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Based on the author's own personal experience, The Lovely Bones is a miraculous tale of hope and healing.
根據作者的親身經驗，《蘇西的世界》是一個關於希望和療癒的精采故事。






 When Alice Sebold wrote her novel The Lovely Bones, she had no idea that it would become an overnight success. It was on the The New York Times hardback bestseller list for over a year, with sales reaching nearly two million copies.
　　 The story begins with the main character, Susie Salmon, already in heaven at the age of 14. From her unusual perch, she reveals a haunting story of her brutal rape and murder by a neighbor in her suburban hometown in 1973. However, the novel is not just all about the crime itself. Instead, it focuses on the emotional impact that Salmon, her family, and even her killer must face while trying to come to terms with what happened. In the weeks following her violent death, Salmon has to watch life go on without her while trying to accept the fact that she's dead. At first, Salmon witnesses her family holding a strong belief that she is alive and will ultimately be found. Sadly enough, as time marches on without any leads, the realization that she is gone for good starts setting in, and Salmon has to accept the changes that she sees within herself and her family. Salmon observes her little brother trying to understand the word "gone," her sister trying to harden herself against loss, her mother trying to escape her life of domestic responsibilities, and her father trying not to lose himself while hunting down Susie's killer. In the end, Salmon says that her "lovely bones" are the connections that happen between the people because of her death.
　　 First published in 2002, The Lovely Bones is now heading for the movie theaters. Director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson insisted on keeping his film adaptation consistent with the novel's original tone and mood. Fans of the novel are certain to find themselves in seventh heaven when the movie hits theaters this February.


1. What is the main purpose of this article?
(A) To share the author's personal experience about a brutal event.
(B) To give a brief introduction of the book The Lovely Bones and its upcoming movie.
(C) To complain about a 14-year-old girl named Susie Salmon.
(D) To go behind the scenes of the new movie The Lovely Bones.


2. What is NOT true of the main character? 
(A) Her neighbor brutally raped and murdered her.
(B) She watches life go on from the spirit world.
(C) She is only 14 years old when she dies.
(D) From heaven, she can alter what her family goes through on Earth.
3. What is something Salmon has to accept about her family?


(A) In the end, everyone gives up hope of finding her alive and continues to live their lives.
(B) Her little brother runs away from the family and disappears.
(C) Her mother and sister work really hard to keep the family together.
(D) Her father almost loses his life while trying to find Susie's killer.


4. How is director Peter Jackson going to direct the film adaptation of the book?
(A) He plans to have Susie Salmon come back to life in the end.
(B) He intends to change how Susie Salmon is murdered so that it will be less violent.
(C) He promises to stay true to the tone and mood of the book.
(D) He is going to focus the movie more on the crime than on Susie and her family.


hardback n. 精裝本，精裝書
paperback n. 平裝書
bestseller n. 暢銷書
haunting a. 縈繞心頭的
brutal a. 殘忍的
rape n. & vt. 強暴
suburban a. 郊區的
emotional a. 感情上的
lead n. 線索，提示
realization n. 領悟
harden vt. 使（身心）堅強起來
domestic a. 家庭的
trilogy n. 三部曲
adaptation n. 改編
tone n.（作品、活動的）基調，氣氛
upcoming a. 即將來臨的


in heaven　　在天堂
hunt down...　　追捕……
come back to life　　復活

overnight a. 突然的；一整晚的 & adv. 突然，一夜間；整晚
例: No language can be mastered overnight.
（精通語言並非一蹴可幾之事。）

 
perch n. 高處；棲息處 & vt. 使暫棲（常用於被動語態）
be perched on...　　棲息在……上面
例: The hawk was perched on the treetop looking for prey.
（這隻老鷹棲息在樹梢上尋找獵物。）

 
focus on...　　著重於……；專心在……上
例: You should focus on your finals instead of worrying about the dance.
（你應該專心在期末考，而不是擔心舞會的事。）

 
impact n. 衝擊；影響
have an impact on...　　對……造成影響
例: The war has had an impact on oil prices.
（戰爭對油價造成了影響。）

 
come to terms with...　　接受……（不愉快的事）；對……妥協
例: After two years, Mike finally came to terms with his daughter's death.
（經過了兩年，麥克終於接受女兒身亡的事實。）

 
witness vt. 目擊
例: Many people witnessed the car accident this morning.
（許多人目睹今早發生的車禍。）

 
hold a/the belief + that 子句　　相信……，持有……的想法
例: My father holds the belief that sons are better than daughters.
（我爸爸相信兒子比女兒好。）

 
ultimately adv. 最後，最終
例: The killer was ultimately put to death after his final appeal was rejected.
（該殺人犯在最後上訴被駁回後，終於被處死刑。）

 
set in　　開始，來臨
例: It took three days for Paul's victory to set in.
（保羅花了 3 天的時間才嚐到勝利的滋味。）

 
observe vt. 觀察；注意到
例: The biologist observed the monkeys grooming each other.
（那名生物學家觀察猴子們相互梳毛。）

 
connection n. 連接；關係，關聯
in connection with...　　與……相關連∕有關
例: Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the break-ins.
（3 名青少年因涉嫌非法入侵而遭到逮捕。）

 
insist on + N/V-ing　　堅持……
例: Jimmy insisted on watching the waves at the beach during the typhoon.
（吉米堅持在颱風期間去海邊觀浪。）

 
consistent a. 前後一致的
be consistent with...　　與……一致
例: Mr. Lin's story wasn't consistent with the video tape, so the police didn't believe him.
（林先生的說詞和錄影帶中的不一致，所以警方並不相信他。）

 
in seventh heaven　　非常快樂
例: Matt was in seventh heaven when Beth agreed to marry him.
（當貝絲答應嫁給麥特時，他高興得快飛上天了。）

 
complain about...　　抱怨……
例: Lucy complained about the poor service at that restaurant.
（露西抱怨那家餐廳服務品質不佳。）

 
go behind the scenes　　走進幕後
例: The TV crew went behind the scenes of the concert to film all the preparations.
（這群電視節目團隊深入後台，拍下這場演場會的準備活動。）

 
alter vt. 改變
例: My dress didn't fit right, so I altered it.
（我的洋裝不太合身，所以我修改了它。）

 
go through...　　經歷∕遭受……
例: Gary went through a lot of hardships before becoming what he is today.
（蓋瑞經歷了許多苦難才有今日的成就。）




　　艾莉絲．希伯德撰寫《蘇西的世界》時，沒想過這本小說會在一夕之間暴紅。它榮登《紐約時報》的精裝書暢銷排行榜長達一年的時間，銷售近兩百萬本。
　　 故事是從蘇西．沙蒙這位 14 歲就已經上天堂的女孩開始。從她身處天堂這個不尋常的高處，蘇西道出了一個令人難忘的故事：1973 年在位於郊區的家中，她被一名鄰居殘忍地姦殺。然而，這本小說並不只在敘述這項罪行。它反而著重蘇西、她的家人甚至是兇手在接受這場悲劇的同時，所必須面對隨之而來的情緒衝擊。在蘇西慘遭橫禍去世接下來的幾週，蘇西必須看著在沒有她的情況下日子繼續運作，而她也得接受自己已不在人世的事實。起初，蘇西目睹她的家人抱持著她尚在人間，最終將被尋獲的堅定信念。不過不幸的是，隨著時光流逝，卻毫無任何線索，蘇西已身亡的事實才逐漸被接受，而蘇西本人也必須接受自身和家人的改變。她看著弟弟試著理解『去世』這個詞的意思，妹妹試圖讓自己堅強來對抗失去她的事實，母親試圖逃避自己的家庭責任，而父親則在追捕殺害蘇西的兇手時，試著不要迷失自己。最後，蘇西說她的死亡聯繫了身邊的人所發生的一切，而這些就是她『美麗的骨幹』。
　　 《蘇西的世界》於 2002 年初版，如今將躍上大螢幕。《魔戒三部曲》的導演彼得．傑克森堅持這部改編電影要忠於原著。對書迷而言，當《蘇西的世界》這部電影在今年二月上映時，他們將會發現自己開心得彷彿置身天堂一般。


1. 本文的目的為何？
(A) 分享作者自身經歷殘酷事件的經驗。
(B) 簡短介紹《蘇西的世界》這本書和即將上映的電影。
(C) 抱怨一名叫蘇西．沙蒙的 14 歲女孩的事。
(D) 深入《蘇西的世界》這部電影的幕後花絮。
題解: 文章第一、二段在介紹《蘇西的世界》這本小說，而最後一段則說它被改編成電影，可知 (B) 為正選。


2. 關於主角下列敘述何者為非？
(A) 她的鄰居殘酷地強暴她，並將她殺害。
(B) 她在天堂看著日子繼續運作。
(C) 她去世時年僅 14 歲。
(D) 從天堂，她能改變家人在人間經歷的一切。
題解: 根據文章第二段，蘇西．沙蒙這位 14 歲的女孩被一名鄰居殘忍地姦殺而上了天堂。在那邊，她必須看著在沒有她的情況下日子繼續運作。文中並未提及蘇西在天堂能改變家人所經歷的一切，故選 (D)。


3. 蘇西必須接受關於家人的什麼事？
(A) 最後每個人都放棄蘇西還活著的希望，並繼續過他們的日子。
(B) 她的弟弟逃家並失蹤了。
(C) 她的母親和妹妹努力維持家庭的完整。
(D) 她的父親在試圖找出殺害蘇西的兇手時，差點因此喪命。
題解: 根據文章第二段，蘇西去世後，她必須在天堂看著在沒有她的情況下日子繼續運作，起初蘇西目睹她的家人抱持著她尚在人間，最終將被尋獲的堅定信念。不過不幸的是，隨著時光流逝，卻毫無任何線索，蘇西已身亡的事實才逐漸被接受，可知 (A) 為正選。


4. 導演彼得‧傑克森將如何執導這部改編自《蘇西的世界》的電影？
(A) 他打算在結局讓蘇西重回人間。
(B) 他有意改變蘇西被害的方式，才不會那麼殘暴。
(C) 他承諾將會忠於原著小說。
(D) 他將著重在犯罪上，而不是蘇西和她的家人。
題解: 根據文章最末段，導演彼得．傑克森堅持這部改編自蘇西的世界》的電影要忠於原著小說，故選 (C)。


標準答案: 1. (B)　2. (D)　3. (A)　4. (C)