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1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上Unit 1Appreciating literatureWhat is classic literature? Classics are the antiques of the literary world. They are novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written and well received that people still read them today. They are examples of great writing a
2、nd wisdom, and even those written centuries ago can still be found in bookshops and libraries today.Because a lot of classics were written so long ago, the language used in them is quite different from the language used today. This makes them difficult for some people to read, and often, the classic
3、s are left to gather dust on shelves. Many people do not read them because they think that they are old-fashioned and boring, and have nothing to do with life today.However, if this is true, why do we still find classics in bookshops and libraries?They have not disappeared and still have a place in
4、the world today. Why else would many films based on them be successful? In 1995, Clueless, the award-winning film based on Jane Austins novel Emma, was released. Three years later, in 1998, a modern adaptation of Charles Dickenss novel Great Expectations appeared in cinemas. I do not think that thes
5、e classic novels would be made into films if they had nothing to do with life today.Charles Dickens: Englands greatest writerCharles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. He wrote many novels. Olive Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations are probably his best-known works. He firs
6、t published many novels one chapter at a time in newspapers, and some were later performed on stage. For people at that time, his stories were like the soap operas we see on TV today.He died in 1870 and his tomb reads, by his death, one of Englands greatest writers is lost to the world.Great Expecta
7、tionsGreat Expectations is set in England in the early 1800s.Dickens uses Pip, the main character, to tell the story. Pip is not only a character, he also tells the story of Great Expectations. Pip lives with his older sister and her husband Joe. Pips sister seldom has a kind word to say, but Joe is
8、 a kind and simple man, who would rather die than see any harm come to Pip.Pip, who is seven years old when the story begins, is in a misty field of tombs when a man appears and frightens him. Mist is a symbol of danger and uncertainty in Great Expectations. Classic novels often have symbols which a
9、dd interest, tension or deeper meaning to the text. Readers may not be able to see the danger, so they need a symbol like the mist to make it clearer to them.There is a twist in the plot when a very generous stranger gives Pip a lot of money. Pip is about 18 years old when this happens, and the fort
10、une sets him free from the financial worries. Pip makes the abrupt decision to move from Kent, which is a constant remainder of his shabby beginnings, to the bright lights of London.Excited by his move to London, Pip can hardly wait to begin his new life. Money and education have changed him, and be
11、fore long he develops the shortcomings of being shallow and having prejudice, even against his old companions. Pip dislikes it when Joe comes to visit him in London. He has rigid ideas of what it means to be civil and to be a gentleman, and is embarrassed by Joe he does not fit these.Pip is bent on
12、becoming a gentleman and winning Estellas love. Estella is a beautiful girl, and for Pip, she is a symbol of education and money. What it really means to be a gentleman is an important theme in Great Expectations. Is an educated person with a lot of money a gentleman? Or is a gentleman somebody who
13、is kind and good to his friends?By the end of the novel, Pip has changed a lot. He learns that wealth does not buy happiness and that friends are more important than a fancy education. This change in Pip is called character development and is an important part of any novel. Does Joe forgive Pip? Doe
14、s Pip get the girl of his dreams? You will just have to read it yourself to find out!1. What does classic literature refer to in the passage? A. Literary works written in classical form.B. Literary works with a long history. C. Literary works that were written long ago, well written and well receive
15、d. D. Novels, plays and poems that were written long ago.2. According to the author, classic literature _. A. is old-fashioned and boringB. has nothing to do with life today C. is novels that can be made into filmsD. still has a place in todays world3. All of the following are written by Charles Dic
16、kens EXCEPT _. A. Oliver TwistB. A Tale of Two CitiesC. CluelessD. Great Expectations4. What is/are the theme(s) in Great Expectations? A. Wealth does not buy happiness.B. What it means to be a gentleman. C. Friends are more important than a fancy education. D. All of above.5. What is the authors in
17、tention in writing the article? A. She tries to convince us to adopt a new point of view towards classics. B. She asks us to reconsider our ideas about the films based on classics. C. She tells us that classics are the antiques of the literary world. D. She suggests that there are enough classics in
18、 bookshops and libraries.Unit 2Turandot in BeijingBy Jane JonesLast night, I witnessed the first of only eight performances of Giacomo Puccinis world-famous opera, Turandot, being performed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The performance was splendid. It starred some of the worlds greatest
19、opera singers. Many great Chinese musicians, actors and singers were also cast. Puccini, an Italian, wrote Turandot towards the end of his life, in 1924. He liked East Asia very much and also wrote Madam Butterfly, which is set in Japan. Turandot is the story of a cold-hearted Chinese princess, name
20、d Turandot, who lives in Beijings Forbidden City. In order to avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must answer three riddles correctly or die.Just imaging performing such an opera in the Forbidden City-there could not be a better setting! You could almost feel the history. The weather
21、 was also perfect for an outdoor performance. Instead of a stage curtain, there were decorated panels covered with red and gold, and traditional Chinese drums were used to announce the start of the opera.The story begins when a prince is killed for being unable to answer Turandots riddles. Shortly a
22、fterwards, another prince, Calaf, sees Turandot for the first time and falls in love. The handsome prince says that he will solve the riddles and marry her. Then, in a moving solo performance, a young slave of Calafs father, Liu expresses her love for Calaf. The story then takes on a classic triangl
23、e featuring Calaf, Turandot, and Liu, whose love for Calaf is unconditional.In the story, Turandot was drunk with power. She even dares to try and exercise control over her father, the emperor of China, who has promised to allow her to choose her own husband. The emperor finds the deaths of so many
24、men disturbing and although he would like to, he cannot break his promise.Calaf recites the answers to the Turandots questions correctly, but she is greatly upset by this. Seeing this, Calaf says that if she can guess his name by sunshine, she does not have to marry him. Turandot is desperate to lea
25、rn his name and threatens and terrifies Liu because he knows his name. while she is being tortured, Liu grabs a sward from a guard and kills herself. Everyone is shocked by this. After Liu kills herself, Calaf kisses Turandot and finally wins her affection. Then Calaf says his own name aloud, leavin
26、g his future in Turandots hands.The opera finishes with a beautifully-sung final duet, which was so moving that the audience fell silent. At the end of the story, the prince and princess marry and the whole city celebrates their happiness. Unfortunately, Puccini died before he completed this final s
27、cene, but he left notes for the final duet, which was completed by one of his former students, Franco Alfano.An opera company staged the opera in Beijing in the 1990s, but the performance I saw was the first time Turandot was staged inside the Forbidden City. The production combined the very best of
28、 Western and Chinese talents in music, staging and directing. The orchestra was conducted by the Zubin Mehta, an internationally famous conductor, who was born in India. The opera was directed by the well-known Chinese director, Zhang Yimou. In the Beijing performance I saw, Turandot was played by S
29、haron Sweet from the USA, Liu was played by another opera singer from the USA, Barbara Hendricks, and Calaf was sung by Kristjan Johannsson from Iceland. They were all excellent.The Forbidden City is an area where once only the emperor, his family and officials were allowed. However, in this wonderf
30、ul production, it has been transformed into the location for a beautiful and heartbreaking love story. The bringing together of this group of people from many countries, the music, and the setting are clearly the key components of this amazing production.1. Who completed the world-famous opera Turan
31、dot? A. Giacomo Puccini alone.B. Puccinis former student Franco Alfano. C. Giacomo Puccini and Franco Alfano.D. Kristjan Johannsson from Iceland.2. How many times was Turandot staged in the Forbidden City according to the article? A. Only once.B. Twice.C. Eight times.D. Unknown.3. What does the writ
32、er mean by saying “there could not be a better setting”? A. Because the weather was perfect for an outdoor performance. B. Because she felt that the audience could almost feel the history. C. There were decorated panels covered with red and gold. D. Because Turandot was born in the Forbidden City.4.
33、 Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? A. Lius love for Calaf is unconditional.B. The story takes on a classic love triangle. C. Calaf finally wins Turandots affection. D. Hundreds of princes were killed for being unable to answer Turandots riddles.5. We may conclude fro
34、m the passage that _. A. more princes would be killed if it were not for Calaf B. no prince could solve Turandots riddles C. Calaf would marry both Liu and Turandot if Liu were still alive. D. Liu could have won Calafs affection if she hadnt killed herself.Unit 3Visiting the mastersHi Yang Yan,Here
35、I am in Amsterdam. This trip has been fantastic! As you know, I am with my aunt and grandmother. They are both very talented artists, and I am thinking about starting painting myself after I get back. Let me tell you all about our trip.We started in Spain and went to the city of Mlaga, the birthplac
36、e of Pablo Picasso. The house where Picasso was born is now a museum full of his art. Mlaga is a lovely city and the architecture is beautiful. I was amazed to learn that Picasso produced more than 20000 pieces of art and he wasnt just a painter. He drew pictures for books, and was also a sculptor a
37、nd photographer. He developed different style of painting, including cubism, which is a type of art where things are represented as geometric shapes. My grandmother really likes cubist paintings and thinks he is the greatest artist ever.After visiting Spain, we flew to Paris. In Paris, all the build
38、ings were very historic. The architecture was my favorite part of Paris. Everything was just so beautiful!During our four days in Paris we spent one whole day at the Louvre Museum. I thought it was going to be very boring, but it wasnt. In the Louvre Museum is the famous Mona Lisa painting by the It
39、alian artist Leonardo da Vinci. He created this masterpiece between 1503 and 1506. I am sure you have seen this picture of a lady with dark hair and a mysterious smile. This painting is so valuable that it is difficult to calculate what its price would be if the museum wanted to sell it. Besides bei
40、ng a painter, da Vinci was also a sculptor, an architect, an engineer and a scientist. He made a lot of scientific discoveries that he shared with the world, particularly in the field of astronomy.Besides the works of da Vinci, the Louvre Museum has more than 6000 other European paintings, ranging f
41、rom the 13th century to the 19th century. It doesnt have any modern paintings in it. Modern paintings are not all kept at another museum in the city called the Muse dOrsay. We went there on our second day in Paris because my aunt wanted to see the works of Claude Monet.Monet was a French painter who
42、 lived between 1840 and 1926. He loved to paint lotus flowers so much that he built a special garden at his home, where hundreds of lotus plants floated on the surface of a pond. I think it would feel very peaceful to live there. My aunt wants to go back to France again to see the garden. She almost
43、 wept because we missed it this time.Now let me tell you about our trip to Amsterdam. On the way here, we flew over a thunderstorm. Some people were scared, but I liked seeing the thunder in the clouds beneath the plane. Eventually, the thunderstorm stopped and we saw a beautiful rainbow in the clou
44、ds.Yesterday we went to the Van Gogh Museum. Van Gogh painted everything from people to nature during his ten years of painting. He painted about 800 oil paintings and did 1600 drawings. One of his most famous oil paintings is The Potato Eaters, which he painted in 1885. His early paintings used a s
45、tyle called Impressionism, but towards the end of his life, he created more abstract artwork. He did 36 paintings of himself, and his most famous still lifes are of sunflowers. One of my favorites of his paintings is called Starry Night, which he completed in 1889.The sad thing is that although Van
46、Gogh devoted his whole self to painting, he only sold one painting before he died in 1890. His younger brother, Theo, tried hard to sell and distribute Van Goghs paintings to buyers, but he was never able to negotiate a successful sale. Although we adore his work today, Van Gogh was not successful w
47、hile he was alive.Tomorrow we are off to another museum in Amsterdam. The most famous paintings there are by Rembrandt. He lived from 1606 until 1669. My aunt really wants to see a painting of his called the Night Watchman, which was painted in1642.Ill tell you more about my trip when I get back.Reg
48、ards,Li Ming1. Pablo Picasso developed different styles of painting in his life, and _ is one of them. A. cubismB. impressionismC. portraitD. still life2. Leonardo da Vinci wasnt just a painter; he was also all of the following EXCEPT _. A. an architectB. an engineerC. a photographerD. a sculptor3. If you want to see the works of Glaude Monet, you should go to _. A. the Louvre MuseumB. the Musee dOrsay C. AmsterdamD. the city of Malaga4. _ made van Goghs early paintings special, according to the passage. A. The 800