Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was an English writer and social critic, During his lifetime, his works enjoyed great popularity. He is now considered a literary genius because he created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7,1812 in Portsmouth, on the southern coast of England. His father, John Dickens, was a naval clerk who dreamed of becoming rich and his mother, Elizabeth Barrow, aspired to be a teacher and school director. But the family's financial situation had grown worse because John Dickens used to spend money dangerously beyond the family's means. Consequently, John was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Charles was just 12 years old.

After his father's imprisonment, Charles Dickens left school to work in a factory. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five short novels, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was a tireless letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Charles Dickens's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers, Within a few years he had become an international literary figure, famous for his humor, criticism, and keen observation of character and' society. His novels, most published in monthly or weekly instalments(连载小说的一节),pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication.

Charles Dickens was regarded as the literary representative of his age. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, present images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction.

Charles Dickens died at home on June 9, 1870 after suffering a stroke. The sentence on his tomb reads: “He was a sympathizer( 同情者) to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.

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Waste Management: Facts and Future

  The world has a waste problem. This is known by nearly everyone on the planet, but hardly anyone cares to look at the exact figures and to face the reality. Let's take a look at how much waste humans produce.

  First, let us start with the yearly count. According to The World Counts, “Every year we produce a massive 2. 12 billion tons of waste. If all this waste was put on trucks, they would go around the world 24 times ”. Not only is this amount incredible and is only getting worse every year due to population growth, the majority of countries are not dealing with waste properly.

  For instance, the United States is known for producing the largest amount of garbage in the world. “The U. S. consumes 30 percent of the world's resources despite making up only 5 percent of the world's population. It also produces 30 percent of the world's waste. In only a year, Americans throw away around 26,800,000 tons of food, 8,550,000 tons of furniture. 6,330,000 tons of clothing and footwear, and tons of other waste. ' Therefore, it can be said that the United States is the main problem-country to regulate in terms of waste production.

  Another disturbing note is that 99 percent of the materials we purchase are thrown away within six months. This is caused by the capitalist idea of wanting to always have something new and fashionable, instead of something old. Also, producers of materials sometimes make sure that products do not last long.

  With this much being thrown away and at such a rapid rate, the future looks gloomy. The World Bank reports that, “Without urgent( 紧急的) action, global waste will increase by 70 percent on current levels by 2050”.

  Looking farther into the future, when will be the peak of our waste? Around the year2100, the peak of our waste production is estimated to come. By this time, the world will be covered in waste, with no more space for landfills( 垃圾填埋场), and the buring of waste either being too harmful for the environment or not enough to fight against the excessive growth of garbage.

A.The world produces waste 24 hours a day.

B.The world is producing waste 24 times as much waste as before.

C.The world is producing waste at a faster rate than population growth

D.The trucks with 2.12 billion tons of waste will stand in an endless line.

A.6,330,000 tons.

B.8,550,000 tons.

C.26,800,000 tons.

D.More than 26,800,000 tons.

A.They are told by the producers.

B.They want to have something new.

C.The materials would harm their health.

D.The new materials are 99 percent cheaper.

A.the world has no space for garbage

B.burning of waste will be out of control

C.waste production is expected to disappear

D.the world can control the growth of garbage

A.to look into the future

B.to stop producing waste

C.to know the reality of garbage

D.to predict the peak of waste production

Importance of Play

①To sail through. the complexities of life, we always need play, In all the obstacles of- life, playing keeps us alive and young. It plays a vital part in our life. Without it;life- becomes dull and boring. While- playing, we find ourselves away from all the-obstacles of life. Playing gives us enthusiasm to enjoy life.

②Play is so integral to childhood that a child who does not have :the opportunities to play is to cut off from a major portion of childhood. Playing makes children more-imaginative and improves brain function as children .think, interact and laugh with-each other.- Playing improves- the- power to focus.- Playing improves the learning process of- a child- as- it- involves- most of- the- brain- work with- an- enjoyable-environment, By playing, children learn. Ina recent study; it is found :that kids learn-better while :they have short breaks between classes.

③As an adult, people stick to television sets or smartphones to relieve stress. But:this is the worst way to relieve ourselves from stressful environment and to have a healthy body as our body needs movement and mind needs cheerfulness. Play is the- best way- for- relaxation- and- enjoying yourself- free- from- all work- and- tight:schedule.- Playing- improves- the- productivity in- work- as it stimulates the- brain function and builds emotional growth. It is found- that: many companies are also introducing .leisure time and indoor plays for their employees.

④A sound mind resides ina sound body. A person needs strong body and :mind to fulill the purpose of life. A mentally or physically weak person cannot achieve the-goal in life. Life becomes a burden .for a sick person. Wealth or power cannot make a person happy without mental-or physical well-being. Playing increases :the power-of concentration and- tolerance. Playing relieves stress, which makes us mentally-strong.- It builds the immune- system with strong resistance- to- diseases. Playing enhances the ability to bear the pain.

⑤lt is important for us to be friendly with others. Playing involves activities like meeting, interacting, laughing with each other, Fun, laughing and sharing activities make the relationship bonds stronger. A playful and friendly nature helps to make-new friends and build business relationships. Playing in groups is a practicalfun way-of group activities, which teaches us how to cooperate.

A.Playing is vital for social relations.

B.Playing makes people mentally healty

C. Playis very important in our lfe.

D.Play has no age limit.

E.Aduts need play for rlaxation and efient work

F.Playing makes children learm better.

A.Playing is vital for social relations.

B.Playing makes people mentally healty

C. Playis very important in our lfe.

D.Play has no age limit.

E.Aduts need play for rlaxation and efient work

F.Playing makes children learm better.

A.Playing is vital for social relations.

B.Playing makes people mentally healty

C. Playis very important in our lfe.

D.Play has no age limit.

E.Aduts need play for rlaxation and efient work

F.Playing makes children learm better.

A.Playing is vital for social relations.

B.Playing makes people mentally healty

C. Playis very important in our lfe.

D.Play has no age limit.

E.Aduts need play for rlaxation and efient work

F.Playing makes children learm better.

A.Playing is vital for social relations.

B.Playing makes people mentally healty

C. Playis very important in our lfe.

D.Play has no age limit.

E.Aduts need play for rlaxation and efient work

F.Playing makes children learm better.

A.if they play with each other

B.free from diseases

C.to be successful in society

D.more capable of working with others-

E.without play

F.stressful work

A.if they play with each other

B.free from diseases

C.to be successful in society

D.more capable of working with others-

E.without play

F.stressful work

A.if they play with each other

B.free from diseases

C.to be successful in society

D.more capable of working with others-

E.without play

F.stressful work

A.if they play with each other

B.free from diseases

C.to be successful in society

D.more capable of working with others-

E.without play

F.stressful work

A.if they play with each other

B.free from diseases

C.to be successful in society

D.more capable of working with others-

E.without play

F.stressful work

Getting in shape

People usually decide to get in shape when they do not like their look or whenthey do not feel well. They my be round where they should be straight or soft where they should befirm, or they may easily run out of breath when climbing a flight of stairs._____26_____ The body stores fat when the amount of food eaten is greater thanthe amount needed to give the body enough energy for its activities._____27_____

_____28_____ People who usually only use their muscles to sit, stand, and walkshort distances usually have very soft muscles. These people do not look badlyout of shape, but they still do not look healthy. When people exercise little, their hearts do not have to work hard and soonbecome weak. _____29_____ So they must beat quickly in order to get enoughblood to the different parts of the body.

When people with this kind of heartdo something difficult, their hearts must beat very fast to give their musclesenough blood. _____30_____ When people exercise regularly, they burn more energy, leaving less to bestored as fat, challenge their muscles, making them stronger and harder, andforce their hearts to pump harder in order to supply enough blood in fewerbeats. The combination of low body fat, firm muscles and a strong heart makespeople look better, look fitter and feel better.

A. People who eat a lot and move very little usually get quite fat.

B. Then these people begin to breathe heavily and soon become very tired.

C. Muscle becomes soft when it is not used to doing difficult work.

D. They will die for going too long.

E. The roundness is caused by fat, which lies over the muscles and under theskin.

F. They do not pump very much blood when they beat

Emotional Economy

As Chinese New Year draws near, young Chinese consumers have been purchasingproducts that satisfy anemotional need for good luck and fortune, with thetrend fueling business growth for manufacturers of small items. Popular items thought to bring good fortune include refrigerator stickers(冰水箱) in the shape of the god of wealth, and mobile phone cases printed with_____31_____ Chinese characters. For Spring Festival, they also includeproducts that have an emotional_____32_____

In January, the sales volume of small products on the theme of the god of wealth_____33_____ six-fold year-on-year on Tao Factory.

For mobile phone cases, young people prefer styles _____34_____ with words orpatterns that represent their special emotions or aspirations.

Items such as red envelopes designed for the upcoming Chinese Year of the Dragon have also been _____35_____ , and their sales have exceeded those ofred envelopes in the Year of the Rabbit last year, Tao Factory found.

 Young Chinese are increasingly in favour of _____36_____ including the god ofwealth, luck and good fortune, and this has_____37_____spending on productsthat please themselves.

Jessica Liu, a 30-year-old office worker in Beijing, said she_____38_____spent about 2,000 yuan on a god of wealth-themed product made of jade (玉).

She believes the item has given her psychological comfort and helped her makemore money.

“Emotional economy makes up an important part of economic growth in the_____39 _____age. The concept originated from technological progress andpeople's psychological _____40_____,

which provide more business opportunitiesfor enterprises,' said Hong Yong, a professor at an e-commerce researchinstitute.

A. needs

B. recently

C. themes

D. popular

E. boosted

F. names

G. jumped

H. immediately

I. digital

J. value

K. lucky

L. printed