Ⅰ. 阅读理解
(2018·浙江高考)
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.
【语篇概述】这是一篇写于狄更斯诞辰200周年纪念前夕的文章, 介绍了英国小说的产生和兴盛, 以及狄更斯在英国小说界的地位。
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.
【解析】选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世纪的英国小说被看不起, 被认为是愚蠢的, 邪恶的, 坏透了的。 与C选项中的worthless基本一致, 故选C。
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
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第二段中Today Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged. 可知, 文章把狄更斯与《蒙娜丽莎》比较, 是利用《蒙娜丽莎》在艺术界的地位来类比狄更斯在文学界的地位。故选D。
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.
【解析】选A。目的意图题。根据最后一段中But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, . . . 可知, 本文写于狄更斯诞辰200周年纪念前夕, 显然是为了纪念这位伟大的作家。故选A。
