Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer’s office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.

He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity（不人道） of the bourgeoisie（资产阶级）.

Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.

Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism（人文主义）. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end.

61. Dickens only received a little formal education because______.

A. he wanted to teach himself

B. he wanted to work and made a lot of money

C. he was too poor to afford any more formal education

D. he wanted some working experiences to be a novelist

62. According to Dickens, the society at his time in England was________.

A. just     B. poor    C. comfortable        D. unsatisfying

63. Which of the following novel made Dickens the most popular writer at his time in England?

A. Oliver Twist             B. The Pickwick Papers 

C. A Tale of Two Cities       D. Great Expectations

64. According to the passage, which of the following about Dickens is true?

A. He didn’t go to school at all.

B. He only wrote about poor people and showed deep sympathy for them.

C. He began to write fictions when he was 21years old.

D. He found some effective ways to improve the living conditions of the poor.

65. It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A. Dickens had a miserable childhood

B. Dickens tried many different jobs before he became a professional writer

C. Dickens wrote many novels but only some of them are popular

D. Dickens criticized capitalist（资本主义的）society and helped to improve the living conditions of the poor

 

Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night．
During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they’re all within a short cab ride of each other．For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．
But at night party-seekers come to the square．Hip hop or funk music is heard there．．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don’t shut down until 4 am．
And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don’t worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．And you’ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent．
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system．For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise（巡游） the "Venice of the North"．
The city has a historic past．One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II．Visitors can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．
【小题1】What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?

A．A carriage．

B．A bicycle．

C．A canal bus．

D．A water taxi．

【小题2】When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in  ___________    ．

A．only Dutch	B．Dutch or English
C．only English	D．Spanish and English

【小题3】What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A．The experience of a beautiful girl survivor．

B．The glorious past of Amsterdam．

C．The life of Jewish during World War Ⅱ．

D．The suffering of the Dutch in wars．

【小题4】The passage is intended to  ____________        ．

A．call up people’s memories of World War Ⅱ

B．tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about

C．instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland

D．offer readers some information about Amsterdam

Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam's story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night．
During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they're all within a short cab ride of each other．For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there's the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．
But at night party-seekers come to the square．Hip hop or funk music is heard there．．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don't shut down until 4 am．
And while you're there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don't worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．And you'll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent．
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system．For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise（巡游） the "Venice of the North"．
The city has a historic past．One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II．Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．
【小题1】What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?

A．A carriage．

B．A bicycle．

C．A canal bus．

D．A water taxi．

【小题2】When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in _______．

A．only Dutch	B．Dutch or English
C．only English	D．Spanish and English

【小题3】What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A．The experience of a beautiful girl survivor．

B．The glorious past of Amsterdam．

C．The life of Jewish during World War Ⅱ．

D．The suffering of the Dutch in wars．

【小题4】The passage is intended to _______．

A．call up people’s memories of World War Ⅱ

B．tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about

C．instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland

D．offer readers some information about Amsterdam

Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer's office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.

　　He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity（不人道） of the bourgeoisie（布尔乔亚阶级）.

　　Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.

　　Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end.

1.Dickens only received a little formal education because______.

A．he wanted to teach himself

B．he wanted to work and made a lot of money

C．he was too poor to afford any more formal education

D．he wanted some working experiences to be a novelist

2.According to Dickens, the society at his time in England was________.

A．just

B．poor

C．comfortable

D．unsatisfying

3.Which of the following novel made Dickens the most popular writer at his time in England?

A．Oliver Twist	B．The Pickwick Papers
C．A Tale of Two Cities	D．Great Expectations

4.According to the passage, which of the following about Dickens is true?

A．He didn't go to school at all.

B．He only wrote about poor people and showed deep sympathy for them.

C．He began to write fictions when he was 21 years old.

D．He found some effective ways to improve the living conditions of the poor.

5.It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．Dickens had a miserable childhood

B．Dickens tried many different jobs before he became a professional writer

C．Dickens wrote many novels but only some of them are popular

D．Dickens criticized capitalist society and helped to improve the living conditions of the poor

 

London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub.
Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London.
In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City.
As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.
“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert.
Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.
There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.
“Both cities have changed beyond recognition,” said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. “I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”
But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose. “I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized,” she said. “In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares.”
【小题1】It can be inferred that ___________.

A．Paris and London are the two biggest cities in the world

B．In the 19th century, Dickens told his stories in the two cities

C．London and Paris used to be separated

D．Liverpool is a big city in France

【小题2】According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．People feel it difficult to find a job in Paris.

B．People can't travel to London without a passport.

C．Living in France is more expensive than in London.

D．People can find any job in London.

【小题3】The underlined phrase in Para9 most probably means “_____________”

A．beyond one’s imagination

B．so much that people don’t know them well again

C．so little that people still know them well

D．to people’s satisfaction

【小题4】What’s the meaning of the last two sentences?

A．People can do everything in London.

B．People will feel lonely in London.

C．People in London enjoy living in different ways.

D．People in London enjoy a lawless life.