Question

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

How the British and American Tell Children’s Stories

If Harry Potter and Huckleberry Finn were each to represent British versus American children’s literature, a curious situation would emerge : In a literary competition for the hearts and minds of children, one is a wizard(巫师)- in - training at a boarding school in the Scottish Highlands, while the other is a barefoot boy drifting down the Mississippi, bothered by cheats, slave hunters, and thieves. One defeats evil with a magic stick, the other takes to a raft(筏)to right a social wrong. 1.

The small island of Great Britain is an unquestionably powerhouse of children’s bestsellers: Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Significantly, all are fantasies. 2. Stories like The Call of the Wild. Charlotte’s Web, Little Women, and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer are more notable for their realistic portraits of day-to-day life in the towns and farmlands on the growing frontier. If British children gathered in the dim light of the kitchen fireplace to hear stories about magic swords and talking bears, American children sat at their mother’s knee listening tales with moral messages about a world where life was hard, obedience emphasized, and Christian morality valued. Each style has its virtues, but the British approach undoubtedly creates the kinds of stories that appeal to the furthest reaches of children’s imagination.

3. For one, the British have always been in touch with their pagan(异教徒的)folk traditions and stories, says Maria Tatar, a Harvard professor of children’s literature. After all, the country’s very origin story is about a young king tutored by a wizard. Legends have always been accepted as history, from Merlin to Macbeth. “Even as the British were digging into these magical worlds, Americans, much more realistic, always viewed their soil as something to exploit,” says Tatar.

American write fantasies too, but nothing like the British, says Jerry Griswold, a San Diego State University professor of children’s literature. He said, “4.” To prove it, he mentioned Dorothy, the heroine of Wizard of Oz(绿野仙踪)who unmasks the great and powerful Wizard as a cheat. Meanwhile, American fantasies differ in another way: They usually end with a moral lesson learned - for example, in Oz, Dorothy’s journey ends with the realization: “There’s no place like home.”

A.It all goes back to each country’s distinct cultural heritage.

B.American stories are rooted in realism; even our fantasies are rooted in realism.

C.Both boys are characterized by their unique roles, thus breathing life into the fancy stories.

D.Meanwhile, the United States, also a major player in children’s classics, deals much less in magic.

E.Britain’s time-honored countryside, with ancient castles and restful farms, lends itself to fairy-tale invention.

F.Both orphans took over the world of children’s literature, but their stories unfold in noticeable different ways.

Answer

1.F

2.D

3.A

4.B

【解析】

本文是说明文。文章讲述了英国人和美国人在讲述儿童故事方面是不同的，英国儿童文学作品是充满幻想的，而美国儿童文学作品是日常生活的现实写照。尽管美国儿童文学作品也有幻想的元素，但它们植根于现实主义。

1.考查段尾句。空前简要描述了英国和美国的儿童文学的代表作品中的主人公的事迹，因此F项（两个孤儿都接管了儿童文学的世界，但是他们的故事以明显不同的方式展开。）能够承接上文。该选项中的Both orphans指的是前面的Harry Potter and Huckleberry Finn。故选F。

2.考查段中句。空前讲的是英国儿童文学作品是充满幻想的，空后讲的是美国儿童文学作品是日常生活的现实写照。因此，D项（同时，美国还是儿童经典游戏的主要参与者，其魔术交易少得多）能够承接上文并且与下文连接通顺。该选项中的meanwhile前后两句是在对比英国和美国的儿童文学作品。故选D。

3.考查段首句。空后讲的是英国和美国的儿童文学作品的来源是不同的，英国的儿童文学作品源于民俗传统和故事，而美国的儿童文学作品探索的是现实生活的土地，A项（这可以追溯到每个国家的独特文化遗产）能够与下文连接通顺。故选A。

4.考查段中句。空前讲的是美国儿童文学作品也有幻想的元素，但不像英国的儿童文学作品。空后讲的是美国儿童文学作品在幻想方面不同于美国儿童文学作品的地方。因此B项（美国的故事植根于现实主义；甚至我们的幻想都植根于现实主义。）能够承接上文并且与下文连接通顺。空格后的句子中的it指代的是该选项的内容，随后进行了举例。故选B。