牛津高中英语模块8Reading课文翻译.docx

1、牛津高中英语模块8Reading课文翻译Unit 1Appreciating literatureWhat is classic literature? Classics are the antiques of the literary world. They are novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written and well received that people still read them today. They are examples of great wr

2、iting and wisdom, and even those written centuries ago can still be found in bookshops and libraries today.Because a lot of classics were written so long ago, the language used in them is quite different from the language used today. This makes them difficult for some people to read, and often, the

3、classics are left to gather dust on shelves. Many people do not read them because they think that they are old-fashioned and boring, and have nothing to do with life today.However, if this is true, why do we still find classics in bookshops and libraries?They have not disappeared and still have a pl

4、ace in the world today. Why else would many films based on them be successful? In 1995, Clueless, the award-winning film based on Jane Austins novel Emma, was released. Three years later, in 1998, a modern adaptation of Charles Dickenss novel Great Expectations appeared in cinemas. I do not think th

5、at these classic novels would be made into films if they had nothing to do with life today.Charles Dickens: Englands greatest writerCharles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. He wrote many novels. Olive Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations are probably his best-known works.

6、He first published many novels one chapter at a time in newspapers, and some were later performed on stage. For people at that time, his stories were like the soap operas we see on TV today.He died in 1870 and his tomb reads, by his death, one of Englands greatest writers is lost to the world.Great

7、ExpectationsGreat Expectations is set in England in the early 1800s.Dickens uses Pip, the main character, to tell the story. Pip is not only a character, he also tells the story of Great Expectations. Pip lives with his older sister and her husband Joe. Pips sister seldom has a kind word to say, but

8、 Joe is a kind and simple man, who would rather die than see any harm come to Pip.Pip, who is seven years old when the story begins, is in a misty field of tombs when a man appears and frightens him. Mist is a symbol of danger and uncertainty in Great Expectations. Classic novels often have symbols

9、which add interest, tension or deeper meaning to the text. Readers may not be able to see the danger, so they need a symbol like the mist to make it clearer to them.There is a twist in the plot when a very generous stranger gives Pip a lot of money. Pip is about 18 years old when this happens, and t

10、he fortune sets him free from the financial worries. Pip makes the abrupt decision to move from Kent, which is a constant remainder of his shabby beginnings, to the bright lights of London.Excited by his move to London, Pip can hardly wait to begin his new life. Money and education have changed him,

11、 and before long he develops the shortcomings of being shallow and having prejudice, even against his old companions. Pip dislikes it when Joe comes to visit him in London. He has rigid ideas of what it means to be civil and to be a gentleman, and is embarrassed by Joe he does not fit these.Pip is b

12、ent on becoming a gentleman and winning Estellas love. Estella is a beautiful girl, and for Pip, she is a symbol of education and money. What it really means to be a gentleman is an important theme in Great Expectations. Is an educated person with a lot of money a gentleman? Or is a gentleman somebo

13、dy who is kind and good to his friends?By the end of the novel, Pip has changed a lot. He learns that wealth does not buy happiness and that friends are more important than a fancy education. This change in Pip is called character development and is an important part of any novel. Does Joe forgive P

14、ip? Does Pip get the girl of his dreams? You will just have to read it yourself to find out!1. What does classic literature refer to in the passage? A. Literary works written in classical form. B. Literary works with a long history. C. Literary works that were written long ago, well written and well

15、 received. D. Novels, plays and poems that were written long ago.2. According to the author, classic literature _. A. is old-fashioned and boring B. has nothing to do with life today C. is novels that can be made into films D. still has a place in todays world3. All of the following are written by C

16、harles Dickens EXCEPT _. A. Oliver Twist B. A Tale of Two Cities C. Clueless D. Great Expectations4. What is/are the theme(s) in Great Expectations? A. Wealth does not buy happiness. B. What it means to be a gentleman. C. Friends are more important than a fancy education. D. All of above.5. What is the authors intention in writing the article? A. She tries to convince us to adopt a new point of view t