美国文学问答题作业 (5th Week )
美国文学史问答题
1.What was the Harlem Renaissance or New Renaissance? Howimportant is social protest expressed in “Harlem”?The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighborhood in New York City as a black cultural mecca in the early 20th Century and the subsequent social and artistic explosion that resulted. Lasting roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s, the period is considered a golden age in African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance and art.In the early 1920s, many African American writers, painters, photographers, musicians congregated in New York City, started magazines, published anthologies, and promoted the creativity of the “New Negro”. They came from farms and plantations, villages, towns and cities across the United States. Their work transformed Harlem, an African American neighborhood in New York, into an intellectual and cultural center for African Americans.2. What is Great Awakening in American history? What are the reasons for this Great Awakening and what are the outcomes?Definition:The Great Awakening took place during the 1730’s-1740’s in colonial America, which was a movement rooted in spiritual growth, bringing a national identity to Colonial America. Certain Christians began to disassociate themselves with the established/institutional approach toworship. People began to go to large gatherings to worship and pray. Reasons:1.People felt that religion was dry, dull and distant.2.Preachers felt that people needed to be concerned with inner emotionsas opposed to outward religious behavior.3.People in the New England area could now read and interpret theBible for themselves (individualism rather than institutionalism). Outcomes:1.Birth of deep religious convictions in the colonies.2.Colonists could be bold when confronting religious authority, andbreak away if they were not meeting expectations.3.Just as with religion, political power did not reside with EnglishMonarchs, but with colonists’ self-governance.pared to British or European Romanticism, what are the particular characteristics of American Romanticism?(1)Nationalism goes hand in with romanticism(2)American romanticism did not have the political radicalism as seen inEuropean romanticists(3)The romantic celebration of natural beauty was inspired in part by adesire to establish an original relationship with the “new” landscape (4)Even though there was desire to be less European, the United States asa young country could not be quite free of a sense of inferiority or“colonial complex” in fac e of Europe4.What is the general philosophy of Transcendentalism?5.What is “manifest destiny”? What are the influence of this movementon American culture and American literature?Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845 by Louis O’Sullivan in U.S. history, the supposed inevitability of the continued territorial expansion of the boundaries of the United States westward to the Pacific and beyond, which is used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans and other groups from their homes.The rapid expansion of the United States intensified the issue of slavery as new states were added to the Union, leading to the outbreak of the Civil War. It has enlivened American literature from its Puritan roots, to the haunted Gothic world of early 19th century and mid-century romance. What’s more, it also encouraged the impulse towards self-definition, hence nationalism.6.Mark Twain coined the phrase the “Gilded Age”. What are some of thesocial and cultural phenomena that characterized the Gilded Age？(1)The Civil War, which not only destroyed the innocence prevalentearlier in the 19th century, but also change the map of the USA.(2)The Westward movement, a steady influx of immigrants, andnewly discovered mineral deposits in the west.(3)The development of rail road and communication network(4)The corruption in policy(5)Social Darwinism that survival of the fittest to sociology andpolitics(6)The spread of industrialism led to a series of significant changes,factory owners and managers came to see machines as being more valuable than workers.7.What are the four types of fictional works by Mark Twain? Howimportant is Mark Twain to American literature and American culture?8.What is Naturalism? What are major tenets of Naturalism?In philosophy, naturalism is the "idea or belief that only natural (as opposed to supernatural or spiritual) laws and forces operate in the world."Naturalism is a literary movement that emphasizes observation and the scientific method in the fictional portrayal of reality. The novel would be an experiment where the author could discover and analyze the forces, or scientific laws, that influenced behavior, and these included emotion, heredity, and environment. Novelists writing in the naturalist mode include Émile Zola (its founder), Thomas Hardy, Theodore Dreiser, Stephen Crane, and Frank Norris.Major tanets:•Writer must examine people and society objectively and, like a scientist, draw conclusions from what is observed.•Reality: the inescapable working out of natural forces•Destiny is decided by heredity and environment, physical drives, and economic circumstances.•Tended to be pessimistic.•Direct opposite of Romanticism and Transcendentalism, which saw nature as holy or mystical•Despite their underlying powerlessness, characters generally conduct themselves with strength and dignity in the face of adversity, thereby affirming the significance of their existence.9.What are the themes of Modernist Literature？Collectivism versus individualism; Disillusionment; Violence and alienation; Decadence and decay; Loss and despair; Breakdown of social norms and cultural sureties; Race and gender relations; The American Dream10.What was the Harlem Renaissance or New Negro Renaissance? Howis the social protest expressed in “Harlem”?The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of African American social thought which was expressed through Paintings Music Dance Theater Literature. Centered in the Harlem district of New York City, the NewNegro Movement (as it was called at the time) had a major influence across the Unites States and even the world.Important Quotes:1.Yellow wall paper Charlotte Perkins GilmanThe Yellow Wall-paper” (1892) is a psychological and suspenseful tale of isolation and insanity based largely on Gilman’s own experience with the “rest cure”, which was told from the point of view of a nameless female protagonist who undergoes the rest cure, in an ancestral home.John is a doctor who administrates the “rest cure” by renting “a colonial mansion”for their stay in summer, combining the authority society allows a man.The belief that women were a sexual and social subclass was the theme norm dominating American home and social life. Society allowed only the man to make major public and private decision, which can explain why that “……”Important quotes:6. Yellow wall paperBy Charlotte Perkins Gilman那是月亮，月亮和太阳一样，到处都在发光。
美国文学简答题（自己整理归纳的）
美国文学简答题（自己整理归纳的）1. American TranscendentalismNew England Transcendentalism was, in essence, romantic idealism on Puritan soil. It was a system of thought that originated from three sources. First William Ellery Channing (1780---1842) was an American Unitarian clergyman. His Unitarianism represented a thoughtful revolt against orthodox Puritanism. Unitarianism believed God as one being, rejecting the doctrine of trinity, stressing the tolerance of difference in religious opinion, and giving each congregation the free control of its own affairs and its independent authority. It laid the foundation for the central doctrines of transcendentalism. Secondly, the idealistic philosophy from France and Germany exerted enormous impact on American intellectuals. Thirdly, oriental mysticism as revealed in Hindu and Chinese classics reached America in English translations. As a result, New England Transcendentalism blended native American tradition with foreign influences.2. American Realism Realism is the theory of writing in which familiar aspects of contemporary life and everyday scenes are represented in a straightforward or matter-of-fact manner. This is the theory that authors try to use and guide them in their writing. It stresses truthful treatment of material. It is anti-romantic, anti-sentimental, and without abstract interest in nature, death, etc. Mark Twain laughed at people who were caught up in the world of illusions, who were not mature enough to see real situations. This is one example of the truthful treatment of material.3. American RomanticismRomanticism was a rebellion against the objectivity ofrationalism. It was a movement of conscious rebellion against being too objective. The romantic spirit was one of subjectivity of inward feelings that one could trust one?s subjective responses. Romantics placed a high premium upon the creative function of imagination, and saw art as a formulation of intuitive and imaginative perceptions that tend to speak a nobler truth than that of fact.4. Why are naturalists inevitably pessimistic in their view?Please discuss the above question in relation to the basic principles of literary naturalism.A. They accept the negative implication of Darwin?s theory of evolution, and believethat society is a "jungle" where survival struggles go on.B. They believe that man?s instinct, the environment and other social and economicforces play an overwhelming role and man?s fate is "determined" by such forces beyond his control.5. Some of Hemingway?s heroes are regarded as the Hemingway code heroes. Whatever the differences in experience and age，they all have something incommon Which Hemingway V alues．What are the characteristics of the Hemingway Code hero?6. What are the major features of New England Transcendentalism?7. What are the simil arities and differences between Whitman and Dickinson’s poetry?1) Dickinson?s poems are usually based on her own experiences, her sorrows and joys. But within her little lyrics Dickinson addresses those issues that concern the whole human beings, which include religion, death, immortality,love, and nature. (theme) 2) Her masterpiece -----"I heard a Fly buzz---when I died", she looked at death from the point of view of both the living and the dying. She even imagined her own death, the loss of her own body, and the journey of her soul to the unknown.3) The style of Dickinson:A: A particular stress pattern: dash“-------”B: Capital letters as a means of emphasis;C: Language: brief, direct, and plain;D: Poem: short, always on single image or symbol (e.g. "I like to see it lap the miles"---------describe a train in the personification of the literary device)E: Her poems tend to be personal and meditative (e.g. “Because I could not stop for Death”).8. Reality reflected in realistic writingsRealism came a s a reaction against …the lie? of romanticism and sentimentalism. The battle between …idealists? and …realists? provided the major issue of American literary history after the Civil war (1861-1865). Literature began to pay less attention to general ideas and more to the immediate facts of life. As a way of writing, realism has been applied in almost every literature throughout history. But as a literary movement, realism is a period concept and it refers to the approach of realist fiction occurred at the latter part of the 19th century.In part, the rise of realism came as a protest against the falseness and sentimentality seen in romantic literature. The realists were determined to create a new kind of literature that was completely and totally realistic.Major Features1Realism is the theory of writing in which familiar aspects ofcontemporary life and everyday scenes are represented in a straightforward or matter-of-fact manner.This is the theory that authors try to use in their writing. It stresses truthful treatment of material. It is anti-romantic, anti-sentimental, and without abstract interest in nature, death, etc.2In realist fiction characters from all social levels are examined in depth. The realist writers hold on to characters and keep examining how these people relate to each other.3Open ending is also a good example of the truthful treatment of material.4Realism focuses on commonness of the lives of the common people who are customarily ignored by the arts. Realists are interested in commonplace, the everyday, the average, the trivial, and the representative.5Realism emphasizes objectivity and offers an objective rather than an idealistic view of human nature and human experience. The realist writers are detached observers of life. They are like scientists, making an investigation.Realism presents moral visions. The author has a purpose for presenting an objective account of real life in order to express his moral sense. Realists are ethical writers, interested in the problems of the individual conscience in conflict with social institutions. Many of their works show the American businessman in the conflict over whether he should accept a bribe, give a bribe, participate in unfair business practices, etc. Generally, these writers show how the individual conscience wins when he opposes social conventions and social practices and they are always interested in focusing on the dilemma. This indicates their disbelief in romantic individualism.10. The difference between Realism and NaturalismThe literary naturalists have a major difference from the realists. The naturalists also describe real life, the way things really are. They do not escape into a world of imagination, but they dismiss the realists as far too …genteel?. The naturalists look at a different spot to find real life. They do not look at the average, but at the violent, sensational, sordid, unpleasant and ugly aspects of life. Instead of going to a middle-class neighborhood and write about middle-class life, the naturalists would go to the slums and write about the life of poverty and crime. This fits their theory that they have adopted by applying Darwinian techniques to the behavior of human. They think that the true reality is not found in the smiling aspects of middle-class life. The true reality is found when forces of Nature are most dominant in stopping human desires, in keeping humans from accomplishing their dreams. They write about war, about prostitution, about criminals which form the aspects of life that are not too pleasant to consider.What distinguishes realist from naturalist texts is restraint, not action itself. After all, naturalist characters act out of a similar set of motives and desires, and they differ from their realist counterparts only in being unable to resist the conditions that press upon them.Realists present their character as a unified self, subjectively whole and self-consistent, but naturalists see this self as no more than an illusion. Characters in naturalist texts are portrayed as more or less combinations of innate traits and socialized habits.11. The influence of TranscendentalismTranscendentalism can be best understood as a late and localized manifestation of romantic movement in literature and philosophy. The triumph of intuition over five senses, theelevation of the individual over society, the critical attitude toward formalized religion, the rejection of any kind of restraint or bondage to custom, the new and thrilling delight in nature --- all these were characteristics of transcendentalism.As formulated by Emerson, transcendentalism became a loud and clear call to action, urging young people to cast off their enslavement to the past, to follow God within, and to live every moment of life with great effort, to regard nature as the great objective lesson proving God?s presence everywhere in His creation.Transcendentalism was also an ethical and moral guide to life for a young nation of America. It preached the positive life and appealed to the best side of human nature. Therefore, it stressed the tolerance of difference in religious opinion and the free control of its own affairs by each congregation, and called to throw off shackles of custom and tradition, and to go forward to the development of a new and distinctlyAmerican culture.Transcendentalism is important to American literature at least for two reasons: 1)It is represented by two major writers of the country, Emerson and Thoreau. Theybecame movers and shakers whose writings have had more and more impact with the passage of time.A new group of writers under the influence of Emerson and Thoreau began to apply transcendental ideas in their works. Hawthorne, Melville, Lowell, Dickinson, and Whitman were all exponents of transcendentalism in one way or another. They created one of the most prolific periods in the history of American literature.12. Why are naturalists inevitably pessimistic in their view?Please discuss the above question in relation to the basic principles of literary naturalism.A. They accept the negative imp lication of Darwin?s theory of evolution, and believe that society is a "jungle" where survival struggles go on.B. They believe that man?s instinct, the environment and other social and economic forces play an overwhelming role and man?s fate is "determin ed" by such forces beyond his control.。
美国文学练习问答题
Questions For American LiteratureWeek 1. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)1. Is Franklin a man of religiousprinciples? Why does he stop attending public service?2. Explain 13 virtues Franklinchooses for his moral improvement.3. What is Franklin’s attitudetowards moral perfection?4. What are significance of themoralistic self- discipline, according to Franklin?5. What virtues does Franklinthink he has never achieved?6. Comment on the Criticism that some authors made on Franklin, such as Hawthorn, Lawrence. (History p.53-54)Week 2: Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)1.What does “whim”mean in the“Self-reliance”? and why doesEmerson call consistency“foolish”?2.What is an acrostic orAlexandrian stanza characterlike, according to theSelf-relaince?3.Explain “to talk of reliance is apoor external way of speaking.Speak rather of that which relies, because it works and is.”andthe context that gives rise tothis statement in theSelf-reliance.4.What are Emerson’s commentson Jesus Christ in “The DivinitySchool Address”? Pleasecompare it with Thomas Paine’sin The Age of Reason.Week Three：Henry David Thoreau (1817--1862)1.What is the analogy betweenthat striped snake lying on thebottom of the pond and the manin the early spring? How is astray goose like the spirit of thefog?2.What is Thoreau’s understandingof the beauty of an architecture?And what does he think of thearchitectural ornaments? Inwhat cases will a “carpenter”be a “coffin-maker”?3.Why does Thoreau say “Thosethings for which the most moneyis demanded are never thethings which the student mostwants”? What is your commenton Thoreau’s idea of higher education?4.Is Thoreau a quietist or a hermitin the woods of Walden? Why or why not?Week four: Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864):1.What did the boy, at nightfall,hear when he was playing with the scattered fragments of marble? And how did he respond?2.What does author compare thekiln with?3.What question struck EthanBrand’s mind on that p ortentous night 18 years ago? Did he find the answer to it after 18-year-wandering in the world?What is it?4.What kind of person is EthanBrand in his youth hood? What causes his transformation? What is the end of his life?5.How does the old dog’s pursuitof his tail parallel Ethan Brand’s search for the Unpardonable Sin?6.What is your understanding ofthe little boy Joe? What virtues does he stand for?Week Five: Herman Melville (1819-1891)1.How did Ahab respond whenMoby-Dick appear before him in the last day of the chasing Moby-Dick? And how did he respond in the last two days before ? Do you think Ahab’s attitudes towards Moby-Dick undergo any changes? Why?2.What are the Fedallah’sprophecy about Ahab’s death?Does it come true? And how? I 3.Who is the only survivor of thePequod? And how?4.What are the symbolic meaningsof Moby-Dick and Captain Ahab?And also the symbolic meaning of the death of the bird of heaven at the end of the novel?5.How do you understand theending sentence: “and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago.”?Week 6 Walt Whitman （1819-1892）1.What does Whitman’s “self”refer to? Why is Whitman’s “myself”different from the narrow egotism?2.Why does Whitman call his life’swork Leaves of Grass? What does “a leaf of grass’’ mean to you?T o Whitman?3.What is the ending of Song ofMyself? And how will you respond to Whitman’s invitation?Week 7 Emily Dickinson （1830-1886）1.Dickinson is well-known for herpoetic meditations on dying anddeath. What is so moving and touching in her death meditations? Do you think the speak fears of death? Discuss your understanding with the help of her poems.2.What images does the poetessintroduce in the “Hope”, and how do they work as the metaphors of the idea ---HOPE?3.How does the triumphing humanspirit permeate through Dickinson’s poetry of human suffering? Illustrate your ideas with her specific poems.Week 8 Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) 1.How many times is the word“nevermore”repeated? And what inquiries that “I”raised incites the raven to respond to with “Nevermore’?2.Besides “nevermore”, what is(are) the other word or words that you find highly repeated?Why?3.How do Poe’s poems and storiescorrespond to the literary principals he raised in his “Poetic Principles”and “The Philosophy of Composition”?Discuss with Poe’s poems andstories as example.。
《美国文学》题库及答案
《美国⽂学》题库及答案《美国⽂学》题库及答案I.Multiple Choice1. American literature is only more than ____ years old.A. 500B.400C. 200D.1002. The Puritan values did no include______.A. wastefulnessB. thriftC. pietyD. hard work3. The 18th century was the age of the Enlightenment.______was the dominant spirit.A. HumanismB. RationalismC. RomanticismD. Realism4. Franklin was the epitome of the______.A. American EnlightenmentB. Sugar ActC. Charlist movementD. Romanticism5. _____was the most leading spirit of the Transcendentalism.A. FranklinB. HawthorneC. PaineD. Emerson6. “Moby Dick was written by_____A. Mark TwainB. ThoreauC. MelvilleD. Whitman7. “The Scarlet Letter” is characterized by its______.C. PlatonismD. classicism8. “Huckleberry Finn is the masterpiece of________.A. Henry JamesB. Jack LondonC. Mark TwainD. Stephen Crane9. Choose the novel written by Henry JamesA. The Golden BowlB. The Portrait of a LadyC. Sister CarrieD. Daisy Miller10. Early in the 20th century, _____ published works that would change the nature of American poetry.A. Ezra PoundB. T.S. EliotC. Robert FrostD. both A and B11._____ is the founder of “Imagist” movement.A. Ezra PoundB. HemingwayC. Robert FrostD. Steinbeck12. Mark Twain’s works are characterized by_____A. NaturalismB. TranscendentalismC. Local ColorismD. Imagism13. ________ is said to be the father of American poetryA. T.S. EliotB. E.D. RobinsonC. Philip FreneauD. Dreiser14. Hawthorne is regarded as a _______.C. realistD. romanticist15. ______ represents the most leading spirit of American Transcendentalism.A. EmersonB. FranklinC. Mark TwainD. Whitman16.“The Art of Fiction” was written by_____A. LongfellowB. Henry JamesC. FitzgeraldD. Faulkner17. Imagination plays the most important part in________.A. realismB. romanticismC. naturalismD. classicism18. ______ is considered to be the masterpiece of John Steinbeck.A. Mending WallB. Dry SeptemberC. A Farewell to ArmsD. The Grapes of Wrath19. Uncle Tom in the novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a(n)______A. Negro slaveB. salesmanC. industrialistD. officer20. Mark Twain’s works are characterized by______A. NaturalismB. TranscendentalismC. Local ColorismD. Imagism21. “The Great Gatsby” is the masterpiece of_____C. DickinsonD. Hemingway22. The United States of America was founded in______.A. 1776B. 1876C. 1789D.168923. The ancestors of American Indians were______A. AsiansB. AfricansC. EuropeansD. Australians24. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was written by______.A. H.B. Stowe B. John SteinbeckC. HawthorneD. Mark Twain25. ______ does not belong to the lost generation.A. DreiserB. T.S. EliotC. FaulknerD. Hemingway26. ______ was well known for his story “Rip Van Winkle.”A. BryantB. Washington IrvingC. Allan PoeD. Philip Freneau27. “Farewell to Arms” is the master pieced produced by______A. FaulknerB. DreiserC. HemingwayD. Longfellow28. It was ______ who wrote the formal declaration of independence.A. Thomas JeffersonB. Benjamin FranklinC. WashingtonD. Washington Irving29. _____has been exerting a great and enduring influence upon world literature, especially that of France and European symbolism.A. FranklinB. BradstreetC. Edgar Allan PoeD. Philip Freneau30. The masterpiece of Hawthorne is _________.A. The Scarlet LetterB. Sister CarrieC. Richard CoryD. A Psalm of Life31. Engene O’Neill is a _______.A. novelistB. poetC. puritanD. dramatist32.Hemingway’s style of writing is characterized by______.A. high-sounding wordsB. simple dictionC. complicated sentencesD. mix metaphor33. T.S. Eliot is not only a poet but also a ______.A. criticB. statesmanC. churchmanD. novelists34. “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” was written by_____.A. T.S. EliotB. O’NeillC. Stephen CraneD. Saul Bellow35. “The Grape of Wrath” is one of the remarkable novels of_____.A. the Civil WarB. DepressionC. SuppressionD. Aggression36. Theodore Dreiser showed the_____ tendency in his novels.A. PuritanismB. classicismC. romanticismD. naturalism37. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the leading figure of________.A. TranscendentalismB. RomanticismC. RationalismD. Naturalism38. “The Sound and the Fury” was the masterpiece of ______A. Robert Lee FrostB. T.S. EliotC. FaulknerD. Steinbeck39. Emily Dickinson is an American________.A. dramatistB. novelistC. female poetD. male poet40. “Th Emily Dickinson is an American ark Twain’s______A. materialismB. classicismC. socialismD. colorism41. “The Portrait of a Lady” is one of best novels of_________.A. Henry JamesB. John SteinbeckC. William FaulknerD. Walt Whitman42. What Whitman is famous for his_________.A. “Leaves of Grass”B. “Mending Wall”C. “Richard Cory”D. “The Burial of the Dead”43. “Catch-22” is the masterpiece of______A. Saul BellowB. Joseph HellerC. DreiserD. Fitzgerald44. The English settlement in America began in_________A.1507B.1607C.1707D.180745. The first World War broke out in______.A.1614B.1714C.1814D.191446. The jazz age refers to the decade ofA.1950’sB.1980’sC.1920’sD.1820’s47. Franklin was a _____.A. PuritanB. romanticistC. classicistD. imagist48. “Rip Van Winkle” was written by_______.A. FreneauB. Allan PoeC. Washington IrvingD. Thomas Jefferson49.“The Scarlet Letter” is the masterpiece of______.C. BradstreetD. Allan Poe50.It was______who wrote “The Age of Reason”A. WashingtonB. JeffersonC. Benjamin FranklinD. Thomas Paine51.“Song of Myself” is a ______written by Whitman.A. novelB. poemC. dramaD. essay52.Tom in Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a _____.A. Negro slaveB. American IndianC. School masterD. industrialist53. Mark Twain belongs to the literary school of_____.A. transcendentalismB. realismC. romanticismD. naturalism54._______is a famous American female poet.A. Allan PoeB. FreneauC. Emily DickinsonD. Robinson55. “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” is the masterpiece of_____.A. Mark TwainB. Henry JamesC. Stephen CraneD. Robert Lee Frost56. It was____ who wrote the poem “The Road Not Taken.”C. Robert Lee FrostD. T.S.EliotⅡ Define the literary terms briefly in English1. American Transcendentalism2. Romanticism3. The Puritans4. Realism5. Enlightenment6. Transcendentalism7. EnlightenmentIII Explain the following quotations in your own words.1. Success is counted sweetest By those who ne’er succeed.2. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference.3. Let us, then, be up and doing, With heart for any fate;Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.4. And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked.5. Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream!_____6. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need.7. But still he fluttered pulses when he said,“Good morning”, and he glittered when he walked.8. something there is that doesn’t love a wall,He says again, “Good fences make good neighbors.”9. Fair flower, that dost so comely grow, Hid in this silent, dull retreat10. But to act, that each tomorrow Find us farther than today11. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Ⅳ Answer the following questions in English1. Why is American literature important for you?2. What is the theme of “The Waste Land”?3. Whose novel (or which novel) do you enjoy most?Why?4. What is the style of Hemingway’s novel?5. What is the significance of American literature?6. Do you like American literature? Why?7. What is the real theme in “Sister Carrie”?8. What is the central subject and primary significance of Hawthorne’s major works?9. Which American writer do you like best? Why?10. What is the theme of “Catch-22”?11. What are the features of Emily Dickinson’s poems?12. Why should we learn American literature?13. Which poem do you enjoy most? Why?《美国⽂学》作业参考答案I.Multiple Choice1.C2.A3.B4.A5.D6.C7.A8.C9.B 10.D11.A 12.C 13.C 14.D 15.A 16.B 17.B 18.D 19.A 20.C21.B 22.C 23.A 24.D 25.A 26.B 27.C 28.A 29.C 30.A31.D 32.B 33.A 34.B 35.B 36.D 37.A 38.C 39.C 40.D41.A 42.A 43.B 44.B 45.D 46.C 47.A 48.B 49. A 50.D51.B 52.A 53.B 54.C 55. A 56. CII.Define the literary terms briefly in English1.American transcendentalism was a philosophical dissent from Unitarianism. Transcendentalists rejected the materialistic psychology in favor of the idealism of Kant who asserted that intuition could surpass reason as a guide to the truth. To transcendentalists, spirit is inherent and pervading and is the only reality in the universe in which nature stood as a symbol of Spirit. Transcendentalismemphasized the divinity of man, the significance and right of the individual, and the possibility of the self-perfection of the individual.2. Romanticism is characterized by the pursuit of freedom, emphasis of individualism, a reliance upon the good of nature and “natural” man, and an abiding faith in the boundless resources of the human spirit and imagination.3.The Puritans were members of the church of England who at first wished to reform or “Purify its doctrines. They kept in common with all advocates o f strict Christian orthodox, insisting on man’s original sin and depravity.4. Realism is a literary school. The American realist William Dean Howells refered to the method of realistic literary creation as “nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material. The realists tended to be highly selective in their choice of material, focusing upon what seemed real to their largely middle-class readers.5. Enlightenment in America was a progressive “intellectual movement which contributed to free the Americans from the limitation of Puritanism which had been prevailing in American society, and stimulate them to strive for the establishment of their independent and democratic nation. The enlighteners were confident in the proqress by education and appealed to Reason.6．American transcendentalism was a political dissent from Unitarianism. Transcendentalists rejected the materialistic psychology in favour of the idealism of kant who asserted that intuition could surpass reason as a guide to the truth. To transcendentalists, spirit is inherent and pervading and is the only reality in the universe in which nature stood as a symbol of Spirit. Transcendentalists emphasized the divinity of man, the significance and right of the individual, and the possibility of the self-perfection of the individual.7. Enlightenment in America was a progressive intellectual movement which contributed to free the Americans fromthe limitations of Purtanism which had been prevailing in American society, and stimulate them to strive for their independent and democratic nation. The enlighteners were confident in the proqress of education and appealed to reason.III Explain the following quotations in your own words.1. Those who have never succeeded before will enjoy the sweetness o success most.2. In my life and literary creation, I did not follow others’ footsteps (or footprints). SometimesI chose a different way. That was the reason why I was unique and different from them both in life and poetic writing.3. Let us rise up and take actionTo meet any challenge in our life.We should learn to work and to be patientAnd persevere in pursuing our goalTill we reap the fruit of achievement one after another.4. He always dressed himself properly and elegantly And he showed his kindness and considerateness when talked with others.5. Don’t tell me in sad voice that life is nothing but an meaningless and empty dream.6. Only when you feel thirstiest and bitterest, can you really understand and enjoy the holy sweet drink.7. He stirred the pulses of the persons he was greeting with “Good morning”. While he was walking, his manners appeared to be so brilliant and attractive that he drow much public attention.8. Wall, as a barrier for communication or mutual understanding, is not good at all. Sometimes, it is necessary to remove the wall.Wall, as a boundary or limitation or border, is needed sometimes, so that good relations can be kept among different strata of people, or different countries.Wall is a paradox, which is both good and bad in haman life9.The honeysuckle qrows so agreeably and beautifully.However the beautiful flower hid its beauty in the quiet and lonely place.10.We had better take action every day, not remain idle and inactive so that we can make progress each day.11.I have a lot of obligations and duties to fulfill, so there is still a long way for me to go beforeI can relax or leave this world.Ⅳ Answer the following questions in English1. Key points:① the significance of American literature in the world literature ② the manifestation of American life and culture③the requirement of improving English2. The theme of the poem is modern spiritual barrenness, the despair and depression that followed the first world war, the sterility and turbulence of the modern world, and the decline and breakdown of Western culture.3. The answer depends on individual student’s inclination.4. His style of writing is characterized by short and terse sentences, simple diction filled with emotion, vivid colloquialisms, and particularly the simplicity of his laconic statements.5. Key points: ① its place in the world literature② the manifestation of American life and culture③ the requirement of professional knowledge and skills as English majon.6. The answer is flexible. It de pends on an individual Student’s inclination.7. The real theme in Sister Carrie is the purposelessness of life. While looking at individuals with warm, human sympathy, he also sees the disorder and cruelty of life in general.8. The central subject of Haw thorne’s major works was the human soul. His exploration of the soul resulted from his skeptical attitude toward the social reality that was characterized by a rapid change in almost all aspects of social life, and from his ambition to probe into the nature of man. The primary significance of his major works dwells in the interect and the consistend vitality of his criticism of life.9. The answer is flexible, depending on students’ inclination, logic and language skills.10. Its real theme is to expose the dehumanization of all contemporary institutions, the absurd and corrupt bureancracy and the alienation of individuals existing in a systemized chaotic condition, such as war.punctuation and capitalization. Her mode of expression is characterized by clear-cut and delicately original imagery, precise diction, and fragmentary and enigmatic metrical pattern.12. Key points: ①the significance of American literature in the world literature ② the manifestation of American life and culture ③ the requirement of improving English.13. The answer is flexible and depends on student’s inclination.。
美国文学课程考试题库
美国文学课程考试题库一、选择题（每题2分，共20分）1. 以下哪部作品是纳撒尼尔·霍桑的代表作？A. 《红字》B. 《白鲸》C. 《了不起的盖茨比》D. 《老人与海》2. 马克·吐温的《汤姆·索亚历险记》发表于哪一年？A. 1869年B. 1876年C. 1884年D. 1893年3. 爱德加·爱伦·坡被誉为什么？A. 现代侦探小说之父B. 现代科幻小说之父C. 现代恐怖小说之父D. 现代奇幻小说之父4. 以下哪位作家是“垮掉的一代”的代表人物？A. 欧内斯特·海明威B. 杰克·凯鲁亚克C. 威廉·福克纳D. 约翰·斯坦贝克5. 以下哪部作品是海明威的代表作？A. 《太阳照常升起》B. 《永别了，武器》C. 《老人与海》D. 所有选项都是6. 弗朗西斯·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德的《了不起的盖茨比》反映了哪个时代的社会风貌？A. 维多利亚时代B. 爵士时代C. 工业革命时期D. 冷战时期7. 以下哪部作品是威廉·福克纳的代表作？A. 《喧哗与骚动》B. 《我弥留之际》C. 《押沙龙，押沙龙！》D. 所有选项都是8. 以下哪位作家是“黑人文艺复兴”运动的代表人物？A. 理查德·赖特B. 詹姆斯·鲍德温C. 托尼·莫里森D. 所有选项都是9. 托尼·莫里森的《宠儿》是哪一年获得普利策奖的？A. 1987年B. 1988年C. 1989年D. 1990年10. 以下哪部作品是“现代主义”文学的代表作？A. 《荒原》B. 《尤利西斯》C. 《追忆似水年华》D. 所有选项都是二、填空题（每空2分，共20分）11. 《红字》中的女主角名叫________。
12. 《白鲸》中的船长名叫________。
13. 《了不起的盖茨比》中，盖茨比的豪宅位于________。
（完整版）美国文学题库（选择题网上合集）范文
（完整版）美国文学题库（选择题网上合集）范文1. For Melville, as well as for the reader and _________, the narrator, Moby Dick is still a mystery, an ultimate mystery of the universe.A. AhabB. IshmaelC. StubbD. Starbuck2. Naturalism is evolved from re alism when the author’s tone in writing becomes less serious and less sympathetic but more ironic and more_____________.A. rationalB. humorousC. optimisticD. pessimistic3. Dreiser’s Trilogy of Desire includes th ree novels. They are The Financier, The Titan and_____ .A. The GeniusB. The TycoonC. The StoicD. The Giant4. The impact of Darwin’s evolutionary theory on the American thought and the influence of the nineteenth-century French literature on the American men of letters gave rise to yet another school of realism: American___________ .A. local colorismB. vernacularismC. modernismD. naturalism5. Robert Frost combined traditional verse forms -the sonnet, rhyming couplets, blank verse -with a clear American local speech rhythm, the speech of _______farmers with its idiosyncratic diction and syntax.A. SouthernB. WesternC. New HampshireD. New England6. As an autobiographical play, O’Neill’s ___________(1956) has gained its status asa world classic and simultaneously marks the climax of his literary career and the coming of age of American drama.A. The Iceman ComethB. Long Day’s Journey Into NightC. The Hairy ApeD. Desire Under the Elms7. Apart from the dislocation of time and the modern stream-of-consciousness, 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 view8. Stylistically, Henry James’ fiction is characterized by____________.A. short, clear sentencesB. abundance of local imagesC. ordinary American speechD. highly refined language9. One of the characteristics that have made Mark Twain a major literary figure in the 19th century America is his use of____________ .A. vernacularB. interior monologueC. point of viewD. photographic description10. It is on his____________ that Washington Irving’s fame mainly rested.A. childhood recollectionsB. sketches about his European toursC. early poetryD. tales about America11. At the middle of 19th century, America witnessed a cultural flowering which is called “____________________”.A. the English RenaissanceB. the Second RenaissanceC. the American RenaissanceD. the Salem Renaissance12. As a philosophical and literary movement, the main issues involved in the debate of Transcendentalism are generally concerning ____________________.A. nature, man and the universeB. the relationship between man and womanC. the development of Romanticism in American literatureD. the cold, rigid rationalism of Unitarianism13. About the novel The Scarlet Letter, which of the following statements is NOT right?A. It’s very hard to say that it is a love story or a st ory of sin.B. It’s a highly symbolic story and the author is a master ofsymbolism.C. It’s mainly about the moral, emotional and psychological effects of the sinupon the main characters and the people in general.D. In it the letter A takes the same symbolic meaning throughout the novel.14. The great sea adventure story Moby-Dick is usually considered____________.A. a symbolic voyage of the mind in quest of the truth and knowledge of the universe.B. an adventurous exploration into man’s relationship w ith natureC. a simple whaling tale or sea adventureD. a symbolic voyage of the mind in quest of the artistic truth and beauty15. In his poems, Walt Whitman is innovative in the terms of the form of his poetry, which is called “____________________.”A. free verseB. blank verseC. alliterationD. end rhyming16. After the Civil War America was transformed from ______ to _________.A. an agrarian community …an industrialized and commercialized societyB. an agrarian community …a society of freedom and equ alityC. a poor and backward society …an industrialized and commercialized societyD. an industrialized and commercialized society …a highly developed society17. Which of the following is said of the American naturalism?A. They preferred to have their own region and people at the forefront of the stories.B. Their characteristic setting is usually an isolated town.C. Humans should be united because they had to adapt themselves to changing harshenvironment.D. Their characters were conceived more or less complex combinations of inheritedattributes, their habits conditioned by social and economic forces.18. Which of the following is not right about Mark Twain’s style of language?A. His sentence structures are long, ungrammatical and difficult to read.B. His words are colloquial, concrete and direct in effect.C. His humor is remarkable and characterized by puns, straight-faced exaggeration，repetition and anti-climax.D. His style of language had exerted rather deep influence on the contemporary writers.19. The impact of Darwin’s evolutionary theory on the American thought and the influence of the 19th century French literature on the American men of letters gave rise to another school of realism: American ______.A. RomanticismB. TranscendentalismC. RealismD. Naturalism20. Which of the following is not written by Henry James?A. The Portrait of A Lady and The Europeans.B. The Wings of the Dove and The Ambassadors.C. What Maisie Knows and The Bostonians.D.The Genius and The Gilded Age.21. More than five hundred poems Dickinson wrote are about nature, in which hergeneral Skepticism about the relationship between ______ is well-expressed.A. man and manB. men and womenC. man and natureD. men and God22. Which of the following is right about Emil y Dickinson’s poems about nature?A. In them, she expressed her general affirmation about the relationship betweenman and nature.B. Some of them showed her disbelief that there existed a mythical bondbetween man and nature.C. Her poems reflected her feeling that nature is restorative to human beings.D. Many of them showed her feeling of nature’s inscrutability and indifference tothe life and interests of human beings.23. As a great innovator in American literature, Walt Whitman wrote his poetry in anunconventional style which is now called free verse, that is _________.A. lyrical poetry with chanting refrainsB. poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme schemeC. poetry without rhymes at the end of the lines but with a fixed beatD. poetry in an irregular metric form and expressing noble feelings24. In the first part of the 20th century，apart from Darwinism, there were two thinkers-______，whose ideas had the greatest impact on the period.A. the German Karl Marx and the Austrian Sigmund FreudB. the German Karl Marx and the American Sigmund FreudC. the Swiss Carl Jung and the American William JamesD. the Austrian Karl Marx and the German Sigmund Freud25. Which of the following can be said about Eugene O’Neill plays?A. Most of his plays are concerned about the root, the truth of human desires andhuman frustrations.B. His tragic view of life is reflected in many of his works.C. His plays are concerned about the relationship between man and nature aswell as man and woman.D. Both A and B.26. Most of O’Neill’s plays are concerned about the following except______.A. success and failure in man’s literary careerB. life and death, illusion and disillusion, dream and realityC. alienation and communication, self and society, desire and frustrationD. the basic issues of human existence and predicament27. Which of the following can be said about a typicalmodern literary work?A. It is a record of sequence and coherence of the history and the world.B. It is a juxtaposition of the past and present, of the history and the memory.C. It is a book of integrity drawn from diverse areas of experience.D. Its perspective is shifted from the internal to the external, from the private to the public.28. As to the great American poet Ezra Pound, which of the following is not right?A. His language is usually oblique yet marvelously compressed and his poetry isdense with personal, literary, and historical allusions.B. His artistic talents are on full display in the history of the Imagist Movement.C. From his analysis of the Chinese ideogram Pound learned to anchor his poeticlanguage in concrete, perceptual reality, and to organize images into largerpatterns through juxtaposition.D.For he was politically controversial and notorious for what he did in thewartime, his literary achievement and influence are somewhat reduced.29. In his poetry, Robert Frost made the colloquial ______ speech into a poetic expression.A. EnglandB. New EnglandC. PlymouthD. Boston30. Which of the following statements is right about Robert Frost’s poetry?A. He combined traditional verse forms with the difficult and highly ornamental language.B. He combined traditional verse forms with the pastoral language of the Southern area.C. He combined traditional verse forms with a simple spoken language-the speech ofNew England farmers.D. He combined traditional verse forms with the experimental.31. Which of the following statements can be said about the works of Scott Fitzgerald,a spokesman of the “Roaring 20s”?A. Many of them portrayed the hollowness of the American worship of riches and theunending American dream of fulfillment.B. They are symbolic of the psychological journey of the modern man and hishelplessness in the modern world.C. They show the primitive struggle of individuals in the context of irresistible natural forces.D. They penetrate into the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself.32. Which of the following is not written by Ernest Hemingway, one of the best-known American authors of the 20th century?A. The Sun Also Rises.B. The Old Man and the Sea.C. Mosses From the Old Manse.D. The Green Hills of Africa.33. Which of the following statements is right about the novel A Farewell to Arms?A. The author favored the idea of nature as an expression of either god’s designor his beneficence.B. The author attempted to write the epitaph to a decade and to the wholegeneration in the 1930s.C.The author emphasizes his belief that man is trapped both physically andmentally and suggests that man is doomed to be entrapped.D. It tells a story about the tragic love affair of a wounded American soldier withan Italian nurse.34. Which of the following is depicted as the mythical county in William Faulkner’s novels?A. Cambridge.B. Oxford.C. Mississippi.D. Yoknapatawpha.35. To Faulkner, the primary duty of a writer was to explore and represent the infinite possibilities inherent in human life. Therefore a writer should ______.A. observe with no judgment whatsoever.B. reduce authorial intrusion to the lowest minimum.C. observe at a great distance and sometimes participate in the events.D. both A and B.36. Which of the following is right about American fiction from 1945 onwards?A. A group of new writers who survived the war wrote about their ideals withinthe artistic field.B. There appeared a significant group of Jewish-American writers whose workswere set against the Jewish experience and tradition.C. Black fiction began to attract critical attention during the 1950s.D. American fiction in the 1950s and 1960s proves to be a harvest which derivedfrom its predecessors.37. Which of the following is not a work of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s?A. The House of the Seven Gables.B. The Blithedale Romance.C. The Marble Faun.D.White Jacket.38. In Ha wthorne’s novels and short stories, intellectuals usually appear as ______________.A. commentatorsB. observersC. villainsD. saviors39. Besides sketches, tales and essays, Washington Irving also published a book on ______, which is also considered an important part of his creative writing.A. poetic theoryB. French artC. history of New YorkD. life of George Washington40. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, there are detailed descriptions of big parties. The purpose of such descriptions is so show _______.A. emptiness of lifeB. the corruption of the upper classC. contrast of the rich and the poorD. the happy days of the Jazz Age41. 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 Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnB. Dreiser’s Si ster CarrieC. Copper’s Leather-Stocking TalesD. Thoreau’s Walden42. Which of the following novels can be regarded as typically belonging to theschool of literary modernism?A. The Sound and the FuryB. Uncle Tom’s Cabin.C. Daisy Miller.D. The Gilded Age.43. 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 peace.44. In 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson made a speech entitled _______ at Harvard, which was hailed by Oliver Wendell Holmes as "Our intellectual Declaration of Independence."A. "Nature"B. "Self-Reliance"C. "Divinity School Address"D. "The American Scholar"45. Which of the following statements about writers in 1920s is true?A. Mark Twain published his last and most important novel.B. F. Scott Fitzgerald received the Nobel Prize.C. Freudian psychology influenced many modern writers.D. Most writers were politically radical.46. In American literature the first important writer who earned an international fameon both sides of the Atlantic Ocean is_______________.A. Washington IrvingB. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Nathaniel HawthorneD. Walt Whitman47. The American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is known for his“black vision．”TheTerm “black vision” refers to______________.A. Hawthorne's observation that every man faces a black WallB. Hawthorne's belief that all men are by nature evilC. that Hawthorne employed a dream vision to tell his storyD. that Puritans of Hawthorne's time usually wore black clothes48. Theodore Dreiser was once criticized for his____________ in Style，but as a true artist his strength just lies in that his style isvery serious and well calculated to achieve the thematic ends he sought.A. crudenessB. eleganceC. concisenessD. subtlety49. Almost all Faulkner’s heroes turned out to be t ragic because_____________.A. all enjoyed living in the declining American SouthB. none of them was conditioned by the civilization and Social institutionsC. most of them were prisoners of the pastD. none were successful in their attempt to explain the inexplicable50. Yank, the protagonist of Eugene O’Neill’s play The Hairy Ape,talked to the gorilla and set it free because____.A. he was mad，mistaking a beast for a humanB. he was told by the white young lady that he was like a beast and he wanted tosee how closely he resembled the gorillaC. he was caged with the gorilla after he insulted an aristocratic strollerD. he could feel the kinship only with the beast51. In__________, Robert Frost compares life to a journey, and he is doubtful whether he will regret his choice or not when he is old, because the choice has made all the difference.A. “After Apple-Picking”B. “The Road NOt Taken”C. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”D. “Fire and Ice”52. Though Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were romantic poets in theme and technique, they differ from each other in a variety of ways. For one thing, whereas Whitman likes to keep his eye on human Society at large, Dickinson often addresses such issues as_______, immortality, religion, love and nature.A. progressB. freedomC. beautyD. death53. The Romantic writers would focus on all the following issues EXCEPT the_______in the American literary history．A. individual feelingB. survival of the fittestC. strong imaginationD. return to nature54. Generally speaking，all those writers with a naturalistic approach to human realitytend to be_____________.A. transcendentalistsB. optimistsC. pessimistsD. idealists55. With Howells, James, and Mark Twain active on the literary scene, ______becamethe major trend in American literature in the seventies and eighties of the 19th century．A. SentimentalismB. RomanticismC. RealismD. Naturalism56. American writers after World War I self-consciously acknowledged that they were(a)“_______,” devoid of faith and alienated from the Western civilization．A. Lost GenerationB. Beat GenerationC. Sons of LibertyD. Angry Young Men57. Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl are most likely Characters in_______.A. The House of the Seven GablesB. The Scarlet LetterC. The Portrait of a LadyD. The pioneers58. In his realistic fiction, Henry James's primary concern is to present the_________.A. inner life of human beingsB. American Civil War and its effectsC. life on the Mississippi RiverD. Calvinistic view of original Sin59. Which of the following statements about E. Grierson, the protagonist in Faulkner'sStory “A Rose for Emily,” is NOT true?A. She has a distorted personality.B. She is physically deformed and paralyzed.C. She is the symbol of the old values of the South.D. She is the victim of the past glory.60. Which of the following is NOT the virtue that Franklinenumerated in his The Autobiography?A. TemperanceB. Humanity (Humility)C. FrugalityD. Immoderation61. American Romanticism stretches from the end of the ________ century through the outbreak of ______.A. 18th, the Civil WarB. 18th, the War of IndependenceC. 19th, WWID. 19th, WWII62. _________ be lieves that the chief aim of literary creation is beauty, and “the death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.”A. Walt Whitman B. Edgar Allen PoeC. Anne BradstreetD. Ralph Waldo Emerson63. In Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop fo r Death, ______________.A. death is personified as a devilB. death is described as the tragic end of a person’s lifeC. death is a stage of life and it leads people to the Heaven of immortalityD. death is described as a beautiful girl who couldn’t find her final destination64. Which is generally regarded as the manifesto and the Bible of American Transcendentalism?A. Thoreau’s WaldenB.Emerson’s NatureC. Poe’s Poetic PrincipleD. Thoreau’s Nature65. Henry David Thoreau’s work, ________, has always be en regarded as amasterpiece of the New England Transcendental Movement.A. WaldenB. The PioneersC. NatureD. "Song of Myself"66. ‘Leaves of Grass’ commands great attention because of its uniquely poeticembodiment of________, which are written in the founding documents of both the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War.A. the democratic idealsB. the romantic idealsC. the self-reliance spiritsD. the religious ideals67. ________is the author of the work “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.A. Washington IrvingB. James JoyceC. Walt WhitmanD. William Butler Yeats68. After "The Adventure of Tom Sawyer", Twain gives a literary independence to Tom’s buddy Huck in a book called_________, and the book from which "all modern American literature comes".A. Life on the Mississippi RiverB. The Gilded AgeC. Adventures of Huckleberry FinnD. The Sun Also Rises69. The greatest work written by Theodore Dreiser is__________.A. Sister CarrieB. An American TragedyC. The FinancierD. The Titan70. We can perhaps summarize that Walt Whitman’s poems are characterized by all the following features except that they are _______________.A. conversational and crudeB. lyrical and well-structuredC. simple and rather crudeD. free-flowing71. Who exerts the single most important influence on literary naturalism, of which Theodore Dreiser and Jack London are among the best representative writers?A. FreudB. Darwin.C. W.D. Howells. D. Emerson72. Mark Twain, one of the greatest 19th century American writers, is well known for his ____.A. international themeB. waste-land imageryC. local colorD. symbolism73. At the beginning of Faulkner’s A Rose For Emily, there isa detailed description of Emily’s old house. The purpose of such description is to imply that the person living in it ____________.A. is a wealth ladyB. has good tasteC. is a prisoner of the pastD. is a conservative aristocrat74. Most of Herman Melville’s novels are based on sea voyages and sea adventures. Which of the following is not the case?A. Typee.B. Moby-Dick.C. Omoo.D. The Confidence-Man75. In Henry James’ Daisy Miller, the author tries to portray the young woman as an embodiment of _______________.A. the force of conventionB. the free spirit of the New WorldC. the decline of aristocracyD. the corruption of the newly rich76. "Two roads diverged in a yellow woodAnd sorry I could not travel both ..."In the above two lines of Robert Frost’s The Road Not T aken, the poet, by implication, was referring to _______.A. a travel experienceB. a marriage decisionC. a middle-age crisisD. one’s course of life77. The Transcendentalists believe that, first, nature is ennobling, and second, the individual is ____________.A. insignificantB. vicious by natureC. divineD. forward-looking78. The Publication of ______established Emerson as the most eloquent spokesman of New England Transcendentalism.A. NatureB. Self-RelianceC. The American ScholarD. The Over-Soul79. In Robert Frost’s famous poem "Stopping by Woods ona Snowy Evening", thereare four lines like these: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep,/ And miles to go before I sleep”. The second sleep refers to______.A. dieB. calm downC. fall into sleepD. stop walking。
美国文学试题及答案
美国文学试题及答案一、单项选择题（每题2分，共20分）1. 马克·吐温的代表作是以下哪一部？A. 《了不起的盖茨比》B. 《哈克贝利·芬历险记》C. 《白鲸》D. 《老人与海》答案：B2. 爱伦·坡的《乌鸦》属于什么文学流派？A. 浪漫主义B. 现实主义C. 哥特式D. 现代主义答案：C3. 《飘》的作者是谁？A. 弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫B. 玛格丽特·米切尔C. 简·奥斯汀D. 乔治·艾略特答案：B4. 以下哪部作品不是亨利·詹姆斯的作品？A. 《贵妇人的画像》B. 《使节》C. 《简·爱》D. 《贵妇人的画像》答案：C5. 以下哪部作品是威廉·福克纳的代表作？A. 《了不起的盖茨比》B. 《喧哗与骚动》C. 《老人与海》D. 《白鲸》答案：B二、填空题（每题2分，共10分）1. 《汤姆叔叔的小屋》的作者是________。
答案：哈丽叶特·比彻·斯托2. 《红字》的作者是________。
答案：纳撒尼尔·霍桑3. 《草叶集》的作者是________。
答案：沃尔特·惠特曼4. 《愤怒的葡萄》的作者是________。
答案：约翰·斯坦贝克5. 《太阳照样升起》的作者是________。
答案：欧内斯特·海明威三、简答题（每题5分，共20分）1. 简述《白鲸》中主人公艾哈布船长的形象。
答案：艾哈布船长是《白鲸》中的主人公，他是一个对捕鲸有着极端执着的船长，他的复仇心理和对白鲸的执念几乎占据了他整个人生。
他的形象代表了人类对自然的挑战和对未知的恐惧。
2. 描述《了不起的盖茨比》中盖茨比的美国梦。
答案：《了不起的盖茨比》中的盖茨比代表了20世纪20年代的美国梦，他通过自己的努力从贫穷中崛起，追求财富和社会地位，但最终因为追求一个无法实现的爱情和对过去的执着而走向悲剧。
美国文学练习1(附选择题答案).doc
美国文学练习1I.Multiple choice・ Please choose the best answer among the four items. (10x V= 10，)B 1> In American literature, the 18th century was the age of Enlightenment. ______________was the dominant.A. humanismB. rationalismC. romanticismD. evolutionB 2、The short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow^^ is taken from Irving^ work named___________ .A. The Leatherstocking TalesB. The Sketch BookC. The AutobiographyD. The History of New YorkA 3、Which of the following is not the characteristic of American Romanticism?A. RationalismB. inner selfC. personal feelingsD. individualismC 4、The short story "Rip Van Winkle" reveals the _________ a ttitude of its author.A. optimisticB. pessimisticC. conservativeD. ironicB 5、Transcendentalist doctrines found their greatest literary advocates in ___________ andThoreau.A. JeffersonB. EmersonC. FreneauD. Mark TwainA 6、Which is regarded as the "Declaration of Intellectual Independence^^?A. The American ScholarB. English TraitsC. OversoulD. Self-relianceD 7、_______ is the father of American Literature.A. Benjamin FranklinB. Philip FreneauC. PaineD. Washington IrvingB 8、_______ was the most leading spirit of the Transcendental Club.A. ThoreauB. EmersonC. HawthorneD. WhitmanC 9、Most of the poems in Whitman's Leaves of Grass sing of the mass^^ and the__ as well.A. natureB. self-relianceC. selfD. lifeC 10、For Melville, as well as for the reader and _________ ，the narrator, Moby Dick isstill a mystery, an ultimate mystery of the universe.A. AhabB. StubbC. IshmaelD. StarbuckC 11、The poem is written in free verse in 52 cantos with the theme of the universality andequality in value of all people and all things.a.Cantosb. The Ravenc. Song of Myselfd. ChicagoB 12、The novel is about how a group of people on a whaling ship kill a great whale butthemselves are killed by the whale, with the conflict between man and his fate.a.The Octopusb. Moby-Dickc. The Rise of Silas Laphamd. Leaves of GrassB 13、An English ship brought 102 people from Plymouth, England on September 16, 1620and arrived in the present Provincetown harbor on November 21 in the same year. This ship was named ____________________________ .a. The Pilgrimsb. Mayflowerc. Americad. TitanicB. the Modem PeriodD. the Realisticas .A. the Naturalist Period C. the Romantic PeriodC 14> __________ was the greatest woman poet in American literature and she wrote about 1,700 short lyric poems in her life time.a. Pearl S. Buckb. Harriet Bicher Stowec. Emily Dickensond. Walter WhitmanD 15、. ____________ is father of the detective story and of psychoanalytic criticism.a. Washington Irvingb. Ralph Waldo Emersonc. Walt Whitmand. Edgar Allan PoeB 16、In American literature, the eighteen century was the age of the Enlightenment.was the dominant spirit.A. HumanismB. RationalismC. RevolutionD. EvolutionA 17、 ------- Which statement about Franklin is not true?A. He instructed his countrymen as a printer.B. He was a scientist.C. He was a master of diplomacy.D. He was a Puritan.A 18、Who is regarded as the first American prose epic. A. Nature B. The Scarlet Letter C. Walden D. Moby-DickA 19、The Romanic Period of American literature started with the publication of WashingtonIrving's ----------------------------- a nd ended with Whiteman's Leaves of Grass.A. The Sketch BookB. Tales of a TravelerC. The AlhambraD. A history of New YorkC 20、The period before the American Civil War is generally referred toII. True or false choices: 1. Franklin's autobiography, published after his death, has become one of the classics of thegenre.2. The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is an American novel written by Nathaniel3. Hawthorne and is generally considered to be his representative work.4. Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, philosopher, poet, and leader of theImagist movement in the early 19th century.5. —The Fall of the House of Usher is one of Poe's poems.6. In The Scarlet Letter, Pear is Hester 9s illegitimate daughter.7. The famous poem 一A Psalm of Life was written by Edgar Allen Poe.8. —The Raven is a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe.9. In Moby Dick, the voyage symbolizes a search for truth.Ill Simple questions1、 What are Puritan thoughts?2、 What is Transcendentalism and list some representative figures?3、 American Renaissance4、 Explain the symbolic meanings of "A" in The Scarlet Letter.5、 How does E. A. Poe anticipate the 20th century literatureIV・ Interpreting the following textText IBecause I could not stop for Death —He kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.We slowly drove He knew no hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility —We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing Grain ・・We passed the Setting Sun —Since then ・・ *tis Centuries ・・ and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses1 2 3 4 5 6 HeadsWere toward Eternity —Questions:1 Identify the poet and the title of this poem? （2，）2 Explain the underlined words （4，）3 What are the implications of "the School", "the fields of Gazing Grain"，he Setting Sun”？（3‘）4 How do you understand “Since then 'tis Centuries and yet / Feels5 shorter than the Day" ? （3‘）6 What are the speaker's opinions about death? （3‘）Text IIOnce upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weakry,Over many a quint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one rapping, rapping at my chamber door."Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door --------------Only this, and nothing more."Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;—— vainly I had tried to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow —— sorrow for the lost Lenore—— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name LenoreNameless here for evermore.And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me 一filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, "1 Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door 一Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door ; 一This it is and nothing more."n Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting ・ "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night!s plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door!Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,And the lamp-light o' er him streaming throve his shadow on the floor;And my soul from out chat shadow that lies floating on the floorShall be lifted・nevemiore!7.Identify the poet and the title of this poem?8.Explain the images "the raven^^ and "the chamber door".9.Why did the author used a non-human creature to utter the word?10.Try to explain the theme of the poem.。
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美国文学问答题作业
Week 1 (2014.2.17——2.24)
1.Why did Franklin write his autobiography? P. 8
2.What made Franklin decide to leave the brother to whom he had been apprenticed?
P. 8
3.How do you comment on the puritanism and consumerism in American culture against the background of globalization?
4.Free Q&A. (questions raised and answered by the students themselves on the basis of their reading and understanding of Franklin and his Autobiography )
Week 2 (2014.2.24——3.2)
1. According to Emerson, what do most people believe to be virtue?And what is real virtue?(p.24)
2. What is Emerson’s attitude on “consistency” and the agreement of one’s actions? Do you agree with him? Why? (p.24)
3. What is your comment on one of the wide-spread guiding principles held by Chinese universities that university students should adapt themselves to the society?
4. Free Q&A. (questions raised and answered by the students themselves on the basis of their reading and understanding of Emerson and his works .)
Week 3 (2014.3.3—3.9)
1.Where indeed did Thoreau live, both at a physical level and at a spiritual level?
2.Why did Thoreau enjoy the act of buying the farm but give up buying it at the last
moment?
3.How do you explain the fact that Thoreau loved living in Walden but decided to
leave it in two years?
4.Free Q&A. (questions raised and answered by the students themselves on the
basis of their reading and understanding of Emerson and his works .) Week 4 （2014. 3.10-3.16）
1.Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne and the attitudes of the people towards
her throughout the whole novel.
2.Is The Scarlet Letter a novel about adultery? Give your reasons.
3.What is your comment on Hawthorne’s moral vision supported by his negative
capability?
4.Free Q&A. (questions raised and answered by the students themselves on the
basis of their reading and understanding of Emerson and his works .)
Week 5（2014. 3.17-3.23）
1.Find some biblical allusions in Moby-Dick and interpret their significance.
2.Why does Ahab react so violently against the white whale? Ishmael suggests that
Ahab is “crazy” and calls him “a raving lunatic.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
3.Why was Melville so fascinated with Hawthorne and vise versa?
4.Free Q&A. (questions raised and answered by the students themselves on the
basis of their reading and understanding of Emerson and his works .)。