Disease, poverty, hate, love—Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遗产) was far greater than just “great literature”
February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A white Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas”—not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day – unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.
Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth –“ home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “ Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickensian” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian (the period during British Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901) London.
He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy（官僚作风） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”.
小题1:What is the main idea of the article?| A．An introduction to Charles Dickens’ classic novels. | | B．Charles dickens’ impact on the world. | | C．Charles Dickens’ amazing characters. | | D．Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world. |
小题2:Why is Dickens called “the man who invented Christmas”?| A．Because he created the religious festival. | | B．Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas. | | C．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations. | | D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas. |
小题3:According to the article, the phrase “red tape” refers to _______.| A．rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task | | B．a situation in which poor members of society are hurt. | | C．conflict between people in power and weaker people | | D．pointlessly time-consuming official procedures |
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小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:D |
经过两百年，狄更斯的作品仍然给现代的人们带来深刻影响；并且也揭示了当时的社会现象。
小题1:根据第一段中“his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遗产) was far greater than just “great literature””可知，他的作品到现在仍然是非常棒的。
小题2:根据第五段中“...in his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “ Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas...”可知他的作品让圣诞节流行了起来，成为正式的节日。
小题3:根据倒数第二段中“...describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy（官僚作风） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society....”可知此处讲的是当权的人的官僚作风，即D没有意义的一些费事的程序。 |
核心考点
试题【Disease, poverty, hate, love—Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor. They talked about the 36 topic-happiness. But soon their conversation turned into complaints about 37 in work and life.
To offer his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and 38 with a large pot of coffee and a variety of 39 -plastic glass, metal, porcelain (陶瓷), some plain-looking some very 40 .The professor told his students to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in 41 . the professor said:" lf you have noticed, all the nice-looking 42 . cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is 43 for you to want only the best for Your belives, that is the 44 of your problems and stress. The professor continued," Believe that the cup itself adds no 45 to the coffee. ln most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even 46 what we drink. What all of you 47 wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went 48 the best cups. Now 49 this: life is coffee, the jobs, money, and 50 in society are the cups， which are just tools to hold and 51 life, and the different types of cups we have don"t decide, nor 52 the quality of life. lf we concentrate only on the cups, we will 53 to enjoy the coffee in it. So don"t let the cups 54 you...enjoy the coffee instead."
At these words, the graduates looked at each other in 55 embarrassment.
| 小题1: | | A．hot | B．sensitive | C．famous | D．easy |
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| 小题2: | | A．pay | B．joy | C．experience | D．stress |
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| 小题3: | | A．cooked | B．took | C．returned | D．met |
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| 小题4: | | A．cups | B．gifts | C．plates | D．drinks |
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| 小题5: | | A．common | B．special | C．rare | D．delicate |
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| 小题6: | | A．order | B．time | C．hand | D．place |
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| 小题7: | | A．pretty | B．different | C．colorful | D．expensive |
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| 小题8: | | A．necessary | B．normal | C．good | D．possible |
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| 小题9: | | A．situation | B．answer | C．result | D．source |
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| 小题10: | | A．quality | B．energy | C．weight | D．color |
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| 小题11: | | A．makes | B．gives | C．hides | D．includes |
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| 小题12: | | A．finally | B．really | C．especially | D．nearly |
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| 小题14: | | A．forget | B．discuss | C．consider | D．try |
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| 小题15: | | A．position | B．relation | C．workmates | D．friends |
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| 小题16: | | A．create | B．support | C．contain | D．own |
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| 小题17: | | A．damage | B．determine | C．change | D．increase |
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| 小题19: | | A．drive | B．hold | C．take | D．control |
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| 小题20: | | A．quiet | B．speechless | C．amazing | D．reasonable |
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One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester at Shippensburg University, sirens(警笛) sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university"s students lived there.
From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone got into gear to do their part in helping them. Flyers (小传单) were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations and money jars were placed in every residence hall（学生宿舍）．
As a residence director，I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don"t have much, but I asked them to do their best: “Every little bit will help." I really didn"t think they could do much. I was proved wrong.
At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring In the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party.
Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby (太厅) was over-flowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched in amazement as they, too, filled to the brim. Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids.
When we came to the final tally（得分）, the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward’s was touched and so very proud of them.
小题1:The writer mainly wanted to by the story.| A．tell us the suffering of nine of the college students from a fire | | B．praise the college students helping the victims selflessly | | C．tell us how successful the wing competition was | | D．show he was deeply moved by the college students" action |
小题2:The phrase "get into gear" in the second paragraph means .| A．be eager | B．take action | C．be prepared | D．start working |
小题3:At first, the residence director thought .| A．it was impossible to expect the college students to donate anything | | B．it was easy to collect a lot of donations from the college students | | C．the college students would donate not much | | D．the college students would donate all the items they had |
小题4:The wing competition was held .| A．on Tuesday evening | B．on Thursday | | C．on Wednesday evening | D．the very next day |
小题5:How did the residence director feel when he saw the brimful boxes?| A．Terrible． | B．Funny． | C．Surprised． | D．Serious |
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One sunny afternoon, a seven-year-old girl went for a walk. She crossed a large area of grassland into the woods __26__ she realized that she was lost.
Sitting on a rock and __27__ what to do, she began crying. After a while. She__28__ to walk along a wide path lined with tall trees and thick bushes. __29__ it was getting dark, she saw a small, dark wooden house. She opened the door and __30__ stepped in. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, and she ran out the door and back to the __31__. Cold and tired, she fell asleep near a __32__.
The girl’s parents were out and her dog, Laddy, was at home. Laddy __33__ that his mistrees（女主人）was in danger. He jumped __34__ a window, breaking the glass. He looked in the fields. But he couldn’t find his mistress anywhere. However, from the ground came a __35__ scent (气味) as he lowered his head. He __36__ the scent and walked across the grassland. Barking __37__ into the air, the dog __38__ through the woods until he found the __39__ . But the girl was not there, so he headed back to the woods. Much to his __40__ , he saw his mistress’ blue shirt in the distance. He __41__ over some bushes and saw the little stream, where the girl was __42__.
When she opened her eyes and 43 her dog standing beside her, the girl said, “you 44 me, Laddy,” and she kissed him several times. Seeing their daughter and dog coming back, the parents burst into tears of 45 . That night Laddy had a heror’s supper: a huge meal of steak
| 小题1: | | A．before | B．since | C．while | D．as |
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| 小题2: | | A．wondering | B．forgetting | C．remembering | D．regretting |
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| 小题3: | | A．preferred | B．expected | C．failed | D．decided |
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| 小题4: | | A．When | B．Until | C．If | D．Because |
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| 小题5: | | A．carelessly | B．cautiously | C．hopelessly | D．unwillingly |
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| 小题6: | | A．trees | B．bushes | C．woods | D．grasses |
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| 小题7: | | A．stream | B．rock | C．tree | D．house |
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| 小题8: | | A．found | B．sensed | C．heard | D．smelt |
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| 小题10: | | A．terrible | B．strange | C．pleasant | D．familiar |
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| 小题11: | | A．missed | B．discovered | C．followed | D．ignored |
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| 小题12: | | A．calmly | B．loudly | C．merrily | D．gently |
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| 小题13: | | A．searched | B．wandered | C．looked | D．travelled |
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| 小题14: | | A．window | B．girl | C．house | D．hero |
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| 小题15: | | A．satisfaction | B．disappointment | C．embarrassment | D．delight |
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| 小题16: | | A．jumped | B．climbed | C．walked | D．flew |
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| 小题17: | | A．awake | B．abandoned | C．available | D．asleep |
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| 小题18: | | A．spotted | B．watched | C．observed | D．saw |
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| 小题19: | | A．disturbed | B．comforted | C．rescued | D．scared |
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| 小题20: | | A．pain | B．shock | C．sorrow | D．relief |
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Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.
小题1:When his wife left home. Brad expected to .| A．go out for a walk in the park | | B．watch TV talk show with his children | | C．enjoy his first day off work | | D．read the newspaper to his children |
小题2:Which of the following did Randy do? | A．Drawing on the wall | B．Eating apple jam | | C．Feeding the fish. | D．Reading in a room |
小题3:Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?| A．Because he wanted to clean up his house. | | B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office | | C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home. | | D．Because he had to take his wife back |
小题4:This text is developed .| A．by space | B．by comparison | C．by process | D．by time |
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I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early__36___of gardening may not have originated from my love for nature. It was to ___37____my parents.
At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with __38___at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, “something else to ___39___!” Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father ever thought it a waste of time.
At that age, I always did something___40___to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found____41___, I would plant a garden!
I planted some lily（百合花）seeds in the yard. But they failed to ___42___.I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild ___43___ joy, I found the first rose bloom（开花）.One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. __44___, I was touched by this land of wonder.
___45___, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even___46___at me because he found it was ___47___to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother’s ___48__ , I put in her vase my real roses which, in her eyes, were simply weeds____49___flowers.
Regardless of their ___50___,I kept on planting my garden and ___51___to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they___52____to care and love.
It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to ___53___my parents. Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show which makes my parents feel very___54_ . And now I could say it is my affection for___55___that makes me a real gardener.
| 小题1: | | A．memory | B．dream | C．intention | D．design |
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| 小题2: | | A．please | B．change | C．help | D．annoy |
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| 小题3: | | A．doubt | B．appreciation | C．surprise | D．excitement |
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| 小题4: | | A．collect up | B．care about | C．clean up | D．come in |
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| 小题5: | | A．equal | B．similar | C．superior | D．opposite |
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| 小题6: | | A．painful | B．valuable | C．upsetting | D．interesting |
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| 小题7: | | A．come up | B．break out | C．hold on | D．get through |
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| 小题9: | | A．Luckily | B．Cheerfully | C．Regularly | D．Eventually |
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| 小题10: | | A．Instead | B．However | C．Therefore | D．Besides |
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| 小题11: | | A．shouted | B．laughed | C．glanced | D．jumped |
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| 小题12: | | A．convenient | B．troublesome | C．enjoyable | D．dangerous |
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| 小题13: | | A．sadness | B．displeasure | C．delight | D．relief |
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| 小题14: | | A．other than | B．more than | C．rather than | D．less than |
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| 小题15: | | A．dislike | B．encouragement | C．threat | D．suggestion |
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| 小题16: | | A．decided | B．stopped | C．continued | D．struggled |
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| 小题17: | | A．devote | B．turn | C．respond | D．lead |
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| 小题18: | | A．defeat | B．satisfy | C．respect | D．challenge |
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| 小题19: | | A．proud | B．comfortable | C．strange | D．disappointed |
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| 小题20: | | A．freedom | B．life | C．growth | D．nature |
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