17．
Victor Hugo's great work Les Misérables has carried its success into the 21st century with its recent film adaptation，which is well received with both audiences and critics，winning three Academy Awards，including Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway，and making the original book a hot pick among bookworms．
Victor Hugo published Les Misérables in 1862，at a time when France was going through a revolution（革命）．Its popularity is partly due to the fact that Hugo managed to humanize（人性化） the great struggles of the age．He lets us see，hear and smell the sights and sounds of human beings at that time．Hugo creates a vivid picture，and the characters seem far more real under the master's pen．From his descriptions，readers can feel the characters'pain and sense of hopelessness．Jean Valjean's life is changed by an act of forgiveness，love and sacrifice．Fantine，another pitiful character sells her hair，teeth and even herself for her daughter，Cosette，whom she can't even see at her death．However，the sad world is lighted by the shining humanity and love that will win over any evil shines through the work．
The story is set in the early 19
th century in France．Jean Valjean has just spent nineteen years in prison for stealing a piece of bread to feed his hungry sister．After being let go from prison，Valjean can't get a job because no one is willing to employ a former criminal（罪犯）．So Valjean turns to a priest for help．He repays the priest by stealing from him．However，the priest lets him off and doesn't report it to the police．Unfortunately after leaving the church he steals some money from a child，but soon regrets his crime．The police are searching for him because of the crime．A policeman called Javert starts to follow him，who guesses who Valjean is and wants to catch him and send him back to prison．What follows is a long game of cat and mouse．Valjean changes his name to Madelaine and starts a new life and later becomes mayor of a town．
Another major storyline of the book concerns Cosette．Her mother Fantine becomes pregnant with her by a wealthy student who abandons（抛弃） her．Therefore begins a sad period in which Fantine has to leave Cosette to cruel guardians （监护人）．She herself goes to work in Valjean's factory，but loses her job when it is discovered that she has a daughter outside marriage．Valjean tries to help Fantine，but at this point in the story，the policeman named Javert arrives．Valjean ends up back in jail．Fantine dies in a state of shock．
Upon escaping again from prison，Valjean takes over the responsibility of raising Cosette．He saves her from her cruel guardians，who treat her terribly．From this point the fates of Valjean and Cosette are connected with each other．The young Cosette finds true love in Marius，a student who wants to bring freedom and equality to France．But Valjean is against Cosette's relationship with Marius，so he moves away with her．When Marius and his comrades start an uprising（起义），the young man is injured but Valjean saves him from the fight．Cosette marries the young man she loves．Javert ends up killing himself in River Seine，feeling guilty and touched by Valjean's kindness．
Pick this much-loved and everlasting classic and get a taste of the timelessness of Victor Hugo．
67．The purpose of the first paragraph is toC．
A．attract readers to the book Les Misérables
B．make a summary of the book Les Misérables
C．promote the film adaptation Les Misérables
D．tell us something of the writer of Les Misérables
68．What is Not Mentioned in Paragraph Two？C
A．Themes of the book．
B．Writing background．
C．Reviews of the film
D．Main characters．
69．Valjean changes his name to Madelaine becauseD．
A．he believes the priest who gives him a name for a new life
B．he is ashamed of his own past and wants to start a new life
C．he desires to be a successful and honorable mayor of a town
D．he is afraid of being caught and sent back to prison again
70．What can we learn from the article？B
A．The priest reports him to the police when Jean Valjean steals from the church．
B．Cosette lives a hard life with her guardians before Jean Valjean rescues her．
C．Javert gets killed in the fight when Marius and his comrades start an uprising．
D．Fantine loses her job because Jean Valjean looks down upon her past．
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