天一大联考 2016-2017学年高二年级阶段性测试（一）
英语
本试题卷分第I卷和第Ⅱ卷两部分。考生作答时，将答案答在答题卡上（答题注意事项见答题卡），在本试题卷上答题无效。考试结束后，将本试题卷和答题卡一并交回。
第I卷
第一部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分}
第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，f每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Several Holiday Houses in Sicily and Its Islands
Baglio Fontana, Buseto Paiizzoio, Trapani，Sicily
Grapes have been harvested at this traditional family farm since the early 18ih century. Old photos of the family cover the walls of tlie sitting room. A farm museum exhibits ancient tools and you can have a taste of wine in the country restaurant. All the rooms combine modem comforts with original features. You can also swim in the pool.
Doubles from € 100 per night，+39 0923 855000
Club Levante，Pantelleria
Reaching Pantelleria by plane is striking；by boat from Trapani it is thrilling. It’s a surprisingly stylish place for nature-lovers seeking privacy and peace, and is run by warmhearted Matteo and hi s father. There’s a small restaurant. Bedrooms are elegant, a couple of which have a sea view from the bed.
Doubles from € 130 per night，+39 0923 915246
Giardinl di Pantelleria, Pantelleria
Come for an adventurous week of walking, boating and hot-springing in an ancient, dramatic landscape. Five thousand years ago, Pantelleria was mined for volcanic glass to make spears and knives, and our ancestors left some fascinating tombs. Local Arabs built circular shelters for their traditional stone houses with two-metre-tliick rock walls.
From €400 a week for an apartment sleeping two, +39 340 6156112
Villa Punta San Nicola, Favignana
Favignana is not very famous. It's just a hatitat for those Italians who are familiar with the area. This trio (三件套) of single-storey sandstone houses are owned and were designed by a former fashion photographer. They are half buUl into the rocks and simply but stylishly furnished. There’s a beautiful rocky beach just a few steps away.
Apartmenis sleeping 2 from € 650 c week， + 39 335 337054
1.Which of the following is true about Baglio Montana?
A. Its museum exhibits many ancient pictures.
B. It has a history of about three hundred years.
C. Its rooms are covered with the family ’ s photos.
D. It owns the largest wine-making factory in the area.
2. What is an advantage of Giardini di Pantelleria?
A. Quiet environment.
B. Convenient transport.
C. Cheap rooms.
D. Free visits to ancient tombs.
3. Which place is only known by some Italians?
A. Baglio Fontana, Buseto Palizzolo,Trapani, Sicily,
B. Club Levante, Pantelleria.
C. Giardini di Pantelleria, Pantelleria.
D. Villa Punta San Nicola, Favignana.
4.Which number should you call if you want to be alone without being disturbed?
A. +39 0923 915246.
B. +39 0923 855000.
C. +39 340 6156112.
D. +39 335 337054.
B
I'm perfectly aware that many people you know probably think you re crazy for wanting to travel instead of settling into a typical 9-5 lifestyle. It's difficult for others to understand your
高二年级第一学期期末测试----英语 单项选择（共25小题；每小题1分，满分25分） 从A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 1. The film _______ him _______ what he had seen in China. A. reminded; to B. remembered; of C. recalled; with D. reminded; of 2. I sight of an empty seat at the back of the bus and went directly there. A. lost B caught C. looked D. took 3. He asked us to him ______ carrying through their plan. A. assist; with B. help; to C. assist; in D. help; with 4. His report was so exciting that it was interrupted by applause（掌声）. A. constantly B. constant C. seldom D. never 5. _______ in a friendly way, their quarrel came to an end. A. Being settled B. Settled C. Settling D. Having settled 6. A driver should __ the road when . A. concentrate on; drive B. concentrate in; driving C. concentrate to; drove D. concentrate on; driving 7. We must work hard to a good knowledge of English. A. take B. acquire C. catch D. hold 8. Tom kept quiet about the accident ________ lose his job. A. so not as to B. so as not to C. so as to not D. not so as to 9. Not until the early years of the 19th century ________ what heat was. A. man did know B. did man knew C. didn't man know D. did man know 10. The stone bridge __ _ last year is very beautiful. A. built B. was built C. being built D .to be built 11.The poor man , ________，ran out of the dark cave. A. tiring and frightened B. tired and frightened C. tired and frightening D. tiring and frightening 12. Don’t be discouraged. ______ things as they are and you will enjoy every day of your life. A. Taking B. To take C. Take D. Taken 13. These articles are written in simple language, _____ makes it easy to read. A. that B. this C. which D. it 14. After the war, a new school building was put up __________there used to be a theatre. A. that B. where C. which D. when 15. Tom’s mother kept telling him that he should work harder, but ______ didn’t help. A. he B. which C. she D. it 16. Along with the letter was his promise _______ he would visit me this coming Christmas. A. which B. that C. what D. whether 17. Victor apologized for __________ to inform me of the change in the plan.
江苏省涟水中学 2019-2020 学年度第二学期高二年级阶段检测 （一）英语试卷 (本试卷共六部分，满分 150 分。考试时间 120 分钟。) 第一部分听力（共 20 小题，每题 1.5 分，满分 30 分） 第一节（共 5 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 5 分） 听下面 5 段对话，每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有 10 秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 1.W hat is the man waiting to do? A. Enjoy some noodles. B. Eat some eggs. C. Drink some hot water. 2.W hat does the man advise the woman to do? A.Give running another try. B.Try some of the other events. C.Talk with the P.E teacher. 3.For what purpose did the woman choose to take Spanish? A.She wanted to be classmates with the man. B.She studied it when she was a little girl. C.She had studied a similar language before. 4.W hat is Steve worried about? A. His football. B. His lamp. C. His desk 5.W here does the conversation probably take place? A. In a bookstore. B. In a game center. C. In a library. 第二节（共 15 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 15 分） 听下面 5 段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有 5 秒钟的时间 阅读各个小题；听完后，各小题将给出 5 秒钟的作答时间，每段对话或独白读两遍。 听下面一段对话，回答第 6 至 7 题。 6.H ow does the woman describe her students? A. Various. B. Boring. C. Educational. 7.W hen does the conversation take place? A.At the beginning of a term. B.In the middle of a term. C.At the end of a term. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。
一单项选择： 1、The Indian Ocean tsunami at the end of 2004 is believed _____ more than 160,000 people and made millions homeless, ______ it perhaps the most destroying tsunami in history. A. to kill ; making B. to have killed ; making C. having killed ; to make D. killing ; made 2、Eating too much fat can ______ heart disease and cause high blood pressure . A. stick to B. attend to C. contribute to D. devote to 3、“Neal, listen ,” she said , looking straight at him . “ I ask you not to get _______ in this kind of matter . It’s none of your business.” A. caught B. involved C. attached D. connected 4、The quality of the food is ________ health for people. A. a matter of B. the matter of C. no matter that D. for the matter 5、—- My uncle advised I ________ abroad . —- I would rather you ________ at home . A. go ; stay B. went ; stayed C. go ; stayed D. went ; stay 6、________ you find either his add ress or his telephone number , you can’t get in touch with him. A. Although B. Even though C. Unless D. If 7、Mr Jones holds strong views against video games and ____ the closing of all recreation facilities for such games. A. assists B. acknowledges C. advocates D. admits 8、Li Yuchun’s career began to __________ after she won the Super Girls’ match . A. speed up B. fly away C. give away D. take off
高二英语上期中考试题 含答案 Document serial number【KKGB-LBS98YT-BS8CB-BSUT-BST108】
高中2019级期中考试英语试题（含答案） （2017年秋） 第一部分：听力（共两节，满分30分） 该部分分为第一、第二两节。注意：回答听力部分时，请先将答案标在试卷上。听力部分结束时，你将有两分钟的时间将你的答案转涂到客观题答题卡上。 第一节（共5小题；每小题分，满分分） 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 例：How much is the shirt A. ￡ B. ￡9.18 C. ￡ 答案是C。 1. What does the man want to do A. Take photos. B. Buy a camera. C. Help the woman. 2. What are the speakers talking about A. A noisy night B. Their life in town. C. A place of living. 3. Where is the man now A. On his way. B. In a restaurant. C. At home. 4. What will Celia do A. Find a player. B. Watch a game. C. Play basketball. 5. What day is it when the conversation takes place A. Saturday. B. Sunday. C. Monday. 第二节（共15小题；每小题分，满分分） 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。 听下面一段对话，回答第6至7两个小题。 6. What is Sara going to do A. Buy John a gift B. Invite John to France C. Give John a surprise 7. What does the man think of Sara’s plan A. Funny. B. Exciting. C. Strange. 听下面一段圣诞，回答第8和第9两个小题 8. Why does Diana say sorry to Peter A. She has to give up her travel plan. B. She wants to visit another city. C. She needs to put off her test. 9. What does Diana want Peter to do A. Help her with her study. B. Take a book to her friend. C. Teach a geography lesson. 听下面一段对话，回答第10至第12三个小题。 10. Why does the man call the woman
天一大联考 2016-2017学年高二年级阶段性测试（一） 英语 本试题卷分第I卷和第Ⅱ卷两部分。考生作答时，将答案答在答题卡上（答题注意事项见答题卡），在本试题卷上答题无效。考试结束后，将本试题卷和答题卡一并交回。 第I卷 第一部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分} 第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分） 阅读下列短文，f每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A Several Holiday Houses in Sicily and Its Islands Baglio Fontana, Buseto Paiizzoio, Trapani，Sicily Grapes have been harvested at this traditional family farm since the early 18ih century. Old photos of the family cover the walls of tlie sitting room. A farm museum exhibits ancient tools and you can have a taste of wine in the country restaurant. All the rooms combine modem comforts with original features. You can also swim in the pool. Doubles from € 100 per night，+39 0923 855000 Club Levante，Pantelleria Reaching Pantelleria by plane is striking；by boat from Trapani it is thrilling. It’s a surprisingly stylish place for nature-lovers seeking privacy and peace, and is run by warmhearted Matteo and hi s father. There’s a small restaurant. Bedrooms are elegant, a couple of which have a sea view from the bed. Doubles from € 130 per night，+39 0923 915246 Giardinl di Pantelleria, Pantelleria Come for an adventurous week of walking, boating and hot-springing in an ancient, dramatic landscape. Five thousand years ago, Pantelleria was mined for volcanic glass to make spears and knives, and our ancestors left some fascinating tombs. Local Arabs built circular shelters for their traditional stone houses with two-metre-tliick rock walls.
高二下学期期末考试英语试题及答案 第一卷（选择题，满分115分） 第二部分英语知识应用（共两节，满分45分） 第一节单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 21.It was on ____Sunday in____May of 2012 that the famous expert in phonetics,passed away. A.a, the B./, / C./, the D.a, a 22.——I hear that Charlie is absent from school because of his being ill. ——_____,let's go to see him. A.If ever B.If so C.If any D.When necessary. 23.Don't ___the speaker now;he will answer the questions later. A.contradict B.condemn C.interrupt D.substitute 24.___ the same mistake again made his parents unhappy; ___ by his parents, he left _____ . A. His being made; criticizing; disappointed B. He has made; criticized; disappointed C. He had made; criticized; disappointing D. His making; criticized; disappointed 25.That wasn't the first time he ____ us.I think it's high time we _____ strong actions against him. A．betrayed; take B．had betrayed; took C．has betrayed; took D．has betrayed; take 26.The boy looked at his mother in________，not daring to believe it's true. A．amazement B．absence C．surprised D．astonished https://www.doczj.com/doc/5918544234.html,ng Lang is my favorite pianist.I regard him as________other pianists. A．superior to B．more superior to C．superior than D．more superior than 28.Police are now searching for a woman who is reported to _____since the flood hit the area last Friday. A.have been missing B.have got lost C.be missing D.get lost 29.The law requires equal treatment for all, ____race, religion and sex. A.in spite of B.in terms of C. In addition to D.regardless of 30.The project aims to ensure that poorer people are not____from the benefit of computer technology. A.cut out B.cut off C.cut down D.cut up 31．The origin of Chinese culture________more than 5,000 years ago. A．is dated back to B．dates back to C．was dated from D．dated back to 32.I can't bear ________，so I hope you can come on time. A．to keep waiting B．to keep to wait C．being kept waiting D．being kept to wait
高二英语必修（5）测试试题 注意事项： 1. 本试卷由选择题和非选择题两大部分组成。选择题包括第一部分和 第二部分；非选择题为第三部分。 2. 1—65题涂在答题卡上。A涂A; B涂B; C涂C; D涂D; E涂AB; F涂AC; G涂AD. 第一部分：英语知识运用（共四节，满分55分） 第一节：语音知识（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分） 从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出所给单词的正确读音，并在 答题卡上将该选项涂黑。 1. A. /???? B./???? C./ ???? D. /???? A.? B. ? C.? D. ? 2. contribute A./k?n tr?b?t/ B. /k?n tr?bj?:t/ C./k?n tr?b?t/ D./k ?n tr?bj?:t/ remind A.? B.?? C.? D.?? A./sep? B. ?r?t/ C./s?pr? D.??r?t/ 第二节：情景对话（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分） 根据对话情景和内容，从对话后所给的选项中选出能填入每一个空白处的最 佳答案，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。 Jack: Hi, Frank Frank：Hi, Jack Jack：: 6___ Frank：Yes, I have some books to read, but I can do it later Jack：I want you to do me a favor. Frank：go ahead 7_________ Jack：Professor Smith is coming this afternoon, I am expected to meet him at the airport, but I have an important meeting to go to Frank：I can do it for you. 8 Jack：He’s about your age, in his early thirties. Tall and hand some Frank：9______ Jack：Oh, about three o’clock, He is taking flight number 231 from
上学期期末调研考试 高二英语试题卷 注意事项： 1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在答题卡上。 2．回答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案标号。回答非选择题时，将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。 3．考试结束后，将答题卡交回。 第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分） 做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。第一节（共5小题：每小题1．5分，满分7．5分） 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题，每段对话仅读一遍。 例：How much is the shirt? A．￡19．15．B．￡9．18．C．￡9．15． 答案是C。 1．How many times has the woman been to China? A．Once. B．Twice. C．Three times. 2．How much will the man have to pay in all? A．$60 B．$70 C．$76 3．What is the woman probably going to do? A．Perform a concert. B．Give a speech. C．Practice singing. 4．What is probably the woman’s job?. A．Secretary. B．Coach. C．Manager. 5．Where does the woman advise the man to apply for a job? A．At a shop. B．At a school. C．At a factory. 第二节（共15小题；每小题1．5分，满分22．5分） 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。 6．What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?
山东省济钢高级中学2019-2020年下学期高二英语阶段性测试题注意事项: 本试卷共分为五部分，考试用时60分钟，满分共100分。 第一部分阅读理解（共两节，满分32.5分） 第一节（共8小题；每小题2.5分，满分20分） 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。 A School girl Lorna O’Brien was in her kitchen when she looked out of the window and was terrified at what she saw. “Help!” she shouted. “There’s smoke and fire coming out of the kitchen window opposite.” Her father, John, ran across to the house while her 15-year-old brother Paul called the fire service. Lorna, 16, rushed across and caught up with her dad, who had just kicked open the front door. They looked upstairs where they saw smoke coming out of the top flat. Lorna followed her father into the flat, where they found a pan on fire in the kitchen and the young mother, Mane Linn, who had been asleep, lost consciousness in the smoke-blackened sitting room. Lorna’s dad threw a wet cloth over the pan and then turned off the stove before starting to help Mane through the smoke down the stairs to safety. Suddenly Mane started crying, “My baby, my baby!” “Where’s the baby?” asked Lorna. “In the bedroom,” Mane shouted back. While John pulled the crying mother from the house, Lorna, without a thought for her own safety, turned back to search for the baby. She found the little girl, 14-month-old Ann lying with her eyes closed. Lorna quickly took the baby, rushed downstairs through the fire and smoke. “It didn’t cross my mind at the time that I was near to dying when I rushed through the smoke,” said Lorna. “I was just thinking of the baby. Even after I came out of the house, I wasn’t frightened.” When help arrived, baby Ann and her mum were taken to hospital for treatment. It was only when Lorna got back into the saf ety of her own house that she realized the danger she had faced. “I started shaking all over and thought of what could have happened to me,” she said. 1. What did Lorna’s dad choose to do first when he entered the flat? A. Put out the fire. B. Turn off the stove. C. Open the windows. D. Help Mane downstairs. 2. What was the cause of the fire? A. Ann was careless when playing with fire. B. Mane fell asleep while she was cooking. C. Mane suddenly passed out while cooking. D. There was something wrong with the stove. 3.Which of the following can best describe Lorna when she saved the baby? A. She was scared. B. She was brave. C. She was careful. D. She was patient.
第Ⅰ卷(选择题） 第一部分听力(共两节，满分30分) 第一节：（共5小题；第小题1.5分，满分7.5分） 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳答案，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 1. What will the woman do this year？ A. Stay at a hotel B. Rent a house C. Buy some furniture 2. When does the conversation take place? A. At a school B. At a party C. At a dentist’s 3. How does one get to Linden Street ? A. By taking the No.1 train B. By crossing a park C. By finding the downtown platform 4. Why does the man want to apologize? A. He is sorry that the woman’s homework is so terrible. B. He has forgotten to bring her homework. C. He won’t finish his homework until tomorrow. 5. What can we learn about the scheduled flight?
A. It takes off every Tuesday morning. B. The fare is $428 return. C. There are no discounts. 第二节:(共15小题;每小题1.5分,共22.5分) 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A.B.C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读两遍。 听第六段材料，回答第6－7题。 6. How are the speakers spending the weekend? A. Listening to music B. Camping out C. Staying at home 7. What does the woman think the man’s idea is like? A. Great B. Not so good C. Just so-so 听第七段材料，回答第8----9题。 8. What does the woman dislike? A. Parties in her house B. Mozart C. Coca-Cola 9. What will the woman do tonight? A. Drink some Coca-Cola B. Stay with her cousin C. Move to Japan 听第八段材料，回答第10----12题。 10. What is the relationship between the speakers?
2016年春季学期高二英语周测试题（二） (本卷满分:150分考试时间：120分钟 ) 第I卷 第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分） 第一节(共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分) 请听下面5段对话，选出最佳选项。每段对话仅读一遍。 1. How does the man come here? A. By bus. B. By taxi. C. By car. 2. Why isn’t Helen present? A. She forgot to come. B. She changed her decision. C. She wasn’t invited. 3. What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers? A. Husband and wife. B. Mother and son. C. Doctor and patient. 4. What’s the man’s job? A. A shop assistant. B. A tailor. C. A salesman. 5. What does the man mean? A. He can’t go to the cinema. B. He can go to the cinema on Saturday morning. C. He can go to the cinema on Saturday evening. 第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分） 请听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。 6. When will the man go on holiday? A. In spring. B. In summer. C. In winter. 7. Where is the man going? A. Switzerland. B. Italy. C. Austria. 请听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。 8. What is the man? A. A businessman. B. A salesman. C. A scientist. 9. Where does this conversation most probably take place? A. On a train. B. On a bus. C. On a plane. 10. Why is the woman traveling? A. She is traveling on holiday. B. She is traveling on business. C. She is traveling to give some lectures. 请听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。 11. Why is the woman calling? A. To buy a table. B. To book a table. C. To serve lunch. 12. When does this restaurant stop serving lunch?
2016---17学年上学期期末考试 高二英语试卷 （考试时间：120分钟总分：150分） 第Ⅰ卷（满分100分） 第一部分听力理解 第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分） 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 1. What do we learn from the conversation? A. There will be a math exam tomorrow. B. Today is the man’s birthday. C. The man doesn’t like math exams. 2. What colour is the woman’s dress? A. Blue. B. White. C. Black. 3. When did the man’s daughter set a new world record? A. In 1999. B. In 2005. C. In 2009. 4. What does the man mean? A. He moved the desk alone. B. He had some classmates move the desk.
C. His classmates helped him move the desk. 5. What time is it now? A: 3:10. B: 3:15. C. 4:10. 第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分） 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。 6. Who might the man be? A. A waiter. B. The woman’s friend. C. The woman’s husband. 7. Where was the wallet found? A. In the restroom. B. At the cash desk. C. On the table. 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。 8. What are those children like? A. Shy. B. Active. C. Selfish. 9. Why does the woman have to leave? A. Because her children are ill. B. Because her parents are in poor health. C. Because her friends made her leave. 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。 10. What happened to the man? A. He got up late in the morning. B. He stayed up all night reading. C. He felt asleep while reading.
荥阳高中2017-1018学年上学期实验班 阶段性测试（四）高二英语 第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分） 第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分） 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A “I am not an American,” mark twain (1835-1910) once said, “I am the American.” He had good reason to say so. A Nobel winner in literature, US playwright Eugene O’ Neill called him “the father of American literature”. Twain is someone Americans are taught to love. Older relatives, English teachers and the media often praise him. But when you actually take the time to read the adventures of Tom Sawyer, which was first published 140 years ago, you find that his work is more wonderful than you could ever have 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 riverboat with his friends, falls in love with girls, starts 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 example, Tom hates going to church, and Twain uses Tom to make fun of religion and its old traditions. “Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the ha rder it is to get rid of it,” he writes in one chapter. Twain’s writing is full of these kinds of critical points about culture and politics. That’s why he is so loved in the US –he wasn’t afraid to state his opinions, and he did so clearly. For instance, Twain didn’t like US wars abroad. In 1900, after the US invaded the Philippines, Twain wrote in a newspaper article: “We do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines… We have gone there to conquer.” He also believed strongly in wo men’s right to vote in elections and gave a famous speech on the subject, called “Votes for Women”, in 1901.