Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities is set in the years before and during the French Revolution (1789 - 1799). During its course, French revolutionaries brought down the empire and established a republic of free and equal citizens.
In reading the work, one sees that Dickens distorted some details of the French Revolution. At the beginning, Dickens notes that, in 1775, France was busy spending money. This mention of France’s spending touches briefly on what is perhaps the major cause of the French Revolution. Before the revolution, the government often borrowed money because it spent more than it raised in taxes. The increased spending and borrowing made many people’s blood boil, yet Dickens focused instead on the nobility’s oppression and exploitation of the working class, including peasants, as the causes of the revolution.
The Marquis, one of the book’s characters, ill-treats and kills many people. Thus, he represents the nobles who mistreat the lower classes. One reviewer criticized this picture as an unfair representation of French society in the mid-1700s. The reviewer pointed out that the government would have punished nobles who mistreated or murdered. Nobles may have been guilty of other evils, however, such as not feeding the starving masses after bad weather ruined crops in 1789.
Dickens’ account of the storming of the Bastille fails to mention that the gang that stormed the prison was looking for bullets and bombs to use in defense against a possible attack by the king’s troops. Dickens does include some accurate details, however, such as the crowd’s finding only seven prisoners and freeing them and the pack’s executing (处决) the prison administrator and sticking his head on a post. The scene that the women knit (编织) as they watch the executions may seem to be an odd detail, but actually many women did knit stockings for the war effort as they watched the killing machine at work.
Dickens’ descriptions of the steady stream of sentenced people into prison and the carts taking them to their deaths give readers some idea of the frequency with which officials jailed and executed people during the Rule of Terror, which lasted about a year. During the Terror, the government jailed about 250 thousand people, tried (审判) and killed about 17 thousand, and executed about 12 thousand without a trial. Those executed included people who opposed the revolution, people who offended the revolutionaries, and even some revolutionaries. About 15 percent were members of the ministry or nobility.
1.What does the word “distorted” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.Discussed. B.Revealed.
C.Provided. D.Twisted.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.A wild crowd rushed into the Bastille to fight with the royal soldiers.
B.The nobles’ mistreating and killing people is the main cause of the revolution.
C.About thirty thousand people lost their lives in the course of the Rule of Terror.
D.Women were forced to work for the war supplies while watching people killed.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Dickens was once among the revolutionaries storming the Bastille.
B.There was an extreme disorder and horror during the revolution.
C.Nobles of those days in France were loaded with heavy social responsibilities.
D.Classic literary works may serve as history textbooks to a great degree.
4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.The Collapse of the French Empire
B.Unknown Facts during the Rule of Terror
C.Dickens’ Description of the French Revolution
D.A Critical View on A Tale of Two Cities
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities is set in the years before and during the French Revolution (1789 - 1799). During its course, French revolutionaries brought down the empire and established a republic of free and equal citizens.
In reading the work, one sees that Dickens distorted some details of the French Revolution. At the beginning, Dickens notes that, in 1775, France was busy spending money. This mention of France’s spending touches briefly on what is perhaps the major cause of the French Revolution. Before the revolution, the government often borrowed money because it spent more than it raised in taxes. The increased spending and borrowing made many people’s blood boil, yet Dickens focused instead on the nobility’s oppression and exploitation of the working class, including peasants, as the causes of the revolution.
The Marquis, one of the book’s characters, ill-treats and kills many people. Thus, he represents the nobles who mistreat the lower classes. One reviewer criticized this picture as an unfair representation of French society in the mid-1700s. The reviewer pointed out that the government would have punished nobles who mistreated or murdered. Nobles may have been guilty of other evils, however, such as not feeding the starving masses after bad weather ruined crops in 1789.
Dickens’ account of the storming of the Bastille fails to mention that the gang that stormed the prison was looking for bullets and bombs to use in defense against a possible attack by the king’s troops. Dickens does include some accurate details, however, such as the crowd’s finding only seven prisoners and freeing them and the pack’s executing (处决) the prison administrator and sticking his head on a post. The scene that the women knit (编织) as they watch the executions may seem to be an odd detail, but actually many women did knit stockings for the war effort as they watched the killing machine at work.
Dickens’ descriptions of the steady stream of sentenced people into prison and the carts taking them to their deaths give readers some idea of the frequency with which officials jailed and executed people during the Rule of Terror, which lasted about a year. During the Terror, the government jailed about 250 thousand people, tried (审判) and killed about 17 thousand, and executed about 12 thousand without a trial. Those executed included people who opposed the revolution, people who offended the revolutionaries, and even some revolutionaries. About 15 percent were members of the ministry or nobility.
1.What does the word “distorted” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.Discussed. B.Revealed.
C.Provided. D.Twisted.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.A wild crowd rushed into the Bastille to fight with the royal soldiers.
B.The nobles’ mistreating and killing people is the main cause of the revolution.
C.About thirty thousand people lost their lives in the course of the Rule of Terror.
D.Women were forced to work for the war supplies while watching people killed.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Dickens was once among the revolutionaries storming the Bastille.
B.There was an extreme disorder and horror during the revolution.
C.Nobles of those days in France were loaded with heavy social responsibilities.
D.Classic literary works may serve as history textbooks to a great degree.
4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.The Collapse of the French Empire
B.Unknown Facts during the Rule of Terror
C.Dickens’ Description of the French Revolution
D.A Critical View on A Tale of Two Cities
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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 to1901; 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 singular 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.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Museum: The Charles Dickens Museum in London is the world’s most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator. The only surviving London home of Dickens (from 1837 until 1839) was opened as a museum in 1925 and is still welcoming visitors from all over the world. On the four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age.
Opening Hours:The Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10:00-17:00; Sundays 11:00-17:00. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Special opening times can be arranged for groups, who may wish to book a private view.
Admission Charges: Adults:￡5.00; Students:￡4:00; Seniors:￡4.00; Children:￡3.00; Families:￡14.00 (2 adults & up to five children).
Group Rates: For a group of 10 or more, a special group rate of ￡4.00 each applies. Children will still be admitted for ￡3.00 each.
Access: We are constantly working to improve access to the Museum. Our current projects involve the fitting of a wheelchair ramp(活动坡道)for better access and an audio tour for visitors with impaired vision. Our Handling Sessions (亲身体验活动) are also suitable for the visually impaired. The Museum has developed an online virtual tour through the Museum. Click here to visit all the rooms in the Museum online.
Hire the Museum: The Museum can be hired for private functions, parties and many other social occasions.
Find Us: The Museum may be reached by using the following buses: 7, 17, 19, 38, 45, 46, 55, 243. And by these underground services: Piccadilly Line; Central Line. For a map, please click here. The British Museum and the Foundling Museum are within walking distance.
1.Compared to going there separately, if a family with two adults and four children go to the Museum together they will save______.
A. ￡22. 00 B. ￡14. 00
C. ￡11. 00 D. ￡8. 00
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. Anyone cannot hire the Museum for other uses
B. Visitors with poor vision cannot enjoy the Museum
C. The Museum is not very far from the British Museum
D. In any case people cannot visit the Museum after 17:00
3.The passage is probably from a ______.
A. magazine B. website
C. guidebook D. newspaper
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Museum: The Charles Dickens Museum in London is the world’s most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator. The only surviving London home of Dickens (from 1837 until 1839) was opened as a museum in 1925 and is still welcoming visitors from all over the world. On four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age.
Opening Hours:
The Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10:00-17:00; Sundays 11:00-17:00.
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Special opening times can be arranged for groups, who may wish to book a private view.
Admission Charges: Adults:￡5.00; Students:￡4:00; Seniors:￡4.00; Children:￡3.00; Families:￡14.00 (2 adults & up to five children).
Group Rates: For a group of 10 or more, a special group rate of ￡4.00 each applies. Children will still be admitted for ￡3.00 each.
Access: We are constantly working to improve access to the Museum and its collection. Our current projects involve the fitting of a wheelchair ramp (活动坡道) for better access, a customer care kit and an audio tour for visitors with impaired vision. Our Handling Sessions are also suitable for the visually impaired. The Museum has developed an online virtual tour through the Museum. Click here to visit all the rooms in the Museum online.
Hire the Museum: The Museum can be hired for private functions, parties and many other social occasions.
Find Us: The Museum may be reached by using the following buses: 7, 17, 19, 38, 45, 46, 55, 243. And by these underground services: Piccadilly Line; Central Line. For a map, please click here. The British Museum and the Foundling Museum are within walking distance.
1.Compared to going there separately, if a family with two adults and four children go to the Museum together they will save .
A. ￡22. 00 B. ￡14. 00
C. ￡11. 00 D. ￡8. 00
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. Anyone cannot hire the Museum for other uses.
B. Visitors with poor vision cannot enjoy the Museum.
C. The Museum is not very far from the British Museum.
D. In any case people cannot visit the Museum after 17:00.
3.The passage is probably from a .
A. magazine B. website
C. guidebook D. newspaper
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Dickens World, a theme park in the UK, makes the life, stories and characters of Charles Dickens _______.
A. come true B. come to life C. come to an end D. come into use
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The film, ______ 3 love stories, ______ 3 different cities.
A. consisting of; is set in B. consists of; is set in
C. consisting of; was set in D. is consisted of; set in
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the novel, the two cities referred to __________ London and Paris.
A. be B. being C. are D. was
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Charles Dickens, a famous 19th- century writer, wrote many popular novels, __________ Oliver Twist is a good example.
| A．of which | B．about whom | C．in which | D．of whom |
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Charles Dickens died in 1870 and his tomb ______, “By his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.”
A. speaks B. tells C. reads D. writes
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The news of Harper Lee’s second novel broke the internet. Go Set a Watchman would be published in July. Lee became a recluse (隐士)after the publication of her first book, To Kill a Mockingbird, in 1960. Although the author has been out of the public eye for more than 50 years, the wave that followed the announcement showed her novel’s beloved place in the American literary works.
In 1991, The Book of the Month Club and the library of Congress conducted a survey that made readers identify books that had made a difference in their lives. Lee’s book followed only The Bible. Alongside the works of Shakespeare and Twain, To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the most widely taught books nationwide, reaching an estimated 70% of American public schools. What makes it such a perfect read for young people?
English class is a place where young Americans come to know themselves. In the folds of dusty books, students can make contact with humanity beyond the superficial(肤浅的) conversations of the school hallways. Literature promises relief, a place to figure out one’s problems and get to know oneself better.
To Kill a Mockingbird particularly distinguishes itself in this regard. It speaks in child’s voice without treating its readership as children. People have called it an ‘impossible’ achievement, a children’s book penned in the prose(散文) of a well-educated adult—it’s unlikely that a child like Scout could exist in the real world. But that’s exactly what makes it such a charming read for young people. It alludes to (转弯抹角地说到)the consciousness of a well-educated adult going through difficult realities, but shows it through the light and playful voice of a curious little girl.
1.In which year might Go Set a Watchman come out?
A. 2015 B. 1960
C. 1910 D. 1991
2.Which book leaves the deepest impression on American readers?
A. Go Set a Watchman B. To Kill a Mockingbird
C. The Bible D. Shakespeare’s works
3.Which of the following statements is right about To Kill a Mockingbird?
A. Its author may be a playful child.
B. It’s a story about a well-educated adult.
C. Young people can see themselves from it.
D. It’s impossible for children like Scout to exist.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Great Writer: Harper Lee B. The Great Young People Novel
C. Voices from Children D. Differences Harper Lee made
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析