Question

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 18^th 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.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

【解析】

本文写于Charles Dickens诞辰200周年前夕，介绍了Charles Dickens在英国小说方面的重要贡献和深远影响。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段对当时情况的描写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... Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral, or just plain bad.可知，印刷技术落后，人们识字率低，作品上没有作者名字，小说被认为是愚蠢的、不正常的，或者毫无价值可言。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged.和列举的Charles Dickens小说的影响可知，把他和Mona Lisa相比是为了说明Charles Dickens在英国小说方面的重要性和Mona Lisa在绘画方面的重要性是一样的，故选D。

3.写作意图题。根据文中对Charles Dickens及其作品在英国小说史上重要性的描写，和文章最后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.可知，本文是写于Charles Dickens诞辰200周年前夕，由此可知作者写本文是为了纪念这位伟大的作家。故选A。