Question

4．What does it mean to cry over a book？"I'm a reader who did not weep，"Ruth Graham，a well-known critic，wrote．"Does this make me heartless？Or does it make me a grown-up？"
    Tears have played a surprisingly important part in the history of the novel．Readers have always asked about the role that emotion plays in reading：What does it mean to be deeply moved by a book？Which books are worthy objects of our feelings？
    In different times，people answered those questions in different ways．In the early eighteenth century，when the novel was still a new form，crying was a sign of readers'virtue．"Sentimental"novels，full of touching scenes，gave readers an occasion to exercise their"finer feelings．"Your tear proved that you were likely to feel the suffering of others．
    At that time，sentimental novels were hugely popular，but also easy to attack．Tears，after all，had no necessary connection to actual virtue，and they could be not true  As the critic John Mullan points out，by the end of the eighteenth century，the word"sentimental"had acquired a new meaning-"addicted to low emotion"-bringing it closer to the meaning that it has for us today．
    In the nineteenth century，the meaning of tears evolved in two different directions．Some writers sought to waken"higher"feelings in their readers：Victorian sentimentalists wrote touching scenes in an effort to inspire social and political reform．However，the"sensation"novel，a different type of Victorian best-seller，showed that tears could be enjoyable in themselves．Sensation novels were the leaders of the modern thriller and mystery．Heavy on secrets，and madness，they were known for creating physical"sensations"in their readers-trembling，a fast beating heart，and tears．But these were tears without moral purpose or effect．
    Today's debate about crying while reading looks back on all of this history．The debate，in fact，is about why books matter to us，and what reading is"for．"Talking about what makes us cry is a way of talking about ourselves．
32．What was people's attitude towards crying over novels in the early 18th century？B
A．Doubtful．B．Positive．C．Uncaring．D．Worried．
33．From the passage we can know that"sensation"novelsC．
A．aimed for social and political reform        
B．helped understand others'suffering
C．consisted of many touching scenes
D．tended to amuse the readers
34．The author presents this text mainlyC．
A．by providing examples                
B．by making comparisons 
C．by following the order of time           
D．by following the order of importance
35．What's the best title for the text？B
A．Sentimental novels & sensation novels
B．Crying while reading through centuries         
C．The history of the novel 
D．Why books matter to us．

Answer 1

分析 本文讲述了悲情小说在各个世纪的发展以及影响，不同时代的人们对此有着不同的意见．

解答 30．B．情感推断题．由第五段showed that tears could be enjoyable in themselves可知，眼泪可以让他们享受，因此是有积极作用的，故选B．
33．C．细节理解题．由第三段．"Sentimental"novels，full of touching scenes，可知这本小说由感人的场景构成，故选C．
34．C．写作手法题．由第三段In the early eighteenth century，第四段by the end of the eighteenth century，第五段In the nineteenth century等，可知文章是按时间顺序叙述的，故选C．
35．B．主旨归纳题．由全文内容知，本文讲述了悲情小说在各个世纪的发展以及影响，故选B．

点评 本篇文章主旨句即在第一段．因此考生要重视文章的标题和文章的首句，因为文章的标题或首句往往就是文章的主题，有利于考生理解全文内容．