九年级英语阅读7.docVIP

初三英语能力之阅读篇 Class ____________ Name _____________ Twain never stops laughing at us society (一代文豪马克.吐温) 词数 321 建议阅读时间 6分钟 Mark Twain (1835-1910) – we’ve all heard the name, but what makes him “the father of American literature (文学)” as classic US author William Faulkner once called him? Mark Twain is someone Americans are taught to love. Older relatives, English teachers and the media always praise him. But when you actually take the time to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you find that his work is more wonderful than you could’ve ever imagined. The novel describes a young boy named Tom Sawyer growing up in a small town along the Mississippi River. He explores the countryside on a river-boat with his friends, falls in love with girls, stars secret clubs and searches for treasure. Twain’s idea of childhood is magical – a time of imagination, wonder and, of course, adventure. More importantly, through the eyes of Tom Sawyer, Twain cleverly makes fun of US culture. For instance, Tom hates going to church, and Twain uses scenes of Tom there to mock religion (宗教) and its old traditions. “Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it (通常，一个传统习俗的存在越没有理由，就越难以摆脱)”, he writes in once chapter. Twain’s writing is full of these kinds of critical (批判的) points about culture and politics. That’s why he is so loved in the US – he wasn’t afraid to state his opinion, and he did so clearly. For instance, Twain didn’t like US wars abroad. In 1900, after the US invaded (入侵) the Philippines, Twain wrote in a newspaper article: “We do not intend to free, but to subjugate (征服) the people of the Philippines… We have gone there to conquer (占领).” He also believed strongly in women’s right to vote in elections (选举) and gave a famous speech on the subject, called “Votes for Women”, in 1901. “Tom was a glittering (闪光的) hero once more – the pet of the old, the envy (羡慕) of the young,” Twain writes in Tom Sawyer. But he