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Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series （系列） of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl’s writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.
After Dark
Haruki Murakami
It’s about two sisters—Eri, a model who either won’t or can’t stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister, Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse “night people” who are hiding secrets.
Gone Girl
Gillian Fynn
There was a bit of me that didn’t want to love this when everyone else on the planet did, but the horror story is brilliant. There’s tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It’s a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what’s going on is horribly enjoyable.
The Stand
Stephen King
This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.
1. Who does “I” refer to in the text?
A. Stephen King.
B. Gillian Flynn.
C. Jo Usmar.
D. Roald Dahl.
2. Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?
A. Cosmopolitan.
B. Matilda.
C. After Dark.
D. The Stand.
3. What kind of book is Gone Girl ?
A. A folk tale.
B. A biography.
C. A love story.
D. A horror story.
favourite adj . 特别喜爱的；青睐的
Cosmopolitan n . 《时尚》杂志
fairy tale 神话故事，童话
appreciation n . 了解，认识；欣赏，鉴赏
delightful adj . 讨人喜欢的；令人愉快的
bossy adj . 好发号施令的；专横的
aspirational adj . 励志的，激励人心的
diverse adj . 多种多样的；形形色色的
whodunit n . 侦探小说
frustration n . 沮丧，挫败感
fantasy novel 奇幻小说
1. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.
本句为并列句，前后分句均为主系表结构。第一个分句的主语battles有一个with引导的后置定语修饰。
（参考译文） 玛蒂尔达与冷酷的父母、专横霸道的女校长特朗奇布尔小姐进行的斗争，搞笑而骇人，却也十分励志。
2. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left.
本句为复合句，前半句为after引导的时间状语从句，后半句为主谓结构，其中含有between...and...结构。
（参考译文） 一场严重的流感爆发后，地球上99.4%的人类灭绝，接下来，幸存者之间展开了一场正义与邪恶之间的较量。