I could have gone my entire life without ever reading Moby Dick, but unfortunately, I have read it. Twice, I’ve had to read it twice.

I can trace it as far back as middle school — the teachers’ desire to push classic literature on students as much as possible. And it makes sense, in some ways. There are benefits of being well read — a more robust (强大的) vocabulary, concentration and understanding of literary reference in the world. But at the same time, being well read doesn’t necessarily mean only reading classics for the sake of reading classics.

This isn’t to say that classic novels serve no purpose in a curriculum or in the literary world — classics are, in many ways, vital to a well-rounded education in literature. But so are pieces of contemporary (现代的) literature and books from centuries ago that haven’t been coined classics. So yes, there’s room for classic novels. But right now, there’s too much room for classic novels.

There are also many modern sayings that come from classics — like “Big brother is watching you,” from George Orwell’s 1984, and “Tomorrow is another day,” from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. It’s worth something to be well read in texts that have had an influence on the construction of modern-day language. But at the same time, when classic novels are included into the high school curriculum, they should be selected with care.

And as far as contemporary literature goes, there seems to be an opinion that it doesn’t offer as much wisdom and has less value and, therefore, we can’t learn as much from it. I’ve found this to be most untrue. After all, we tend to learn best from things that we can connect to, and contemporary literature is often the most relatable. And though it hasn’t had the time to become a classic，the structure and syntax (句法) holds its own. It’s different from classic work, but it’s not less valuable.

So let’s take a step back from the classics. We think that they’re pushing us forward, when, really, they might be standing in our way.

【小题1】Why did the author read Moby Dick twice?

A．To enlarge her vocabulary.	B．To meet her teachers’ requirement.
C．To satisfy her desire to read classics.	D．To have a better understanding of classics.

【小题2】For what purpose does the author mention 1984 and Gone with the Wind?

A．To prove classics are worthy of being read.

B．To show some classic novels are out of date.

C．To compare classics with contemporary literature.

D．To advise schools to select classic works carefully.

【小题3】What is the author’s view on contemporary works of literature?

A．They are not as valuable as classics.

B．They are more important than classics.

C．They should not be looked down upon.

D．They will become classics in the future.

【小题4】How should we treat classics in the author’s eyes?

A．Avoid reading them.	B．Treat them seriously.
C．Promote them at high school.	D．Reconsider their importance.