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(yǎng)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."
1.What is the main theme of the novel?
A．Life with foster parents. B．Life in the world of diving.
C．A journey of self-discovery. D．A travel around the country.
2.What do the coach's words in Para. 2 suggest?
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.
3.The snake stone in the novel is ____________.
A．a(chǎn) stone with an address on it B．a(chǎn) clue left by the birth mother
C．a(chǎn) gift from the swimming coach D．a(chǎn) fossil left by the foster parents
4.Which of the following is true about the novel?
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.
1.C
2.D
3.B
4.C
【解析】
試題分析：本文主要介紹了《蛇石》這本書(shū)的作者以及其中的主人公及精彩的故事情節(jié)。
1.根據(jù)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.故選C。
2. 根據(jù)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."可知這句話(huà)暗示James是一個(gè)獨(dú)立的年輕人，故選D。
3.根據(jù)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.可知答案為B。
4.通過(guò)閱讀整篇文章，可以看出書(shū)中生動(dòng)形象的描述了James這個(gè)人物形象，可知答案為 C。
考點(diǎn)：廣告布告類(lèi)短文閱讀理解
點(diǎn)評(píng)：先閱讀問(wèn)題，然后帶著問(wèn)題，再讀全文，找出答題所需要的依據(jù)，完成閱讀。這篇文章非常容易，根據(jù)問(wèn)題找到相關(guān)問(wèn)題的段落或句子，便可選出答案。
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