Question

12．A Book Review-The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting：Urban England （the cities），but also rural England （the countryside） including remote English villages．
The theme：The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery，in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age．Its other concerns are love，getting on with others，being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts，troubles and worries．As the book moves to a close，James'swimming coach says to him："You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more．You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going．"
The characters：James is the hero of the story．He is a championship diver，and has a comfortable life with his foster parents （養父母）．Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother．The other characters in The Snake-Stone，James'parents，his diving instructor，best friend，the villagers，people he meets on his journey，are pictured realistically．
The turning point：The turning point in the story comes while James'foster parents are away in London，and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother．The only clue he has is a fossil，"the snake stone"which she left behind along with a note on which she had written："Take good care of Sammie．It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there．
The journey：Instead of going to London，James decides to find his birth mother．With help from his geography teacher，James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found．James has painful，challenging，but also humorous and happy travels．The mother he finally meets，Anne，has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel．He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before．Although the meeting is not long，it leaves him with a feeling of completeness．As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending．Its hero says，on returning to his foster parents，"I was home．"

61．What is the main theme of the novel？C
A．Life with foster parents．
B．Life in the world of diving．
C．A journey of self-discovery．
D．A travel around the country．
62．What do the coach's words in Paragraph 2suggest？D
A．James is a successful diver．
B．James is a hopeful swimmer．
C．James is an outgoing young man．
D．James is an independent young man．
63．The snake stone in the novel isB．
A．a stone with an address on it
B．a clue left by the birth mother
C．a gift from the swimming coach
D．a fossil left by the foster parents
64．Which of the following is true about the novel？C
A．The story has a sad ending．
B．The story takes place in the city of London．
C．The characters are vividly described．
D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother．
65．It can be concluded that James'journey isA．
A．worthwhile B．boring
C．comfortable D．disappointing．

Answer 1

分析 本文是應用文書評體．分別從背景，主題，角色以及其主要情節"發現之旅"方面介紹名著The Snake-stone．

解答 61．答案：C．段落大意題． 從第二段第一句"The theme：The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery，in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age．"以及最后一段最后一句"Its hero says，on returning to his foster parents，‘I was home．'"可以得知，該書主題體現在James尋找生身母親的征途也就是戰勝自我獲得人生真諦的發現之旅．故選C．
62．答案：D．細節理解題． 從第二段最后兩行"James'swimming coach says to him：‘You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more．You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going．'"James的游泳教練所說"你不能再像小孩一樣，就知道循規蹈矩．你應該探索，像找定方向的年輕潛水員．"言外之意要James做一個獨立的有個性的年輕人．故選D．
63．答案：B．細節理解題．根據The turning point 部分的"The only clue he has is a fossil，‘the snake stone'which she left behind along with a note on which she had written：‘Take good care of Sammie．'It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there．"可知，the snake stone是James生身母親離開時留下的識別身份的見證物．故選B．
64．答案：C．細節理解題． 從最后一段倒數第二句"As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending．"可知A錯誤；從最后一段第一句中"Instead of going to London，"可知B錯誤：從the turning point段落中可知故事轉折點是在James養父母離開他的時間，那時候還沒找到他的生身母親．故D錯誤；從第三段最后一句"The other characters in The Snake-Stone，James'parents，his diving instructor，best friend，the villagers，people he meets on his journey，are pictured realistically．"可知C正確．
65．答案：A．推理判斷題． 從最后一段的第三句"James has painful，challenging，but also humorous and happy travels．"James的尋母征途是快樂而又有成就感的．可知這次旅游還是值得的．故選A．

點評 這篇書評的每段的內容都很明確，做題時要注意每段開頭的提示．并且需要結合上下文提供的語境和信息進行簡單的概括和判斷．