美国文学试卷

1、福建师范大学外国语学院英语专业2005-2006学年度下学期03级美国文学选读试题（B）1. According to Hawthorne, the scarlet letter “A” which originally stood for “_” finally obtained the meaning of “able” or “angel” through Hesters efforts.A. adulteryB. arroganceC. accomplishmentD. agony2. The American Puritanism as a cultural heritage ben

2、efited the Americans in _.E. strengthening their moral values. F. weakening their religious faith. G. knowing truth intuitively. H. developing their science and technology3. The Transcendentalists believe that, first, nature is ennobling, and second, the individual is_, therefore, self-reliant.A. in

3、significant. A. vicious by nature. B. divine. C. forward-looking4. The period ranging from 1865 to 1914 has been referred to as _.A. the Age of RealismB. the Age of ModernismC. the Age of RomanticismD. the Age of Colonialism5. Henry Jamess fame generally rests upon his novels and stories with_.A. in

4、ternational themeB. national themeC. Eastern themeD. regional theme6. In American literature, escaping from the society and returning to nature is a common subject. The following titles are all related, in one way or another, to the subject except _.A. Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnB

5、. Dreisers Sister CarrieC. Coppers Leather-Stocking TalesD. Thoreaus Walden7. Which scene in the excerpt of Invisible Man refers symbolically to the situation of furious life conflict?A. corn-grabbing gameB. graduation speechC. dance competition D. battle royal 8. In the lines “Hast thou not dragged

6、 Diana from her car? / And driven the Hamadryad from the wood / To seek a shelter in some happier star?” here “Diana” is .A. a beautyB. the moonC. the goddess of beautyD. the goddess of wisdom9. “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind” is a famous quote from _s writings.A. Walt

7、 WhitmanB. Henry David ThoreauC. Herman MelvilleD. Ralph Waldo Emerson10. Which of Hemingways novels describes the drifting life of American exiles in Europe?A. The Sun Also Rises.B. In Our Time.C. For Whom the Bell Tolls.D. The Old Man and the Sea.11. “Helen, thy beauty is to me/Like those Nicean b

8、arks of yore,/The weary, way-worn wanderer bore/ To his own native shore.”Rhetorically, in Allen Poes lines, we find case(s) of _.A. simile B. metaphor C. alliteration D. both A and C12. With Howells, James, and Mark Twain active on the literary scene, _became the major trend in American literature

9、in the seventies and eighties of the 19th century.A. Sentimentalism B. Romanticism A. Realism D. Naturalism13. For Melville, as well as for the reader and _ , the narrator, Moby Dick is still a mystery, an ultimate mystery of the universe.A. Ahab B. Ishmael C. Stubb D. Starbuck14. Walt Whitman is ra

10、dically innovative in the form of his poetry. What he prefers for his new subject is_.A. free verse B. blank verse C. lyric poem D. heroic couplet15. “Success is counted sweetest/By those who neer succeed./To comprehend a nectar/Requires sorest need.” Which of the following is Not true of the quoted

11、 lines:A. They are written by Emily Dickinson.B. They are written in the form of iambic form.C. The first two lines constitute a contrast to the last two lines.16. Which of the following statements about William Faulkner is NOT true?_.A. He writes about the American south, with emphasis on Southern

12、subjects and consciousness. B. Many of his stories are about people from a small region in Northern Mississippi, the Yoknapatawpha County, which is actually an imaginary place.C. there is often fragmentation of the chronological time in the narration of his stories.D. His prose is marked by simple d

13、iction and short sentence structure.17. Emily Dickinson wrote many short poems on various aspects of life. Which of the following is not a usual subject of her poetic expression? _.A. Religion B. Life and death C. Love and marriage D. War and peace18. Ezra Pound, one of the greatest 20th century Ame

14、rican poets, is well known for his help of the founding of_.A. SurrealismB. ModernismC. ImagismD. Symbolism19. The giant Moby Dick may symbolize all EXCEPT_.A. mystery of the universeB. sin of the whaleC. power of the great NatureD. evil of the world20. The “_” refers specifically to a group of post

15、 World War I expatriate American writers, among them Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, who, alienated and disillusioned, wrote from their own experiences in the war. A. Lost Generation B. Beat Generation C. Punk Generation D. Existentialists21. The style and outlook of _is said to

16、 be influential in shaping the writings of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and many other American authors. A. Ezra Pound B. T. S. Eliot C. Sherwood Anderson D. Theodore Dreiser22. “ONES-SELF I singa simple, separate Person;/Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-masse.” Thes

17、e lines are taken from _.A. Walt Whitman B. Ralph Emerson C. Allan Poe D. Ezra Pound23. Invisible Man _. A. uses the first person narration, and the narrator is not named B. blends naturalism with surrealism C. adopts techniques from symbolism D. all of the above24 “A foolish consistency is the hobg

18、oblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. To be great is to be misunderstood.” The oft-quoted lines are from _. A. Emerson B. Thoreau C. Whitman D. Melville25. What does the Montresor familys coat of arms represent?_.A. No one can punish meB. Give me freedom or

19、give me deathC. One should not bite the hand that feeds itD. I will punish the one who insults me26. In allowing his hatred to devour his soul and therefore his humanity, the narrator Montresor in Poes The Cask of Amontillado proves to be another of the abnormal, neurotic personalities found in _. A

20、. Sherwood Andersons The Triumph of the Egg B. Herman Melvilles Moby Dick C. Whitmans Leaves of GrassD. Mark Twains The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country27. Emily Dickinson wrote many short poems on various aspects of life. Which of the following is NOT a usual subject of her poetic expre

21、ssion?A. Religion and immortalityB. Life and deathC. Love and marriageD. War and peace28. Chinese poetry and philosophy have exerted great influence over A. Ezra PoundB. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Robert FrostD. Emily Dickinson29. Apart from the dislocation of time and the modern stream-of-consciousness,

22、 the other narrative techniques, Faulkner used to construct his stories include _ , symbolism and mythological and biblical allusions.A.impressionismB.expressionismC.multiple points of viewD.first person point of view30. Walt Whitmans poetic catalogues(enumerate objects, people, places, and names in

23、 great lists) finds their echo in the poems of _. A. Allen Ginsberg B. Theodore Roethke C. Wallace Stevens D. William Carlos WilliamsII. Interpretation（50 points, 10 points for each） Identify the title and author/poet of each of the following excerpts, and explain briefly the ideas, themes, language

24、, and devices, if any, of each of the quoted parts. Remember to answer the questions in English and write your answers in the corresponding space on the Answer Sheet.1. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wro

25、ng what is against it. A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition as if every thing were titular and ephemeral but he. I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions. Every decent and well-spoken individual affects and sw

26、ays me more than is right. I ought to go upright and vital, and speak the rude truth in all ways. 2. I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time been ashamed. About eighty-five years ago they were told they were free, united with oth

27、ers of our country in everything pertaining to the common good, and, in everything social, separate like the fingers of the hand. And they believed it. They exulted in it. They stayed in their place, worked hard, and brought up my father to do the same. But my grandfather is the one. He was an odd o

28、ld guy, my grandfather, and I am told I take after him. It was he who caused the trouble. On his deathbed he called my father to him and said, Son, after Im gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the ene

29、mys country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lions mouth. I want you to overcome em with yeses, undermine em with grins, agree em to death and destruction, let em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open. They thought the old man had gone out of

30、 his mind. He had been the meekest of men. The younger children were rushed from the room, the shades drawn and the flame of the lamp turned so low that it sputtered on the wick like the old mans breathing. Learn it to the younguns, he whispered fiercely; then he died.3. His father had not spoken ag

31、ain. He did not speak again. He did not even look at her. He just stood stiff in the center of the rug, in his hat, the shaggy iron-gray brows twitching slightly above the pebble-colored eyes as he appeared to examine the house with brief deliberation. Then with the same deliberation he turned; the

32、boy watched him pivot on the good leg and saw the stiff foot drag round the arc of the turning, leaving a final long and fading smear. His father never looked at it, he never once looked down at the rug. The Negro held the door. It closed behind them, upon the hysteric and indistinguishable woman-wa

33、il. His father stopped at the top of the steps and scraped his boot clean on the edge of it. At the gate he stopped again. He stood for a moment, planted stiffly on the stiff foot, looking back at the house. Pretty and white, aint it? he said. Thats sweat. Nigger sweat. Maybe it aint white enough ye

34、t to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it.4. This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.What falls away is always. And is near.I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.I learn by going where I have to go.5. How dreary to be somebody! How public, like a frog To tell your name the

35、 livelong day To an admiring bog!III Comment1 Write a summary that shows your understanding of the story2 Comment on the behavior of the women protagonist. Would a feminist response differs with reader who is not a feminst?The KissIt was still quite light out of doors, but inside with the curtains d

36、rawn and the smouldering fire sending out a dim, uncertain glow, the room was full of deep shadows. Brantain sat in one of these shadows; it had overtaken him and he did not mind. The obscurity lent him courage to keep his eves fastened as ardently as he liked upon the girl who sat in the firelight.

37、 She was very handsome, with a certain fine, rich coloring that belongs to the healthy brune type. She was quite composed, as she idly stroked the satiny coat of the cat that lay curled in her lap, and she occasionally sent a slow glance into the shadow where her companion sat. They were talking low

38、, of indifferent things which plainly were not the things that occupied their thoughts. She knew that he loved her-a frank, blustering fellow without guile enough to conceal his feelings, and no desire to do so. For two weeks past he had sought her society eagerly and persistently. She was confident

39、ly waiting for him to declare himself and she meant to accept him. The rather insignificant and unattractive Brantain was enormously rich; and she liked and required the entourage which wealth could give her. During one of the pauses between their talk of the last tea and the next reception the door

40、 opened and a young man entered whom Brantain knew quite well. The girl turned her face toward him. A stride or two brought him to her side, and bending over her chair-before she could suspect his intention, for she did not realize that he had not seen her visitor-he pressed an ardent, lingering kis

41、s upon her lips. Brantain slowly arose; so did the girl arise, but quickly, and the newcomer stood between them, a little amusement and some defiance struggling with the confusion in his face. I believe, stammered Brantain, I see that I have stayed too long. I-I had no idea-that is, I must wish you

42、good-by. He was clutching his hat with both hands, and probably did not perceive that she was extending her hand to him, her presence of mind had not completely deserted her; but she could not have trusted herself to speak. Hang me if I saw him sitting there, Nattie! I know its deuced awkward for yo

43、u. But I hope youll forgive me this once-this very first break. Why, whats the matter? Dont touch me; dont come near me, she returned angrily. What do you mean by entering the house without ringing? I came in with your brother, as I often do, he answered coldly, in self-justification. We came in the

44、 side way. He went upstairs and I came in here hoping to find you. The explanation is simple enough and ought to satisfy you that the misadventure was unavoidable. But do say that you forgive me, Nathalie, he entreated, softening. Forgive you! You dont know what you are talking about. Let me pass. I

45、t depends upon-a good deal whether I ever forgive you. At that next reception which she and Brantain had been talking about she approached the young man with a delicious frankness of manner when she saw him there. Will you let me speak to you a moment or two, Mr. Brantain? she asked with an engaging

46、 but perturbed smile. He seemed extremely unhappy; but when she took his arm and walked away with him, seeking a retired corner, a ray of hope mingled with the almost comical misery of his expression. She was apparently very outspoken. Perhaps I should not have sought this interview, Mr. Brantain; b

47、ut-but, oh, I have been very uncomfortable, almost miserable since that little encounter the other afternoon. When I thought how you might have misinterpreted it, and believed things -hope was plainly gaining the ascendancy over misery in Brantains round, guileless face-Of course, I know it is nothi

48、ng to you, but for my own sake I do want you to understand that Mr. Harvy is an intimate friend of long standing. Why, we have always been like cousins-like brother and sister, I may say. He is my brothers most intimate associate and often fancies that he is entitled to the same privileges as the fa

49、mily. Oh, I know it is absurd, uncalled for, to tell you this; undignified even, she was almost weeping, but it makes so much difference to me what you think of-of me. Her voice had grown very low and agitated. The misery had all disappeared from Brantains face. Then you do really care what I think,

50、 Miss Nathalie? May I call you Miss Nathalie? They turned into a long, dim corridor that was lined on either side with tall, graceful plants. They walked slowly to the very end of it. When they turned to retrace their steps Brantains face was radiant and hers was triumphant. Harvy was among the gues

51、ts at the wedding; and he sought her out in a rare moment when she stood alone. Your husband, he said, smiling, has sent me over to kiss you. A quick blush suffused her face and round polished throat. I suppose its natural for a man to feel and act generously on an occasion of this kind. He tells me

52、 he doesnt want his marriage to interrupt wholly that pleasant intimacy which has existed between you and me. I dont know what youve been telling him, with an insolent smile, but he has sent me here to kiss you. She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game ta

53、king the course intended. Her eyes were bright and tender with a smile as they glanced up into his; and her lips looked hungry for the kiss which they invited. But, you know, he went on quietly, I didnt tell him so, it would have seemed ungrateful, but I can tell you. Ive stopped kissing women; its

54、dangerous. Well, she had Brantain and his million left. A person cant have everything in this world; and it was a little unreasonable of her to expect it. She says that being a somebody is like being a frog. What does this simile mean? Aside from Kermit, there arent many celebrity frogs around.Why d

55、oes the speaker choose that amphibian as her representative of a public creature? Its because frogs make a lot of noise. The poem says that frogs, though they can croak and make themselves heard and be noticed, are noticed only by an admiring bog. The bog is the frogs environment, not the frogs frie

56、nd. So who cares what the bog thinks? Thats what the poem says about being a somebody who gets noticed by an admiring public. Frequently, the relationship is impersonal and distanced, not like a real friendship. Somebodies may have many admirers, but they might not be able to make those personal con

57、nections that real friendship offers./ Im nobody! Who are you?This event involves the abuse and humiliation of several young black men for the purpose of entertaining a gathering of these prominent and outwardly respectable white men.following essay discusses the effectiveness of Ellisons use of figurative language in this story, focusing particularly on the recurring motifs of war, circus, and animal imagery.