A
Books can't stop a global pandemic. But, for a short while, they can let us forget the world around us and transport us to different places, allowing us to travel in spirit. Here are some picks for this month:
Rohinton Mistry: A Fine Balance
Mistry's novel focuses on the lives of four central characters whose lives are on a downward spiral, from poverty to outright destitution and, ultimately, death.
Mistry does not whitewash the reality of urban poverty in India. But as readers, we become absorbed in his characters lives we hope with them, we fear for them and, at the end, we cry for them.
Elena Ferrante: Mу Brilliant Friend
Elena Ferante'r novels take us straight to the Italian city of Napoli Starting with My Brilliant Friend, the four novels chart the intensive relationship between two girl, Elena Greco (Lenù) and Raffaella Cerullo(Lila) who grow up in a poor neighborhood in the 1950s.
Reading Ferrante's description calls forth images of Napoli and makes us feel like we are standing in the Piazza del Plebiscito. We can fell, hear and smell Napoli around us.
Patrick Modiano: The Search Warrant
The Search Warrant pieces together the real-life story of Dora Bruder, a young Jewish girl who went missing in Paris in December 1941. Modiano attempts to retrace Dora's movements across Paris and his book is full of evocative descriptions of quiet squares and streets.
By tracing Dora's possible steps, Modiano evocatively recreates the twilight atmosphere of Paris under occupation.
Kazuo Ishiguro:The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day tells the story of Stevens, the aged butler of Darlington Hall, and his ill judged life choices that saw him being involved with British fascism in the interwar years.
This allusion to British fascism in particular is something that makes this novel stand out；it is a subject matter not often discussed or even taught.
1. Which book is set in India?
A. A Fine Balance. B. My Brilliant Friend.
C. The Search Warrant. D. The Remains of the Day.
2. What do My Brilliant Friend and The Search Warrant have in common?
A. Both novels tell real life stories.
B. Both novels take place in Italy.
C. Both are related to interpersonal relationship.
D. Both give a vivid description of the surroundings.
3. What is special about The Remains of the Day?
A. Its moving story. B. Its miserable character.
C. Its rarely mentioned subject. D. Its skillful techniques of description.
【答案】1. A 2. D 3. C
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇应用文。书籍不能阻止全球性的流行病。但是，在短时间内，它们可以让我们忘记周围的世界，把我们带到不同的地方，让我们在精神上旅行。文章主要介绍了四本书的相关信息。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段中Mistry does not whitewash the reality of urban poverty in India.可知Mistry并没有粉饰印度城市贫困的现实。由此可知，A Fine Balance是以印度为背景的。故选A。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第五段Reading Ferrante's description calls forth images of Napoli and makes us feel like we are standing in the Piazza del Plebiscito. We can fell, hear and smell Napoli around us.(读到Ferrante
描述，我们会联想起那不勒斯的景象，感觉自己仿佛站在了Piazza del Plebiscito广场上。我们可以感受到，听到，闻到那不勒斯的味道)以及倒数第四段中Modiano attempts to retrace Dora's movements across Paris and his book is full of evocative descriptions of quiet squares and streets.( Modiano试图追溯Dora在巴黎的活动，他的书中充满了对宁静广场和街道的令人回味的描述)可知，My Brilliant Friend 与The Search Warrant二者的共同点是两者都生动地描述了环境。故选D。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段This allusion to British fascism in particular is something that makes this novel stand out；it is a subject matter not often discussed or even taught.可知尤其是对英国法西斯主义的提及使这部小说脱颖而出；这是一个很少被讨论甚至被教授的主题。由此可知，The Remains of the Day的特别之处在于它有很少被提及的话题。故选C。
