The person I’ve chosen to talk about is the French writer Victor Hugo – many people have heard of him because his novel, Les Miserables, which he wrote in 1862, is famous around the world. It became a stage musical in the 1980s, and a film version was also released in 2012. So, some of us, I’m sure, have a pretty general idea of the plot, but we know much less about the author.【Q31】 Today, I’m going to provide a little more insight into this talented man and I’m going to talk particularly about the home he had on the island of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands.
But first, his early career … as I’ve said, he was a writer, he was at the height of his career in Paris and he was very highly regarded by his colleagues. As far as literature was concerned, he was the leading figure of the Romantic movement. However, as well as being a literary genius, he also gave many speeches about issues like the level of poverty 【Q32】in his society. He felt very strongly about this and about other areas where change was needed, like education. This kind of outspoken criticism was not well liked by the rulers of France and, eventually, the emperor – Napoleon III – told Victor Hugo to leave Paris and not return; in other words, he sent him into exile.
So Victor Hugo was forced to reside in other parts of Europe.【Q33】 Guernsey was actually his third place of exile and he landed there in 1855. He produced a lot while on Guernsey – including Les Miserables – and to do this, he had to spend a great deal of time in the home that he had there. This was a property that he bought using the money he’d made in France from the publication of a collection of his poetry.【Q34】 It was the only property he ever owned, and he was very proud of it.
The property Victor Hugo bought on Guernsey was a large, five-storey house in the capital town of St Peter Port and he lived there for 15 years, returning to France in 1870 when Napoleon’s Empire collapsed. He decorated and furnished each level, or floor, of the house in unique and wonderful ways, and many people consider the inside of the house to be a ‘work of art’. Today it’s a museum that attracts 200,000 visitors a year.
He lived in the house with his family … and portraits of its members still hang in rooms on the ground floor, along with drawings【Q35】 that he did during his travels that he felt were important to him. In other ground-floor rooms, there are huge tapestries that he would have designed and loved. The walls are covered in dark wood panelling that Victor Hugo created himself using wooden furniture that he bought in the market.【Q36】 The items were relatively inexpensive, and he used them to create intricate carvings. They gave an atmosphere on the lower level that was shadowy and rather solemn.
On the next level of the house there are two impressive lounges, where he entertained his guests. One lounge has entirely red furnishings, such as sofas and wall coverings, and the other blue. There’s a strong Chinese influence in these areas in things like the wallpaper pattern and the lamps【Q37】 – which he would have made himself by copying original versions.
His library, where he left many of his favourite books, forms the hallway to the third floor and was a comfortable area where he could relax and enjoy his afternoons. And then, at the very top of the house, there’s a room called the Lookout – called that because it looks out over the harbour.【Q38】 In contrast to the rather dark lower levels, it’s full of light and was like a glass office where he would write until lunchtime- often at his desk.
So, Victor Hugo was a man of many talents, but he was also true to his values. While living in his house on Guernsey, he entertained many other famous writers, but he also invited a large group of local children from the deprived areas of the island to dinner once a week.【Q39】 What’s more, he served them their food, which was an extraordinary gesture for the time period.
In 1927, the house was owned by his relatives, and they decided to donate it to the city of Paris.【Q40】 It has since been restored using photographs from the period and, as I mentioned earlier, is now a museum that is open to the public.
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
听前预测：提示词为 more…than…、overall、author，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题定位信息较弱，但考生可以听到小标题中的 Les Misérables 原词出现，接着 stage musical 和 film 先后出现，分别对应本题上层信息 theatre 和 cinema，因此此处提示定位到该题。接着原文提到“So, some of us, I’m sure, have a pretty general idea of the plot, but we know much less about the author”，其中 general idea 对应题干信息 overall，因此后面搭配的 plot 符合该题词性和内容搭配要求。另外题干的 know more about…than about its author 在原文中通过 know much less about the author 体现，因此确认 plot 为该题正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 social issues；提示词为 such as、and education，此处应填名词，是social issues 的具体体现，并且与 education 存在并列关系。
题目解析：上一题结束后，考生可听到小标题信息 His early career，接着上层题干信息 Paris、Romantic movement 等先后原词重现，提示定位到该题。随后答案句通过转折词 However 引出“However, as well as being a literary genius, he also gave many speeches about issues like the level of poverty in his society”，其中 gave many speeches 对应题干信息 spoke publicly；issues…in his society 对应题干信息 social issues。根据题干要求，该题应该填写 social issues 的具体例子，因此判断 poverty 符合要求。随后原文提到“He felt very strongly about this and about other areas where change was needed, like education”，此处题干中的并列信息 education 出现，因此确认 poverty 为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：提示词为 live、elsewhere、in，此处应填表示地点的名词。
题目解析：上一题结束后，紧跟原文，可以听到上层题干已知信息 Napoleon III、exile 先后原词出现，可以辅助定位。随后，答案句“So Victor Hugo was forced to reside in other parts of Europe”出现，其中 reside 意为“居住”，替换题干信息 live； other parts 对应题干中的 elsewhere，因此判断 Europe 符合题干词性和内容搭配要求，为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 income、house、Guernsey；提示词为 sale、some，此处应填名词。
题目解析：上一题结束后，考生可先后听到 Guernsey、home、property，其中 home 和 property 可以替换题干中的 house 一词，因此此处提示定位到该题。接着原文提到“This was a property that he bought using the money he’d made in France from the publication of a collection of his poetry”，其中 money 替换题干信息 income， 根据题干词性和内容搭配，判断 poetry 符合要求，为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 ground floor、portraits、tapestries；提示词为 and，此处应填名词，且跟 portraits 和 tapestries 存在并列关系。
题目解析：本题跟前一题间隔较久才出现，需要考生耐心听取。当听到上层信息 Napoleon’s Empire collapsed（即题中的 the end of the Empire in France）和 floor 一词时，提示该题即将出现，准备抓取。接着原文提到“portraits of its members still hang in rooms on the ground floor”，准确定位到该题。随后跟上原文继续听， 答案信息出现“along with drawings”，判断 drawings 跟 portraits 存在并列关系，可先记录。随后原文提到“In other ground-floor rooms, there are huge tapestries”， 该句中出现另一个跟答案并列的信息 tapestries，因此确认 drawings 为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 wall carvings；提示词为 bought、cheap、made of wood，此处应填名词，且是由木头制成的物品。
题目解析：上一题结束后，本题紧随其后出现。在听到 walls 时，准备抓取，随后听到“The walls are covered in dark wood panelling that Victor Hugo created himself using wooden furniture that he bought in the market”，该句中有 panelling 和 furniture 两个词分别搭配 wood 和 wooden 出现，但是再结合题干 bought 这个信息， 只有 furniture 符合要求，先记录。随后原文提到“The items were relatively inexpensive, and he used them to create intricate carvings”，其中 inexpensive 替换题干中的 cheap 这一信息，carvings 与题干原词对应，因此确认 furniture 为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 first floor、wallpaper；提示词为 and、Chinese design，此处应填名词， 且跟 wallpaper 存在并列关系。
题目解析：题干信息 first floor 通过 the next level of the house 体现，定位到后耐心听取，可 以听到原文提到“There’s a strong Chinese influence in these areas in things like the wallpaper pattern and the lamps”，其中 Chinese 和 wallpaper 原词出现，lamps 和 wallpaper 并列出现，符合题干搭配要求，为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 room、top of the house；提示词为 view of，此处应填名词。
题目解析：上一题结束后，可以听到上层信息 library、favourite books 先后原词出现，接 着听到递进逻辑信号词 And then，表示内容在往下推进，提示该题即将出 现。接着题干信息 at the top of the house 在原文中出现，准备抓取，原文随后 提到“there’s a room called the Lookout—called that because it looks out over the harbour”，其中 looks out over 表示“俯瞰”，与题干信息 had a view of 进行替换，因此判断 harbour 符合题干词性和内容搭配要求，为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 other writers；提示词为 as well as、poor、his house，此处应填名词，表示人，且跟 other writers 存在并列关系。
题目解析：上一题结束后，考生可听到 his house、other、writers 先后原词出现，提示定位到该题，接着答案句通过转折词 but 引出“but he also invited a large group of local children from the deprived areas of the island to dinner once a week”，其中 deprived 意为“贫困的，穷苦的”，与题干信息 poor 进行替换，also 对应题干信息 as well as，因此判断 children 符合题干词性和内容搭配要求，为该题的正确答案。
听前预测：定位词为 Paris、1927；提示词为 Victor Hugo’s、ownership，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题题干中的年份信息 1927 原词且提前出现，接着原文提到“the house was owned by his relatives, and they decided to donate it to the city of Paris”，其中 owned 和 donate 分别替换题干信息 ownership 和 gave，根据题干要求，判断 relatives 符合题干词性和内容搭配要求，为该题的正确答案。