Question

    Here are a few of the most popular genres in the UK.

Fantasy

UK has always been famous for stories of magic and wizardry. There are strong cultural memories of the ancestors who built Stonehenge and ruled the country before the arrival of the Romans. Shakespeare wrote a fantastical play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for example. Frankston was born when the English poet Lord Byron invited Mary Shelley and others to create a horror story when holidaying in Geneva. The tradition of British fantasy is still alive and kicking, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is just one example.

Chick lit

Chick lit refers to books that are written about and for modern women. The most famous example is probably Bridget Jones’s Diary by the British author Helen Fielding. Titles in this genre are usually about complicated love lives, modem working life and trying to remain healthy. These books usually contain humor or a “feel good” factor. In many ways they represent escapist fantasy, but they are popular because they deal with day-to-day topics.

Crime

The UK is known for its detective fiction and modem mysteries. One of the most famous British authors in this genre is of course Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who started the Sherlock Holmes stories in 1887. The characters in the fiction are still popular on television and in film. There are many contemporary popular British authors of crime fiction: P. D James, Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter.

Celebrity autobiographies

It seems that every minor celebrity(famous person)has written a book these days. They’re not really serious authors and simply cashing in on their ‘15 minutes’ of fame. Many of the books are ‘kiss and tell’ .They are of interest to readers only because of the secrets they reveal about other famous people. This genre is popular because the celebrity culture is well developed in the UK.

1.Why is British Fantasy so popular?

A.Because their ancestors built Stonehenge.

B.Because it is part of the British cultural identity.

C.Because there are many fantasy authors.

D.Because English poet Lord Byron created this type of fiction.

2.Which of the following fictions deals with day-to-day topics?

A.Frankston B.Sherlock Holmes C.Bridget Jones’s Diary D.Harry Potter

3.Why do many people like to read celebrity autobiographies?

A.Because they want to know how these famous people succeed.

B.Because they want to know how they can earn a lot of money in short time.

C.Because they want to know the private life of famous people.

D.Because they want to find a way to kill their time.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.C

【解析】

这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了英国流行的四种文学形式，包括奇幻故事、畅销小说、犯罪小说和名人自传。

1.

推理判断题。根据Fantasy部分中UK has always been famous for stories of magic and wizardry. There are strong cultural memories of the ancestors who built Stonehenge and ruled the country before the arrival of the Romans.可知英国一直以奇幻的故事而闻名。在罗马人到来之前，建造巨石阵并统治这个国家的祖先有着强烈的文化记忆。由此可推知，英国奇幻故事如此受欢迎，是因为这是英国文化认同的一部分。故选B。

2.

细节理解题。根据Chick lit部分中The most famous example is probably Bridget Jones’s Diary by the British author Helen Fielding. Titles in this genre are usually about complicated love lives, modem working life and trying to remain healthy. These books usually contain humor or a “feel good” factor. In many ways they represent escapist fantasy, but they are popular because they deal with day-to-day topics.可知最著名的例子可能是英国作家Helen Fielding写的《BJ单身日记》。这类题材的标题通常是关于复杂的爱情生活、现代工作生活以及如何保持健康。这些书通常包含幽默或“感觉良好”的因素。在许多方面，它们代表了逃避现实的幻想，但它们受欢迎的原因是它们处理日常话题。由此可知，Bridget Jones’s Diary涉及日常话题。故选C。

3.

细节理解题。根据最后一段中Many of the books are ‘kiss and tell’ .They are of interest to readers only because of the secrets they reveal about other famous people.可知很多书都是“kiss and tell”，读者之所以感兴趣，只是因为书中透露了其他名人的秘密。由此可知，许多人喜欢看名人自传，因为他们想知道名人的私生活。故选C。