A (2018·浙江卷·A)
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 steampowered 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 to 1901; 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 distinguished 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.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了英国著名作家查尔斯·狄更斯及其作品是如何奠定他在英国文学中的地位的。
1．Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th 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.
C [细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral or just plain bad.”可知，那时印刷技术落后，人们识字率低，很多作品上没有作者名字，小说被认为是愚蠢的、有悖道德的或糟糕透顶的。故选C项。]
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
D [推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句“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.”可知，把他从英国文学的名人堂移除就跟卢浮宫廉价出售《蒙娜丽莎》的感觉一样，可见狄更斯在英国文学史上的重要性，由此可推知D项正确。]
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.
A [写作意图题。根据文中对查尔斯·狄更斯及其作品在英国小说史上重要性的介绍和文章最后一句可知，本文写于查尔斯·狄更斯诞辰200周年前夕，由此可知作者写本文是为了纪念查尔斯·狄更斯这位伟大的作家。]
