uprising in the African continent. His second work. Pilgrims Way was published in 1988 in which the newest Nobel winner explored the various reality of life in exile. His third novel was Dottie in 1990 which is a portrait of a Black woman with immigrant background. His other works include Paradise in 1994. Admiring Silence in 1996, Gravel Heart in 2017. His latest novel is Afterlives which was published in 2020 and it takes up where Paradise ends. “I just want to write as trustfully as I can, without trying to say something noble,” he said.

1. How did Gurnah feel when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021?

A．Surprised.	B．Confident.
C．Worried.	D．Doubtful.

2. What is Gurah’s work mainly about?

A．The refugee’s miserable life.	B．The uprising life in England.
C．The rough road to writing.	D．The Friendship with other writers.

3. Which novel is connected with Paradise most?

A．Admiring Silence.	B．Dottie.
C．Afterlives.	D．Gravel Heart.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Gurah’s writing career and his famous novels.

B．Gurah’s tough life experience as a refugee.

C．Gurah’s contribution to the literature world.

D．Gurah’s winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.