1 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Clever. | B．Active. | C．Lonely. | D．Quiet. |
| 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. |
2 . "My Best Teacher Ever" Contest（竞赛）
Essay（文章）Topic
Who was/is your best teacher ever? What makes him or her the best?
Contestant
The contest is open to all students.
Word: not more than 300
Essays will be judged on the following criteria（标准）by Readers editorial staff（工作人员）:
•originally, creativity﹣﹣﹣40 percent
•clarity of presentation﹣﹣﹣40 percent
•grammar, punctuation, spelling﹣﹣﹣20 percent
Contest Deadline （最后期限）
Entries must be postmarked on or before April 26,2020,or mailed by EST on that date. Email your entry with attached essay and entry information to web﹣contest@readers.com or mail your entry with attached entry form to this address:
Readers Publishing My Best Teacher Ever Contest
Attn: Anne Flounders 44 South Broadway, 18th Floor White Plains, NY 10601
Prizes
Winning students will win a $50 gift card and may have their essays published on readers. com. Winning essays will be announced on May 7, 2020, on readers. com and winners will be told directly.
1. Essays will be judged on the following criteria EXCEPT________.| A．punctuation | B．creativity | C．presentation | D．handwriting |
| A．should have a total of 300 words at least | B．can't have any mistakes in grammar |
| C．should be mailed on or before April 26, 2020 | D．will be judged by some best teachers |
| A．will be given $50 in cash | B．may have your essay published online |
| C．will be told of your success online | D．can have the Readers magazine for free |
