In 1812,the year Charles Dickens was born,there were 66 novels published in Britain.People had been writing novels for a century —most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719—but nobody wanted to do it professionally.The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy (识字) rate in England was under 50%.Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors,often with something like “By a lady.”Novels,for the most part,were looked upon as silly,immoral or just plain bad.
In 1870,when Dickens died,the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher,famous and beloved,who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters—from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim—were held up as moral touchstones.Today Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged.Removing him from the pantheon(名人堂) of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.
How did Dickens get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories,literature is a numbers game,and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass.Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age,from 1837 to 1901 ; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them.It’s partly true that Dickens’ style of writing attracted audiences from all walks of life.It’s partly that his writings rode a wave of social,political and scientific progress.But it’s also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center.No one will ever know what mix of talent,ambition,energy and luck made Dickens such a distinguished writer.But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches,it is possible—and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.
1.Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century?
A.They were difficult to understand. B.They were popular among the rich.
C.They were seen as nearly worthless. D.They were written mostly by women.
2.Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress .
A.his reputation in France B.his interest in modern art
C.his success in publication D.his importance in literature
3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To remember a great writer. B.To introduce an English novel.
C.To encourage studies on culture. D.To promote values of the Victorian age.
语篇解读:查尔斯·狄更斯在世界文学史上占据着重要地位。他是一个闻名世界、受人爱戴的职业作家和出版者,在推动小说的发展及提高小说在英国文学的地位中有着举足轻重的影响。
答案及剖析:
1.C 细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句Novels, for the most part,were looked upon as silly,immoral or just plain bad.可知,18世纪时,小说在英国的地位很低,很多人觉得小说没有什么价值和意义。
2.D 推理判断题。根据第二段第二、三句Today Dickens’greatness is unchallenged.Removing him from the pantheon(名人堂) of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.可推知,本文将狄更斯与《蒙娜丽莎》进行比较,是为了强调狄更斯在英国文学中的地位非常重要,他在英国文学中的地位就如《蒙娜丽莎》在卢浮宫中的地位一样。
3.A 写作意图题。文章第一段介绍了狄更斯写作的时代背景,第二段描述了他在英国文学史上的重要地位,第三段分析了他是如何取得这么高的文学地位的。由此可知,作者写作本文是为了纪念一位文学巨匠——查尔斯·狄更斯。
