◎張戈會

(一)

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandis a novel that 1._______________ (publish) in 1865 by Lewis Carroll.The book presents the adventures of a little girl 2._______________ has fallen down a rabbit hole to a fantasy world populated by all sorts of peculiar creatures.

3._______________ (initial), the book wasn’t very popular and it generally got bad reviews, but by the end of the 19th century, it started to be highly-regarded and recognized as one of the most valuable stories of all time.

4._______________ July 1862, Lewis Carroll rowed in a boat on a small river in Oxford,England, with a friend and the three daughters of Henry Liddell, 5._______________ professor at Oxford University.During the trip, Lewis 6._______________ (tell) the children a story about featuring Alice, a bored, young girl, looking to break the monotony of everyday life.The children enjoyed the story very much and one of them, Alice Liddell, asked Lewis to write the story down for her.Two years later, Lewis gave Alice the manuscript ofAlice’s Adventures in Wonderlandwith the following dedication(獻(xiàn)詞) 7._______________ (write) on the first page: “A Christmas Gift to a Dear Child in Memory of a Summer’s Day.”

Over the years, the book became very popular 8._______________ it was republished several times.It has received several big-screen, stage and 9._______________ (music) adaptations, and it was even published in comic book form on six occasions.The character of Alice, a young girl going on a fantasy quest,has inspired several other 10._______________ (character) in world literature and film,who pay homage to the original story.

(二)

Romeo and Julietis a play 1._______________ (write) by the English playwright William Shakespeare.It was published for the 2._______________ (one) time in 1595.

Romeo and Julietis probably the 3._______________(famous) love story of all time.It is a tragic tale depicting the forbidden love shared by two young lovers coming from two feuding families.The story is, along withHamlet,Shakespeare’s most popular and 4._______________(frequent) performed play.Romeo and Juliet5._______________(regard) by many experts as a great example of Shakespeare’s early dramatic skill.

The play is set in the Italian city Verona 6._______________ two noble families,the Montagues and the Capulets, have been sworn enemies for years on end.An unlikely turn of events results in Romeo (the son of Montague) and Juliet(Capulet’s daughter) falling in love 7._______________ getting married in secret.

What ensues is a typical Shakespearean tragedy in which social norms,honor and pride irreversibly affect Romeo and Juliet’s love story.The play’s prologue calls the two protagonists “star-crossed lovers”, a most fitting description of their story—one in which the Universe seems to conspire against them.

8._______________ the play draws lots of elements from classical Greek tragedies,William Shakespeare’s take on the theme of forbidden love is 9._______________ unique,masterful piece of literature.This fact is proven by its endurance in the public’s conscience and by its numerous adaptations, spanning over four centuries.

For the purpose of intelligibility,Romeo and Julietwill be presented in a simplified, mostly-narrative version and not in its original, 10._______________(tradition)play form.

(三)

Oscar Wilde is a highly important person when it 1._______________(come) to the English language and literature.This Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist was born 2._______________ the 16th of October 1854 in Dublin, Ireland.He was raised in a wealthy family by highly intellectual parents.

From early childhood, he was 3._______________ excellent student, fluent in French and German besides having enough knowledge of Italian and Ancient Greek.As a 4._______________(write), he 5._______________(leave) a very important mark in the world literature.His incredibly witty plays such asThe Importance of Being Earnest,An Ideal Husband, etc.are still being performed all around the world.His only novel,The Picture of Dorian Gray, is one of the 6._______________(important)Victorian literary pieces.He also wrote short stories, essays and poems.Most of 7.______________(he) themes are focused on criticism of the Victorian society,false manners and hypocrisy, marriage, moral values, etc.

The Victorian era is named after the British Queen Victoria 8._______________ reigned from 1837 to 1901.At that time, the Industrial Revolution and technology inventions made Britain prosperous.

However, there were many problems, such 9._______________ social injustice,child labor, big difference between men’s and women’s 10._______________(right),etc.Those are also the issues depicted in the literature of this era.

The most important Victorian literary form is the novel, and some of the most important writers are Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Charles Dickens.