英国文学问答题答案.doc

英国文学课后习题答案Unit 1 Geoffrey ChaucerThe Canterbury Tales:1. How is the setting of the tales described? With such a setting, could you predict the general tone of the tales that are to follow?The setting of the tale is that a group of saints lived in the same hotel determined to continue their journey as a group and they tell different stories on their way. The general tone of the tale is comedy.2. In your own words, summarize the character of the Knight from the brief introduction in this excerpt.The knight is a good person, he is a sincere saint. He is going on his pilgrimage as he just comes back from his voyage. And at the same time, he is a brave soldier and made contributions to the wars. But he is very polite and wears simple cloth in his life.3. Without comparison with the translated version, are there words still recognizable to you in the original Middle English version?Although the words used in The Canterbury Tales are Middle English, to a modern reader, they are not entirely unrecognizable. Some of the vocabularies are much similar to Modern English, therefore, in most cases, readers can guess and then interpret the meaning of these words, i.e., droghte is equivalent to drought, licour is equivalent to liquor and so on.Unit 2 William ShakespeareHamlet：1. Why sleep is so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”? Nobody can predict what he will dream of after he falls asleep. Death means the end of life, you may go to an unknown world and you cant come back. If he dies, Hamlet cant realize his will. Though “sleep” can end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks, it is a state of mind. Hamlet didnt know at all. He is frightened by the possible suffering in the long “dream”. He cant predict what will happen in the sleep, may be good may be evil. 2. Why would people rather hear all the sufferings of the world instead choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet?Death is so mysterious that nobody knows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.1) Conscience and over-considerations. 2) He wants to revenge, but doesnt know how; 3) He wants to kill his uncle, but find it too risky; 4) He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide, 5) However, he knows if he dies, nobody will comfort his fathers ghost. He is in face of great dilemma.Romeo and Juliet:1. What does Romeo compare Juliet to in the beginning passage of the selection?Sun 2. What is Romeo and Juliets attitude toward being a Montague or a Capulet?They would give up their names for loves sake.3. What does Romeo mean when he says “Look thou but sweet, /And I am proof against their enmity”?Only if you are kind to me, their hatred cannot hurt me.Sonnet 18:1. How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line?The poet opens with a question that is addressed to the beloved, Shall I compare thee to a summers day? This question is comparing “thee” to the summer time of the year. It is during this time when the flowers are blooming, trees are full of leaves, the weather is warm, and it is generally considered as an enjoyable time during the year. The following eleven lines in the poem are also dedicated to similar comparisons between the beloved and summer days. The poet answers the question by saying that thou art more lovely and more temperate than summer. At last, the poet starts to praise that the beloved is so great and awing that she is to live forever in this sonnet.2. What makes the poet think that “thou” can be more beautiful (fair) than summer and immortal?At the very beginning, the poet puts forth a question: “Shall I compare thee to a summers day?” Then he gives an answer, “Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” On the one hand, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summers lease hath all too short a date;” on the other hand, “Sometime too hot the heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimmed.” So from the above two aspects the poet thinks that “thou” can be more beautiful than summer. In addition, “And every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance, or natures changing course untrimmed.” Compared with immortal, “But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owst, nor shall death brag thou wandrest in his shade, when in eternal lines to times thou growst.” Therefore, the poet draws a conclusion: “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” In this poem, the poet makes “thou” more beautiful than summer and immortal because of his beautiful lines. So in this case, “thou” in the poem can be regarded as female because love can make beauty eternal. Or “thou” can be referred to male, for friendship can make beauty everlasting. Even “thou” can be abstract “love” or “beauty” which will become eternal in the wonderful poem.The poet thinks that every summer is going to fade and go away, whereas thou will always be beautiful and lovely.Unit 3 Francis BaconOf Marriage and Single Life:1. Is marriage an impediment or help to ones career development?In the easy Of Marriage and Single life, Bacon prefers marriage to single life. He thinks “unmarried men are best friends; best masters; best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives are of that condition”, “Wives are young mens mistresses; companions for middle age; and old mens nurses”. I have to say his words can still be true today. The ability to love and be loved is the most precious of gifts given to man, which should be highly treasured. Family let a man learn to care the whole unit. He has to take good care of his wife and son, love them, be responsible for them, all of which are the same to women. All these qualities are vital to anyones career. When you work back home, wife or husband is always the listener to you, son the warm heart to you. Spouses help each other and support each other; family is the harbor for soul. Thus it helps ones career development.2. In what sense are wife and children “a kind of discipline of humanity”?A bachelors life focus is but himself, so he will spend a lot of money on everything that feasts his eyes without hesitation. Whats more, he is likely to have a go at any risks that make him feel exciting and fresh for being free from any burden.However, a married man always tends to think twice before making an important decision in order to prevent bringing any harm to his family. He should have the motivation to work hard to fulfill wife and childrens expectation. As a result, family let a man learn to care the whole unit. He has to take good care of his wife and son, love them, and be responsible for them. A loving husband and a qualified father can contribute the greatest merit for the public to a large extent.3. Bacon prefers marriage to single life. Do you find his arguments convincing?I think his arguments are convincing. Bacons basic idea is that marriage is good to both individual and society. His analysis is taken step by step. At first, a single man thinks just to live a single life can he make some great contributions to the society. But a single person only cares about himself, and he doesnt pay attention to the future, which is very unwise. Single life could also make a man to be serious to his freedom. On the contrary, marriage makes a man be responsible, tender, enthusiastic and warm-hearted. As the author saying: “wives are young mens mistresses, companions for middle age, and old mens nurses”. It means that when a man is young, wife talks about love with him, when he comes to middle age, wife always stay with him as a companion, when he becomes old, wife will take care of him till the end of time. Even though a wife marries a bad husband, marriage offers a good chance for husband to correct themselves. The whole essays main point is very obvious, author tells from two aspects. Firstly, he says how bad it is to be a single man. Secondly, he tells a lot of advantages of being married. Each aspect has enough proof. At Bacons period, his arguments may be more convincing than nowadays.Of Studies:1. We are now living in the age of “information explosion”. What lessons can we learn from Bacons “Of Studies” in our access to information?According to Bacon, the general counsels, and the plots and marshaling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. That is to say, right decisions and judgments over important matters are based upon comprehensive knowledge which is acquired by studies. Without a wide range of knowledge, a person cannot digest information, analyze information and take timely measures accordingly.2. In what sense does reading make a full man?As far as Im concerned, reading can make a full man, can cultivate a man, and can make a man move forward in the way he understand the view of the world, the life and the value. A full man should have a positive world view and adopt an active philosophy of life, which are usually based on a balanced knowledge structure. From Francis Bacons Of Studies, I know that the essay not only introduces the methods of reading books and discusses the purposes and functions of reading, but also analyzes the different attitudes of the people who are reading books. Most importantly, we can know how to be a full man from reading. Reading can enlarge our knowledge in different fields. From Of Studies, studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. It means that studies can make people happy, wise, increasing knowledge. If we read all kinds of books, we are able to taste what might not happen to us in real life, and then ask ourselves what we would do in that situation. Besides, if we read more books, fewer mistakes would be made by us because we have learnt many mistake examples from books. So reading can make a full man because it can make the man taste all the emotions about the world and have a true understanding about life. Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for abilities. But the general counsels, and the plots and marshaling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. Studies perfect nature, and is perfected by experience. There is no impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies. Studies can train shape a persons character and make up a persons deficiencies. Every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.Unit 4 17th-Century British PoetsJohn DonneThe Flea1. Why does the poet say that “this is cannot be said a sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead”?The woman doesnt reject the flea entre to her body, yet she denies the advancements of the speaker. The speaker shows the similarities between their lovemaking and the mingling of their blood within the flea. “It sucked me first, and now sucks thee. And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.” This argument shows the woman that the same physical exchange, which takes place between her and a flea, is the same type of union that he has in mind. Their act could not be considered a sin because a flea bite isnt considered one. This act could not be considered a loss of innocence because it is so common that if it were to be true, nearly everyone would have lost his or her innocence. Therefore this lady should not be troubled about giving herself to him before they marry, because their only act is the mixing of their blood.2. What do you think is the addressees parents attitude toward the poets wooing?Lines 14 and 15 of stanza 2, “Though parents grudge, and you, we are met, and cloistered in these living walls of jet,” describes how her parents do not accept that what he says is marriage. Her parents are against such a marriage.3. What is the real purpose of the poet to say that in killing the flea “thou” are actually killing three lives?Three lives refer to you, me and the flea (implying our baby). The speaker argues that if she kills the flea she would be committing murder. She would kill the symbolic marriage realm and the baby. In addition to those murders, she would be killing herself. When the flea is killed, the speaker purposefully turns to another argument. The killing has done no harm to them. Likewise, their secret union will do no harm to them. They should not worry about their union. Their fears are false.John DonneHoly Sonnet 101. Why does the poet say that death is the “slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men”?Although many may believe death to be mighty and dreadful, he feels this is not so. Donne sees death as being dependent on mankind for its survival. Death relies on fate, unfortunate chances occurrences, the legislation of kings, and the actions of desperate men to claim its victims. This dependence in itself is a weakness, in that death is not self-supporting, yet relies on certain aspects of the lives of people.2. What does the poet mean when he says “we wake eternally” after one short sleep?The author implied a Christian idea that after ones death he may have eternity of life, in this sense, there is no death at all. Death is just a short moment, while the joy after death is eternal. John MiltonParadise Lost1. Where are the serpent (“he” in line 51) and his followers condemned after their defeat?They are driven from Heaven into hell.2. What are the Gods punishments for those rebellious angles as described by Milton in lines 59-74?Satan looks around and finds himself in a horrible dungeon. There is a great furnace in the dungeon. What is burning is sulfur, with flames, but without light. Through the visible darkness, he can discover sights of woe, regions of sorrow, mournful shades, where peace and rest can never live. Hope goes everywhere except to this place. It is such a place as Eternal Justice had prepared for those rebels. It is far away from God and light of Heaven.3. What is considered by Satan as “ignominy” and “shame” (line 115)?To bow and sue for grace with suppliant knee, and deify his power. To give in to God, to fall down on ones knees to beg for mercy submissively, worship Gods power, become scared for Gods authority and power, lose confidence.4. What is Satan advising the serpent and his followers to do in this part of Paradise Lost?He is defeated in the battle against God, but he does not lose heart. He will not bow down to God. Instead, he is advising the serpent and followers to rise up again and fight another battle. 35 / 35Unit 5 Adventure Fiction WritersDaniel Defoe Daniel DefoeThe Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe1. Do you find the description of Crusoes setting up the tent convincing? Could you think of better ways to build a shelter in his situation?Yes, I do. The description of Crusoes setting up the tent is convincing. Because when he set up the tent, he thought about the very realistic problem, such as the safety, sunshine, water, and so on. And it also used many details to describe the plain, using concrete numbers. So it is very convincing. Different situation has different ways to build a shelter. But in his situation, I cant think of any better ways, since he had thought of every aspect to build a shelter.2. What do you think of Crusoes way of marking time? Why is it important for him to keep track of time?In my mind, Crusoes way of marking time is clever. Upon the sides of this square post he cut every day a notch with his knife, and every seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of the month as long again as that long one. It was very clear and would not make mistakes. First, he was entering into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life. Second, he wanted to record what he happened from its beginning, and continue it in its order. Third, he was afraid of forgetting the Sabbath days from the working days. So it is important to keep track of time.3. From this excerpt, what do you find admirable in Robinson Crusoe?First, I think that Crusoe is very talented and calm. When he met difficulties, he could stay calm and tried to overcome every difficulty in order. His caution is also admirable. When building the tent, to take so many things into consideration is hard. Being thankful is also one of his good qualities. Even he was lonely and alone, he still thanks what life gives them. Those are what I admire him a lot.Jonathan Swift Gullivers Travels1. In what ways are Yahoos comparable to human beings in Gullivers Travels? Comment on the Houyhnhnms attitude toward human beings.a) Yahoos are nearly the same as human beings in appearance, except where it is to our real disadvantage in point of strength, speed, and activity, the shortness of our claws, and some other particulars where nature has no part;b) The disposition of mutual hatred is shared by both human beings and Yahoos;c) Human beings and Yahoos are both easy to find others mistakes but never think about their own falsehood;d) They are both greedy and rapacious;e) They both like battles, and if there is no foreign aggression, they will make a civil war. The difference is that Yahoos may fight for no reason, but humans always have excuses to have conflicts;f) They both have undistinguishing appetite to devour everything that comes in their way, and it is peculiar in their temper that they are fonder of what they can get by rapine or stealth, at a greater distance, than much better things provided for them at home;g) They are both subjected to any diseases, which are contracted by their nastiness and greediness, such as diseases produced by repletion;h) They both have leaders, who are always