英美文学基础知识.doc

Text 1
　　Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you?When will you come to see me?’No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind men’s dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, ‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master.’
　　1. Who is the author of this passage?
　　2. From which novel is this passage taken?
　　3. Why would no children like to ask Mr. Scrooge the time?
　　4. What does the author mean by the sentence "No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle"?
　　5. What is the reaction of the blind man’s dog when it encountered Mr. Scrooge?
　　参考答案
　　1. Charles Dickens
　　2. A Christmas Carol
　　3. Because Mr. Scrooge is a mean-spirited miserly person.
　　4．No beggars would ask him for money
　　5. When they saw him coming on, the dogs would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails, telling their owners that this man is an evil person.
　　Text 2
　　I tried to sleep; but my heart beat anxiously, my inward tranquility was broken. The clock, far down in the hall, struck two. Just then it seemed my chamber-door was touched, as if fingers had swept the panels in groping a way along the dark gallery outside. I said, ‘Who is there?’ Nothing answered. I was chilled with fear.
　　All at once I remembered that it might be Pilot, who, when the kitchen door chanced to be left open, not infrequently found his way up to the threshold of Mr Rochester’s chamber: I had seen him lying there myself in the mornings. The idea calmed me somewhat: I lay down. Silence composes the nerves; and as an unbroken hush now reigned again through the whole house, I began to feel the return of slumber. But it was not fated that I should sleep that night. A dream had scarcely approached my ear, when it fled affrighted, scared by a marrow-freezing incident enough.
　　This was a demoniac laugh – low, suppressed, and deep – uttered, as it seemed, at the very keyhole of my chamber door. The head of my bed was near the door, and I thought at first the goblin-laugher stood at my bedside – or rather, crouched by my pillow. But I rose, looked round, and could see nothing; while, as I still gazed, the unnatural sound was reiterated, and I knew it came from behind the panels. My first impulse was to rise and fasten the bolt; my next, again to cry out, ‘Who is there?’
　　Questions
　　1. From which novel is the extract taken?
　　2. What time of the day did the marrow-freezing incident happen?
　　3. What words did the author use to describe the laugh she heard?
　　4. What did the narrator "I" observe after she rose from her bed?
　　5. What does the author mean by "as an unbroken hush now reigned again through the whole house, I began to feel the return of slumber"?
　　参考答案
　　1. Jane Eyre
　　2. It was around two in the morning / It was after midnight.
　　3. It was a demoniac laugh-- low, suppressed, deep or unnatural, goblin-laughter, etc.
　　4. The narrator looked around but she could see nothing.
　　5. Since the whole house turned quiet /silent, I began to feel sleepy again.
　　Text 3
　　A stout slow man sat in his office waiting. His face was fatherly and benign, and his eyes twinkled with friendship. He was a caller of good mornings, a ceremonious shaker of hands, a jolly man who knew all jokes and yet who hovered close to sadness, for in the midst of a laugh he could remember the death of your aunt, and his eyes would become wet with sorrow for your loss. This morning he had placed a flower in a vase on his desk, a single scarlet hibiscus, and the vase sat beside the black velvet-lined tray in front of him. He was shaved close to the blue roots of his beard, and his hands were clean and his nails polished.His door stood open to the morning, and he hummed under his breath while his right hand practiced legerdemain.He rolled a coin back and forth over his knuckles and made it appear and disappear, made it spin and sparkle.The coin winked into sight and as quickly slipped out of sight, and the man did not even watch his own performance.The fingers did it all mechanically, precisely, while the man hummed to himself and peered out the door.Then he heard the tramp of feet of the approaching crowd, and the fingers of his right hand worked faster and faster until, as the figure of Kino filled the doorway, the coin flashed and disappeared.
　　1. Who is the author of this passage?
　　2. From which novel is this passage taken from?
　　3. How is the stout man described in this passage?
　　4. Why does the author describe the coin in detail?
　　5. Do you think this stout man is a kind and generous person?
　　参考答案
　　1. John Steinbeck
　　2. The Pearl
　　3. The man is described as a very kind and generous person. The author describes his kind facial expression, his polite speeches, and his interesting behaviours.
　　4. "Coin" is closely related to money. The man plays the coin very skilfully and even mechanically. This shows that he is an experienced businessman.
　　5. No. He pretends to be a kind man, but in effect, he is an evil person.
　　Text4
　　Ralph looked at him dumbly.For a moment he had a fleeting picture of the strange glamour that had once invested the beaches.But the island was scorched up like dead wood – Simon was dead – and Jack had …. The tears began to flow and sobs shook him.He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body.His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too.And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.
　　The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed.He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance.
　　1. Who is the author of this passage?
　　2. From which novel is this passage taken from?
　　3. What does the end of the story indicate?
　　4. What happened to Ralph in the extract?
　　5. What does "pull themselves together" (Line2, paragraph 2) mean?
　　参考答案
　　1. William Golding:
　　2. Lord of the Flies
　　3. There is no suggestion that everything is going well at the end of the story.It is an inconclusive conclusion. It is true that the boys have been rescued, but it seems that the threat of war and chaos is still going on.
　　4. Ralph at the end of the story cannot control his feelings for he has no way to go and he has experienced so many things on the island.
　　5. It means to "To regain their composure, to regain their calmness".
Read the extracts and give brief answers to the questions below.
　　Text 1
　　Lady Bracknell: … What is your income?
　　Jack: Between seven and eight thousand a year.
　　Lady Bracknell (makes a note in her book): In land, or in investments?
　　Jack:In investments, chiefly.
　　Lady Bracknell: That is satisfactory. What between the duties expected of one during one’s lifetime, and the duties exacted from one after one’s death, land has ceased to be either a profit or a pleasure. It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up. That’s all that can be said about land.
　　Jack: I have a country house with some land, of course, attached to it, about fifteen hundred acres, I believe; but I don’t depend on that for my real income. In fact, as far as I can make out, the poachers are the only people who make anything out of it.
　　Lady Bracknell: A country house! How many bedrooms? Well, that point can be cleared up afterwards. You have a town house, I hope? A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen, could hardly be expected to reside in the country.
　　Jack: Well, I own a house in Belgrave Square, but it is let by the year to Lady Bloxham. Of course, I can get it back whenever I like, at six months’ notice.
　　Lady Bracknell: Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her.
　　Jack: Oh, she goes about very little. She is a lady considerably advanced in years.
　　Lady Bracknell: Ah, nowadays that is no guarantee of respectability of character.What number in Belgrave Square?
　　Jack: 149.
　　Lady Bracknell (shaking her head): The unfashionable side. I thought there was something.However, that could easily be altered.
　　Jack: Do you mean the fashion, or the side?
　　Lady Bracknell (sternly) : Both, if necessary, I presume.
　　(The Importance of Being Earnest )
　　Questions
　　1. Why does Lady Bracknell prefer investments to land? Identify a quotation to support this.
　　2. What are Lady Bracknell’s main criteria for choosing a husband for her daughter?
　　3. Do you agree or disagree with the statement “Lady Bracknell is portrayed as a terrible snob”? Use details from the extract to support your ideas.
　　参考答案
　　1. She feels that land involves too many expenses during life, and is then taxed heavily after one’s death. She says, “It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up.”
　　2. Income, property (land and houses) and family connections.
　　3. (Possible answer) Yes, she is a terrible snob. She has too high an opinion of herself. She implies that, because she does not know Lady Bloxham, that lady hardly exists. In her reasoning, only people she knows are worth knowing! She speaks disparagingly of No.149 Belgrave Square, one of the richest districts of London as being on the unfashionable side. She even suggests that it is in her power to change the fashion or the side of the square where Jack’s house is.
　　Text2
　　Inspector:You’re not even sorry now, when you know what happened to the girl?
　　Mrs. Birling:I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end.But I accept no blame for it at all.
　　Inspector:Who is to blame then?
　　Mrs. Birling:First, the girl herself.
　　Sheila (bitterly):For letting Father and me have her chucked out of her jobs!
　　Mrs. Birling: （Question 1） Secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have.If, as she said, he didn’t belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape.He should be made an example of.If the girl’s death is due to anybody, it’s due to him.
　　Inspector:And if her story is true -- that he was stealing money --
　　Mrs. Birling (rather agitated now):There’s no point in assuming that --
　　Inspector:But suppose we do, what then?
　　Mrs. Birling:Then he’d be entirely responsible -- because the girl wouldn’t have come to us, and been refused assistance, if it hadn’t been for him --
　　Inspector:So he’s the chief culprit anyhow.
　　Mrs. Birling:Certainly.And he ought to be dealt with very severely --
　　Sheila (with sudden alarm): （Question 2） Mother -- stop -- stop!
　　Birling:Be quiet, Sheila!
　　Sheila:But don’t you see --
　　Mrs. Birling (severely):You’re behaving like an hysterical child tonight. (Sheila begins crying quietly.Mrs. Birling turns to Inspector)And if you’d take some steps to find this young man and then make sure he’s compelled to confess in public his responsibility - instead of staying here asking quite unnecessary questions - then you would be doing your duty.
　　Inspector (grimly):Don’t worry, Mrs. Birling.I shall do my duty.(He looks at his watch.)
　　Mrs. Birling (triumphantly):I’m glad to hear it.
　　Inspector:No hushing up, eh?Make an example of the young man, eh?Public confession of responsibility -- um?
　　Mrs. Birling:Certainly.I consider it your duty.And now no doubt you’d like to say good night.
　　Inspector:Not yet.I’m waiting.
　　Mrs. Birling:Waiting for what?
　　Inspector:To do my duty.
　　Sheila (distressed):Now, Mother - don’t you see?
　　Mrs. Birling (understanding now):But surely…I mean…it’s ridiculous… (She stops, and exchanges a frightened glance with her husband.)
　　Birling (terrified now):Look, Inspector, you’re not trying to tell us that --that my boy -- is mixed up in this --?
　　Inspector (Question 3):If he is, then we know what to do, don’t we?Mrs. Birling has just told us.
　　Birling (thunderstruck):My God!But -- look here --
　　Mrs. Birling (agitated) :I don’t believe it.I won’t believe it…
　　Sheila:Mother I begged you and begged you to stop --
　　(Inspector holds up a hand.We hear the front door.They wait, looking towards door.Eric enters, looking extremely pale and distressed.He meets their inquiring stares.
　　(Curtain falls quickly.)
　　Questions
　　1. Read the underlines parts closely. What “horrible end” has come to the working-class girl?
　　2. Why does Sheila say “Mother—Stop—Stop!”?
　　3. How do you think the Inspector would say the lines in bold type (黑体部分) Sternly? Distressed? Or with sudden alarm?
　　参考答案
　　1．She has committed suicide.
　　2.Because Sheila can see where the Inspector’s questions are leading. She knows that he will force her mother into a trap, so that she will condemn her own son.
　　3.He would have said the lines sternly.
　　Text3
　　Elizabeth: I see what I see, John.
　　Proctor: (Question 4_) You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more. I have forgot Abigail, and --
　　Elizabeth: And I.
　　Proctor: Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!
　　Elizabeth: John, you are not open with me. You saw her with a crowd, you said.Now you --
　　Proctor:I’ll plead my honesty no more, Elizabeth.
　　Elizabeth (now she would justify herself): John, I am only --
　　Proctor: No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you’re not, you’re not and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.
　　Elizabeth: I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John -- (with a smile) -- only somewhat bewildered.
　　Proctor (laughing bitterly): Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!
　　（The Crucible. ）
　　█　Questions
　　1. What is the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth?
　　2. What kind of