Question

    Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7th February, 1812. His father, John Dickens, was a clerk in the Navy. In 1814 the Dickens family moved to London and two years later to Chatham in Kent. Charles attended a private school for a few years there until the family moved back to London in1822.

Two years later Charles’s father was sent to a debtors’ prison for not paying his bills. Charles was 12 years old at the time. The family had no money, so he had to leave school and get a job in a factory that made shoe polish. The conditions there were very bad and the workers were very poor. It was a completely different world from one Charles knew and he was often sad and lonely.

His father managed to leave the prison and Charles returned to school, but this experience had a great effect on him. He never forgot it and described it in several of his novels.

Great Expectations is usually described as a bildungsroman, a type of novel that was popular in Victorian times. Bildungsroman is a German word used for novels that show the psychological and moral development of the main character as he or she grows up. However, Great Expectations, like most of Charles Dickens’s novels, can not be so easily defined. It is also a story about love and passion, a mystery story and a story that comments on the society of the time.

Great Expectations is set on the marshes(湿地) of Kent and in London in the early to mid-1800s. The main character is a poor orphan boy called Pip, who lives with his old sister and her husband, Joe. One day he meets and falls in love with a rich girl called Estella. She laughs at him because he is a poor village boy and he starts to become unhappy with his life. A few years later he learns that he has a secret benefactor（捐助人）, who wants him to live the life of a gentleman. Now that he is rich, he thinks that he has a chance of winning Estella’s love. He leaves his village and goes to live London, where he makes new friends. He starts to feel ashamed of his home and his family, particularly Joe, who he treats unkindly. However, after many adventures he is finally able to recognize his mistakes.

Charles Dickens originally wrote a sad ending for Great Expectations but he decided to change it to a happier one because of a suggestion from one of his friends. Most books today contain the new ending but there are some that also include the original one.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is Wrong about Dickens?

A.Financial difficulties forced the Dickens family to move to London.

B.He was left to take care of himself at 12 when his father was put into a debtor’s prison.

C.He had a little primary education and lived a sad and painful life.

D.Great Expectations was based on much of Dickens’ personal experience.

2.What does the underlined word “Bildungsroman” in paragraph 4 mean?

A.a process of maturation(成熟) and self-discovery.

B.a process of becoming independent.

C.a process of physical and mental development.

D.a change from selfishness to love and passion.

3.What will Pip’s relationship with Joe be possibly like at the end of the story?

A.Pip will become more ashamed of his family and less kind to Joe.

B.Pip will be grateful to Joe and reward him.

C.Pip will be kind and friendly to Joe.

D.Pip will be cold and distant with Joe.

4.Pip realizes what is the most important thing in life at the end of the story?

A.wealth and social status.

B.love and loyalty.

C.lifelong ambition and successful careers.

D.great expectations and wildest dreams.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述查尔斯·狄更斯小时候的经历以及对他的著作《伟大前程》的介绍。

1.细节理解题。由第一段的“His father, John Dickens, was a clerk in the Navy. In 1814 the Dickens family moved to London”可知，他的父亲约翰·狄更斯是海军的一名办事员。1814年，狄更斯一家搬到了伦敦。由此可知，1814年，狄更斯一家搬到了伦敦但并没有提及经济困难迫使他们家人搬去伦敦，选项A表达的是狄更斯家里经济困难迫使他们家人搬去伦敦是错误的。故选A。

2.词义猜测题。由第四段第二句“Bildungsroman is a German word used for novels that show the psychological and moral development of the main character as he or she grows up.”可知，教育小说是一种描述主人公成长过程中心理和道德品质发展的德语小说。由此可知，Bildungsroman这个单词应该表达的是主人公成长过程和品质发展过程。选项A表示的是成熟过程和自我发现的过程，符合语境。故选A。

3.推理判断题。由第五段最后两句“He starts to feel ashamed of his home and his family, particularly Joe, who he treats unkindly. However, after many adventures he is finally able to recognize his mistakes.”可知，他开始对他的家庭和家人感到羞耻，特别是他刻薄对待的Joe。但是，经过很多次冒险之后，他最后能够意识到他的错误。由此可知，Pip一开始刻薄对待Joe,后发发现自己的错误，不再刻薄对待Joe，在故事的结尾，Pip和Joe的关系应该是Pip将会友好地对待Joe。结合选项可知，选项C正确。

4.推理判断题。由第五段最后两句“He starts to feel ashamed of his home and his family, particularly Joe, who he treats unkindly. However, after many adventures he is finally able to recognize his mistakes.”可知，他开始对他的家庭和家人感到羞耻，特别是他刻薄对待的Joe。但是，经过很多次冒险之后，他最后能够意识到他的错误。由此可知，Pip一开始对自己的家庭和家人感到一种羞耻的态度，后来发现自己的这种想法是错误的，由此判断出在故事的结尾，皮普意识到生活中最重要的是对家人的忠诚和爱才是最重要的。结合选项可知，选项B正确。