牛津高中英语模块8Reading课文翻译.doc

江苏省淮阴中学2007届高三英语专项训练055号 牛津英语模块八 编制：王新凤 PAGE PAGE 1 Unit 1 Appreciating literature What is classic literature? Classics are the antiques of the literary world. They are novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written and well received that people still read them today. They are examples of great writing and wisdom, and even those written centuries ago can still be found in bookshops and libraries today. Because a lot of classics were written so long ago, the language used in them is quite different from the language used today. This makes them difficult for some people to read, and often, the classics are left to gather dust on shelves. Many people do not read them because they think that they are old-fashioned and boring, and have nothing to do with life today. However, if this is true, why do we still find classics in bookshops and libraries? They have not disappeared and still have a place in the world today. Why else would many films based on them be successful? In 1995, Clueless, the award-winning film based on Jane Austin’s novel Emma, was released. Three years later, in 1998, a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations appeared in cinemas. I do not think that these classic novels would be made into films if they had nothing to do with life today. Charles Dickens: ‘England’s greatest writer’ Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. He wrote many novels. He died in 1870 and his tomb reads, ‘by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.’ Great Expectations Great Expectations is set in England in the early 1800s.Dickens uses Pip, the main character, to tell the story. Pip is not only a character, he also tells the story of Great Expectations. Pip lives with his older sister and her husband Joe. Pip’s sister seldom has a kind word to say, but Joe is a kind and simple man, who would rather die than see any harm come to Pip. Pip, who is seven y