1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why do lights grow closer to the little house?

A．The city is becoming larger.

B．Villagers use better lamps.

C．People come to visit the village.

2. What does the little house miss later?

A．The natural scenery.

B．The life in a big city.

C．The visitors to the village.

3. What is the speaker probably doing now?

A．Having a tour.

B．Giving a lecture.

C．Selling a book.

2 . 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.    1    By the 1850’s, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau saw the railroad both as a sign to development and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler of nature. Furthermore, because of speed and noise, it might be a despoiler of human nature as well.

    2     Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams hated the role that the new craze for business was playing in destroying traditional values. A distrust of industry and business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.

    3     One thinks of melodramas, boy’s books, thrillers, romances and the like rather than novels of the first rank. In the railroads’ best years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made a profession of writing about railroading-works offering the ambience of stations yards and locomotive cabs.     4     But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find much information about the place of the railroad in the life of the United States.

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.

3 . Discover mind - blowing details and improve your knowledge with this factual selection.

Everything Under the Sun
by Molly Oldfield
( Puffin Books )

Find the answers to 366 questions asked by young people in this fun illustrated (有插图的) book. Which was the biggest dinosaur? How much bamboo can a giant panda eat ? Do aliens (外星人) exist ? Experts including famous, award-winning chefs and staff at the Natural History Museum provide the information.

On This Day : A History of the World in 366 Days
( Dorling Kindersley )

This book takes you on a journey through history, one day at a time. You’ll learn about events that took place on each day of the year --- whether they were important historical moments or strange happenings --- and discover which historical characters share your birthday.

Stuff
by Maddie Moate
Illustrated by Paul Boston
( Puffin Books )

Explore the hidden stories behind everyday objects with Maddie Moate, presenter of CBBC’s Do You Know. Learn about ink made from soot（烟灰）, shoes made from old tyres（轮胎）, and paper made from elephant poo --- as well as many other ways people throughout history have used and reused things around them.

A History of the World in 25 Cities
by Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin
Illustrated by Libby VanderPloeg
( Nosy Crow )

Visit wonder-filled cities around the world and throughout history with this beautiful book of illustrated maps, put together by experts from the British Museum. Explore Athens in ancient Greece, China ’ s long-lost city of Xianyang and modern-day Tokyo --- one of the world ' s most densely（密集地）populated cities.

1. Which book provides answers to 366 questions?

A．Stuff.

B．Everything Under the Sun.

C．A History of the World in 25 Cities.

D．On This Day : A History of the World in 366 Days.

2. Whose book tells you stories about everyday objects?

A．Molly Oldfield’ s.	B．Maddie Moate’ s.
C．Libby VanderPloeg’s.	D．Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin’ s.

3. What do the four books have in common?

A．They are full of facts.	B．They are history-related.
C．They are award-winning books.	D．They are produced by Puffin Books.

4 . Beverly Cleary, the celebrated children’s author whose memories of her Oregon childhood were shared with millions through the likes of Ramona and Beezus Quimby and Henry Huggins, has died. She was 104.

Trained as a librarian, Cleary didn’t start writing books until her early 30s, when she wrote Henry Huggins, published in 1950. Children worldwide came to love the adventures of Huggins and his neighbours Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, Beezus Quimby and her younger sister, Ramona. They live in a real street in Portland, Oregon, the city where Cleary spent much of her youth.

Ramona, perhaps her best-known character, first appeared in Henry Huggins with only a brief mention. “All the children appeared to be only children, so I threw in a little sister and she didn’t go away. She kept appearing in other books,” Cleary said.

Cleary herself was an only child and said the character wasn’t a mirror. “I was a well-behaved little girl, not that I wanted to be,” she said. “At the age of Ramona, in those days, children played outside. We played hopscotch(跳房子) and jump rope and I loved them and always had wounded knees.”

Cleary stopped writing recently, because she said she felt it was important for writers to know when to quit. “I even got rid of my typewriter. It was a nice one but I hate to type. When I started writing I found that I was thinking more about my typing than what I was going to say,” she said in 2016. Although she put away her pen, Cleary re-released three of her most treasured books with three famous fans writing forewords for the new editions.

Cleary’s books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and inspired many programmes, such as a 10-part PBS series, Ramona and the 2010 film Ramona and Beezus. Cleary was asked once what her favourite character was. “Does your mother have a favourite child?” she responded.

1. What do we know about Cleary?

A．She was a late starter as an author.

B．She wrote true stories in her books.

C．She published her first book in the 1930s.

D．She drew writing inspiration from her neighbours.

2. What can be learned about Ramona in Cleary’s books?

A．She was a well-behaved little girl.	B．She was an only child of her family.
C．She had an impressive first appearance.	D．She played an increasingly bigger role.

3. Which of the following best describes Cleary as a child?

A．Clever.

B．Active.

C．Lonely.

D．Quiet.

4. What did Cleary do after quitting writing?

A．She added her fans’ words to her books.

B．She learned to type quickly and correctly.

C．She translated her books into other languages.

D．She made TV programmes based on her books.

5 . 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.

6 . 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。

There are several qualities of literature. One of them is its description of     1    (true) and beauty. Some truth and beauty remain unnoticed     2    a sensitive human soul brings them to our attention. A hundred men may pass a field and     3    (see) only dead grass; but a poet stops, looks deeper, sees truth and beauty, and writes. “Yesterday’s flowers am I.” One     4    (read) it is capable of seeing the beauty that     5    (hide) from his eyes before. Another quality is its appeal to our feelings and imagination. Its attraction lies     6    (much) in what it awakens in us than what it says. When Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus asks in     7    presence of Helen, “Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?” he opens a door through     8    our imagination enters a new world, a world of love, beauty and     9    (hero). In general, literature is the written record of man’s     10    (think) and feelings, and the history of the human soul.

7 . We could not go for a walk that _______. There was such a freezing cold wind, and such heavy rain, that we all stayed indoors. I was glad of it. I _______ liked long walks, especially in winter. I used to hate coming home when it was almost dark, with ice-cold fingers and toes, feeling miserable because Bessie, the nursemaid, was always scolding me. All the time I knew I was different from my cousins, Eliza, John and Georgiana Reed. They were taller and stronger than me, and they were _______.   

These___________usually spent their time crying and quarrelling, but today they were sitting _______ around their mother in the sitting-room. I wanted to join the family circle, but Mrs Reed, my aunt, refused. Bessie had complainted about me.   

“No, I’m sorry, Jane. _________ I hear from Bessie, or see for myself, that you are really trying to behave better, you cannot be treated as a good, happy child, like my children.” “What does Bessie say I have done?” I asked.   

“Jane, it is not polite to___________me in that way. If you cannot speak pleasantly, be quiet.”

I_________ out of the sitting-room and into the small room next door, _______ I chose a book full of pictures from the bookcase. I ________ to the window-seat and drew the________, so that I was completely hidden. I sat there for a while. Sometimes I looked out of the window at the grey November afternoon, and saw the rain pouring down on the leafless garden. But most of the time I studied the book and stared, fascinated, at the pictures. Lost in the world of imagination, I forgot my sad, lonely existence for a while, and was happy, I was only afraid that my secret hiding-place might be discovered.

________ the door of the room opened. John Reed rushed in.

“Where are you, rat?” he shouted. He did not see me behind the curtain. “Eliza! Georgy! Jane isn’t here! Tell Mamma she’s run out into the rain—what a bad________ she is!”

“How ________I drew the curtain,” I thought. He would never have found me, because he was not very intelligent. But Eliza guessed ________ where I was. “She’s in the window-seat, John,” she called from the sitting-room. So I came out immediately, as I did not want him to pull me out.

1.

A．morning

B．afternoon

C．evening

D．midnight

2.

A．always

B．never

C．occasionally

D．gradually

3.

A．loving

B．loved

C．hated

D．protected

4.

A．two

B．three

C．four

D．five

5.

A．quietly

B．wildly

C．restlessly

D．officially

6.

A．By the time

B．Until

C．Consequently

D．Now that

7.

A．interrupt

B．appreciate

C．dawn

D．question

8.

A．slid

B．sprang

C．crept

D．weaved

9.

A．where

B．which

C．when

D．that

10.

A．rushed to

B．aimed for

C．protested against

D．climbed on

11.

A．safe

B．switch

C．curtains

D．window

12.

A．Immediately

B．Absolutely

C．Suddenly

D．Mindfully

13.

A．animal

B．guy

C．girl

D．honey

14.

A．poor

B．dangerous

C．fortunate

D．intelligent

15.

A．on no account

B．in no time

C．by no means

D．no sooner than

8 . 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.

2. Which book is suitable for those who love detective stories?

A．The Snowy Day.	B．Dreamers.
C．Hidden Figures.	D．Wells &Wong Mysteries.

3. What do Dreamers and Hidden Figures have in common?

A．The way they are created.	B．The authors’ experiences.
C．The ages of the potential readers.	D．The theme they try to convey.

9 . Do you like reading? What would you like to read? Here are four recommendations from trusted critics.

A Greenglass House Story Kate Milford, illustrated by Nicole Wong	Twelve guests, trapped at the Blue Vein Tavern by rising floodwaters, tell stories to pass the time. With tales that cross over between storytelling and reality, what starts as a series of unrelated tales weaves(编织）together into something smart and tight.A puzzle book that adults may enjoy just as much as its intended child audience. (For ages 4 to 8)
Someone Builds the Dream Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Loren Long	Someone Builds the Dream is a celebration of the cooperative spirit and a proof to what we can achieve if we work together.And after having the curtain pulled back like this, children (and probably many grown-ups) will look at the world around them with fresh eyes. (For ages 5 to 8)
The Boy and the Sea Camille Andros, illustrated by Amy Bates	Following a young boy over a lifetime,Camille Andros' story flows back with a comforting rhythm while Amy Bates' timeless artwork washes over you. As the boy grows older, he returns regularly to the sea looking for answers but discovers something more valuable: visual angle. (For ages 4 to 8)
Magic Candies Heena Baek, translated by Sophie Bowman	When Tong Tong purchases a bag of strange, round candies, he discovers that each one allows him to hear the hidden speech of someone, or something. Honestly, who wouldn't want to hear what the leaves have to say? You'll also be sure to treat your chair with greater kindness after a single read.(For ages 4 to 8)

1. What do the books by Kate Milford and Lisa Wheeler have in common?

A．They are both puzzle books.

B．They may attract adult readers.

C．They both focus on cooperation.

D．They are for children aged 4 to 8.

2. Which book best suits children who are curious about others' secrets?

A．A Greenglass House Story.

B．Someone Builds the Dream.

C．Magic Candies.

D．The Boy and the Sea.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．In a history book.

B．In a travel brochure.

C．In a science fiction.

D．In a literature magazine.

10 . Jules Verne was a Frenchman who was born in 1828 and died in 1905. He read a great many scientific books and wrote a number of exciting books about the things which he thought that scientists and inventors would one day be able to do. Years later, many of the things really happened. At that time, however, his stories seemed like fairy tales.

Jules Verne’s most famous book is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.（A league is an old word meaning a distance of about three miles《海底二万里》）. In those days submarines（潜艇） had not been invented but he described an underwater ship very like a modern one.

Many of the things Jules wrote about in his books more than a hundred years ago to look into the future, however, were almost the same as we see today. In his book From the Earth to the Moon he wrote at the age of about forty, three men and a dog made a journey around the moon in a hollow ship fired from a gun. After going around the moon, they returned to the earth and splashed down into the sea not far from where the first real moon traveler landed in July, 1969.

1. Jules wrote a lot of exciting books partly because he ________.

A．liked reading on science	B．liked reading fairy tales
C．was a great inventor	D．was a famous scientist

2. Some of what Jules described in his books ________.

A．is almost the same as what happened years later

B．is quite different from what happened years later

C．never comes true

D．seems impossible to the people today

3. Many of the things really happened ________.

A．as soon as Jules’ books were published

B．some years after his books were published

C．at that time

D．when Jules was in his forties

4. The thing Jules described in his book From the Earth to the Moon is ________.

A．as large as the spaceship today

B．similar to the spaceship today

C．a gun used to send up a ship

D．an underwater ship

5. What does the underlined word “splashed” in the last paragraph mean?

A．walked

B．slept

C．fell

D．spent