Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, and died on July 18, 1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously ( ).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (ǿ)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.
1.Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________.
A. in her early twenties B. in her early teens
C. in her late twenties D. in her late teens
2.What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
A. Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death.
B. The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it.
C. Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time.
D. No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time.
3.The author writes this passage in order to________.
A. attract readers to visit the city of Bath
B. ask readers to buy Austen's books
C. tell readers about Jane Austen's experience
D. give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society
4.It takes you about one and a half hours________.
A. to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street
B. to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts
C. to find a guide to take you to the Centre
D. to look around the city of Bath on foot
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, and died on July 18, 1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously ( ).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (ǿ)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.
1.Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________.
A. in her early twenties B. in her early teens
C. in her late twenties D. in her late teens
2.What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
A. Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death.
B. The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it.
C. Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time.
D. No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time.
3.The author writes this passage in order to________.
A. attract readers to visit the city of Bath
B. ask readers to buy Austen's books
C. tell readers about Jane Austen's experience
D. give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society
4.It takes you about one and a half hours________.
A. to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street
B. to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts
C. to find a guide to take you to the Centre
D. to look around the city of Bath on foot
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There are many famous writers in the English world, among whom Jane Austen (1775—1817) has been popular with all ages. But then Jane Austen wrote her novels in England, she was writing about a world that most of us would not recognize.
But today Austen’s books are in greater demand than ever. In the last ten years, five of the six novels have been made into Hollywood films, while her books continue to be bestsellers. So why is Austen still popular?
Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English at Oxford University, argues that her novels still appeal to people because they focus on issues that are as relevant today as they were when she wrote them. Her novels are about women trying to find a perfect husband, but also explore issues surrounding marriage, friendship and the family. “The plots are fairly timeless stories about human interaction which are familiar to us,” Jenkyns says.
The most famous book Austen wrote is Pride and Prejudice, a love story between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. At first the two characters do not get on. They finally fall in love, but still have to overcome opposition (反对) to their relationship from their families.
All of Austen’s books are easy to read, making them popular with children and adults, but they work on different levels so people can take what they need from them, author Kate Henry says.
Austen is often praised as the greatest romance writer in the English language, so it is surprising she remained unmarried. “Maybe she was too much of a romantic, waiting for a perfect man,” Henry says.
1.Which of the following can NOT explain why Austen is still popular?
A. Her novels are all about love and marriage.
B. Her novels still make sense to today’s people.
C. All her novels are easy to read.
D. Her novels benefit people of different reading levels.
2. The underlined word “relevant” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
A. strange B. related C. funny D. unimportant
3.According to Henry, Austen remained unmarried because ______.
A. she was used to the life of being single
B. the perfect man didn’t appears in her life
C. she was too busy to think of marriage
D. she was afraid of marriage
4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. More and more people like reading Austen’s novels.
B. Austen died when she was 42 years old.
C. Pride and Prejudice is a novel about love.
D. Austen is often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood _____ the harmony that was ______ of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he ______ excellent taste in art from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally ______ literature, ______ drama and poetry.
Yeats had strong ______ in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the ______ task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments,______, were not received ______ at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed ______ in his poetical drama.
____ with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much ____ notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern ____ to them. As his literary life ________, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide ______.
He had not ______ a major public life ______ winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be ______ as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who ______ his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’s death in 1939, W.H.Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an ________ guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie.
Emptied of its poetry.
1.A. held B. lacked C. expected D. desired
2.A. typical B. special C. awkward D. capable
3.A. inherited B. developed C. abandoned D. formed
4.A. carried on B. decided on C. put on D. based on
5.A. regularly B. instantly C. particularly D. finally
6.A. desire B. energy C. access D. faith
7.A. fresh B. stupid C. small D. difficult
8.A. therefore B. however C. besides D. furthermore
9.A. possibly B. honorably C. favorably D. doubtfully
10.A. failure B. fame C. pleasure D. success
11.A. Connected B. Occupied C. Compared D. Tired
12.A. admiring B. amusing C. amazing D. envying
13.A. potential B. sensibility C. possibility D. benefit
14.A. finished B. produced C. created D. progressed
15.A. praise B. spread C. recognition D. assessment
16.A. enjoyed B. accepted C. purchased D. taken
17.A. before B. since C. until D. after
18.A. respected B. admired C. valued D. favored
19.A. prohibits B. attempts C. recommends D. produces
20.A. appealed B. advocated C. advanced D. honored
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戏剧) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
1. Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A. It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter.
B. It was shocked by Yeats’s choice.
C. It was a typically wealthy family.
D. It had an artistic atmosphere.
2. According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A. Yeats founded the first Irish theater.
B. Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.
C. Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.
D. Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.
3.What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A. Envy. B. Sympathy.
C. Emptiness. D. Admiration.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Yeats’ literary achievements.
B. Yeats’ historical influence.
C. Yeats’ artistic ambition.
D. Yeats’ national honor.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin in 1865. His childhood ___ the harmony that was ____ of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited(继承) excellent taste in ____ from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally ____ literature, ____ drama and poetry.
Yeats had strong ____ in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the ____ task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments,____, were not received ____ at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed ____ in his poetical drama.
___ with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much ____ notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life ____, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide ____.
He had not ____ a major public life ____ winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he ____ writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be ____ as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who ____ his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats’s death in 1939, W.H.Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an ____ guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie.
Emptied of its poetry.
1.A.held B.lacked C.expected D.desired
2.A.typical B.special C.awkward D.capable
3.A.art B.poetry C.drama D.literature
4.A.carried on B.decided on C.put on D.based on
5.A.regularly B.instantly C.particularly D.finally
6.A.desire B.energy C.access D.faith
7.A.fresh B.stupid C.small D.difficult
8.A.therefore B.however C.besides D.otherwise
9.A.possibly B.honorably C.favorably D.doubtfully
10.A.failure B.fame C.pleasure D.success
11.A.Connected B.Occupied C.Compared D.Tired
12.A.admiring B.amusing C.amazing D.envying
13.A.finished B.produced C.created D.progressed
14.A.praise B.spread C.recognition D.assessment
15.A.enjoyed B.accepted C.purchased D.taken
16.A.before B.since C.until D.after
17.A.abandoned B.continued C.appreciated D.recommended
18.A.respected B.admired C.valued D.favored
19.A.prohibits B.attempts C.recommends D.produces
20.A.appealed B.advocated C.advanced D.honored
高三英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析
A Tale of Two Cities was written by the famous English writer Charles Dickens. The tale is mainly about the French Revolution in 1789, where the poor rose up against the king and the nobles. Dickens showed deep sympathy for the poor and deep hatred for the cruelty of the upper class, though he wrote quite a lot about the love triangle between Lucie, Charles and Sydney.
In this novel, Dickens wrote some lively characters like Sydney and those crazy revolutionaries. In this tale, we can’t see any absolute roles. Charles, though he’s a brave and good man, obviously he hasn’t as much ability as Sydney. Sydney, a typical tragic(悲剧的) man, a man like him, usually has great ability. But he has some weak points on characters and the worst is that he always loves a woman he shouldn’t love and 99.99% die for her at last in an extremely heroic or tragic way. The revolutionaries are not as full of justice as usual. They get mad when they can get revenge(报复) for their unfair treatment. The fire of hatred burns everything. When they’re at the bottom of the society, they’re calling for justice, for fair treatment, for freedom, but when they’re in charge of the society, their world is up-side-down. They hate everything that is connected to the very people against them, even including Charles’ wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter. So these men have no difference from those former governors at heart.
Though Dickens told us how the authority is recycling over and over again in some way, the novel is about something good. Love from Sydney to Lucie is one of the only few bright points in the novel and it’s really great. A man can sacrifice his life to save his lover’s husband. He doesn’t have any personal purpose and just for his lover’s happiness. So Dickens may imply us, only love can solve the problems between people, between the poor and the rich, love is everything.
1.. A Tale of Two Cities is mainly about .
A. Charles Dickens B. the French Revolution
C. deep sympathy D. the upper class
【小题】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Charles is as brave and able as Sydney.
B. Sydney loves a woman he shouldn’t love.
C. The revolutionaries show justice as usual.
D. Charles hates his wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter.
2. The underlined phrase “these men” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to “ ”.
A. Charles and Sydney B. the nobles
C. the revolutionaries D. former governors
3.What may Dickens really want to imply us readers?
A. The authority is changing over and over again.
B. The novel is about something good only.
C. A great man can sacrifice his life for his lover.
D. Only love can settle the problems between people.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
JANE AUSTEN(1775—1817)is often regarded as the greatest of English women novelists on the strength of her six completed novels.Known particularly for their social comedy and accurate description of human relationships,they are still as widely read today as they have ever been.
The seventh child of a country priest(牧师),Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon in Hampshire.Her father ,the Reverend George Austen,was an intelligent and sensitive man who encouraged Jane in her love of reading.From an early age she was familiar with the works of Henry Fielding,Sir Walter Scott,Richardson,Frances Burney and the poet George Crabbe.Her early attempts at writing include burlesques(滑稽作品)of popular romances.When her father retired in 1801 the family moved to Bath,which was later to feature in her novel Northanger Abbey(published in 1818).After his death in 1805 the family moved first to Southampton and then in 1809 to Chawton in Hampshire.where Jane Austen is known to have written her last three novels:Mansfield Park(1814),Emma(1816)and Persuasion(also published in 1818).Although her other novels were written much earlier ,it was not until 1811 that Sense and Sensibility was first published.Pride and Prejudice,which followed in1813,features Jane Austen’own favourite hero,Elizabeth Bennet.
Surrounded by her lively and warm family and wholly buried herself in her writing and housework,Jane Austen led a life often known for its lack of events.She did,however ,attract several admirers and even accepted a proposal of marriage from one admirer-only to change her mind the following morning.Jane Austen’s independent life often seems reflected in her novels,which seem to display the world in miniature(缩影).Sir Walter Scott praised Jane Austen for‘that unique touch which makes ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting’,while Somerset Maugham claimed that she had at her command ‘the most precious gift a novelist can possess’s that of keeping the reader’s interest.Jane Austen died in 1817.
1.The underlined word“touch” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to
A.style B.contact C.taste D.attitude
2.Which of Jane Austen’s novels were published after her death?
A.Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.
B.Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
C.Pride and Prejudice and Emma.
D.Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.
3.We can infer from the passage that Jane Austen had a gift for
A.attracting admirers
B.reflecting her own life in all her novels
C.making dull things and characters interesting
D.holding the readers’ interest
4.This passage is most probably a
A.collection of women novelists and their works
B.comment on Jane Austen and her works
C.brief introduction of Jane Austen
D.description of Jane Austen’s road to success
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
1.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
A. his father was making and mending pots and kettles
B. Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings
C. the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways
D. Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls
2.What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④ D.①②④
3.John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
A. advise people to obey religious principles for salvation
B. tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey
C. add spiritual significance to the commonplace details
D. to combine the strange things with the familiar things
4.What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
A. Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream.
B. Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden.
C. People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation
D. People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析