Disease, poverty, hate, love—Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遗产) was far greater than just “great literature”
February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A white Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas”—not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day – unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.
Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth –“ home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “ Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickensian” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian (the period during British Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901) London.
He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy（官僚作风） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”.
1.What is the main idea of the article?
A. An introduction to Charles Dickens’ classic novels.
B. Charles dickens’ impact on the world.
C. Charles Dickens’ amazing characters.
D. Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world.
2.Why is Dickens called “the man who invented Christmas”?
A. Because he created the religious festival.
B. Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas.
C. Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations.
D. Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas.
3.According to the article, the phrase “red tape” refers to _______.
A. rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task
B. a situation in which poor members of society are hurt.
C. conflict between people in power and weaker people
D. pointlessly time-consuming official procedures
YOU probably think you know about London’s problems. The people are unfriendly, it’s way too expensive, and the food is terrible - so why do so many tourists flock (蜂拥) there?
London was named the world’s most popular city between July and September 2013. It edged out other world-famous cities such as New York and Paris, welcoming 4.9 million visitors, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.
Amazingly, this was an increase of almost 19.5 percent on 2012 - the year when the Olympics happened in summer.
So can London’s success be explained? Well, maybe. As the English writer Samuel Johnson once said, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. London life is often crazy and expensive, but if you can think of something, you can probably do it there.
Anywhere in the city, you can often look around a great museum such as the British Museum, watch a concert at a historic venue (场所) like the Royal Albert Hall, or dance the night away in a cool nightclub such as Fabric.
And it’s not just about culture – there are also world-famous sporting venues around the city. Many tourists like to watch soccer matches at stadiums such as Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, or Tottenham’s White Hart Lane. Tourists even came to watch British tennis player Andy Murray’s famous victory at the Wimbledon tennis tournament (锦标赛) in 2013.
Yes, but what about the food? Well, even if you don’t like British food – and if you’ve never had real fish and chips, or a summer pudding, then perhaps you should wait until you’ve tried them – there is plenty of great food from all over the world available in London’s many restaurants.
London, like many of its buildings, has a long history, but also never lacks a vibrant pulse (充满活力的脉搏). All over the city, history and modernity come together to make it an essential place for tourists to discover.
1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To show the effects of the 2012 London Olympics.
B. To analyze why London appeals to tourists.
C. To compare London with other world-famous cities.
D. To talk about common problems in London.
2.The underlined phrase “edged out” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A. took the lead of
B. had a lot in common with
C. followed the example of
D. became more popular than
3.In Samuel Johnson’s eyes, life in London is probably ______.
A. relaxed B. boring
C. colorful D. challenging
4.According to the article, London is attracting many visitors from across the world, mainly because ______.
a. it is a city rich in culture and attractions
b. most local people are friendly
c. the sporting venues around the city are worthy of a visit
d. British food enjoys a good reputation among visitors
e. the city has a combination of history and modernity
A. abc B. ace
C. bcd D. bde
Every day we go to school and listen to teachers, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends --- you are in a situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease in ordinary conversation but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.
1.When you speak to the class, you should speak __________.
A. as loudly as possible B. in a low voice
C. loudly D. forcefully
2.The situation in the class is _________ that in your house.
A. not very different from B. sometimes the same as
C. sometimes not the same as D. not the same as
3.If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is _____________.
A. to show your ability B. to be very gentle
C. to make sure that you can be heard D. to put the official at ease
4.The main idea of this passage is __________.
A. that we must use different ways at different situations
B. that we must speak loudly
C. that we must keep silent at any time
D. that we must talk with the class
Not many people can say that they have lived in two totally different environments, and technically neither can I. I have lived in the same house in the same Connecticut town my whole life, but a lot of my childhood and teenage years have been spent visiting my family in New York City.
Wethersfield is a typical New England town, a small close community (社区) where almost everyone knows your name. My friends all go to the same high school and my parents are friendly with my friends’ parents. Most of my friends don’t realize what life is like outside this little town. Maybe every so often a few take a day trip to Manhattan or Boston, but none really knows what it’s like to live in an urban environment.
My parents are both from New York City and since they have siblings and friends who still live there, we visit a lot. From an early age I have been exposed to urban life. Jeff, one of my cousins, lives with his mother in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. He has never had his own room and has always been very much on his own. I don’t think any of my friends could understand how someone could live like that. www.manfen5.com
When I go to the city I see things I would never see in my hometown. I see poverty and people struggling to make a living. I observe a whole different pace; there, you’re just one guy living with millions of others who will never know your name.
I feel blessed to have experienced the lifestyles of two completely different places. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had. I feel that living in Wethersfield has given me a solid base in forming my character and the ability to deal in a close-knit society. On the other hand, my time spent in New York has exposed me to diverse cultural experiences. I feel that I would be comfortable in any environment and could make the best of any situation.
1.According to the author, most of his friends in the town _____.
A. have never experienced city life
B. can only understand the rural life
C. prefer the small close community
D. know little about the real city life
2.The underlined word “siblings” in paragraph 3 means _____.
A. schoolmates B. colleagues
C. relatives D. parents
3.The author’s life in New York has brought him _____.
A. his present character B. the social ability
C. the comfort of city life D. diverse cultural experiences
4.What could be the best title for the passage?
A. A Small Town and a Big City
B. A Man of Two Different Worlds
C. Experience Various Environments
D. Make the Best of Diverse Cultures
某英文报社正在开展“低碳生活，从我做起”的征文活动，请给其投稿。内容要点如下：
好处：减少二氧化碳的排放，有利于缓解全球变暖；
具体建议：随手关掉不用的电器，如电灯、电视和电脑；
步行或骑自行车出行；如果路程远，乘坐公交车
购物时尽量使用环保布袋，不用一次性塑料袋。
大家都行动起来，我们就能与环境和谐共处。
注意： 词数不少于100；可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：二氧化碳排放 carbon dioxide emissions；一次性塑料袋disposable plastic bags
Nowadays,it is becoming common to lead a low-carbon lifestyle._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Maybe you are an ordinary student.1. This is not necessarily so.Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to.Here’s how:
Plan your time carefully.When planning your work,you should make a list of things that you have to do.After making this list,you should make a schedule of your time.First arrange your time for eating,sleeping,dressing,etc,then decide a good,regular time for studying.2. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems,but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.
Make good use of your time in class.3. Listening carefully in class means less work later.Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
Study regularly.When you get home from school,go over your notes,review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day,read that material.4. If you do these things regularly,the material will become more meaningful,and you will remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude towards tests.The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test,so don’t be over-worried
.5. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
A.This will help you understand the next class.
B.You probably think you will never be a top student.
C.Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.
D.No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.
E.There are other methods that might help you with your study.
F.Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.
G.Make full use of spare time to take note of what the teacher says in class.
