美国文学分章试题

1、Exercises for American LiteraturePart. Multiple choice:1._ reports of exploration in Jamestown have been described as the first distinctly American literature to be written in English.A. John Smiths B. Washington Irvings C. Franklins D. Jeffersons2. Which statement is NOT true about the 17th century

2、 American literary life?A. The first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of the early settlements.B. The writers of the Southern and Middle Colonies who followed John Smithmade their greatest contribution to American literature.C. There were more urban audience for books

3、and newspapers.D. Literature developed slowly especially in the South.3. _ was the first American writer. A. John Smith B. Benjamin Franklin C. Philip Freneau D. Anne Bradstreet4. John Smiths _ (1624) contains his most famous tale of how the Indian Princess Pocahontas saved him from the wrath of her

4、 father Powhatan. A. The General History of Virginia B. The history of New England C. A Map of Virginia D. The history of Plymouth Plantation5. Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety were the _ values that dominated much of the earliest American writing. A. Puritanic B. Transcendental C. romantic D.

5、realistic6. _ , the Puritan clergyman who wrote more than 450 works in his life, was an example of the Puritan ideal of hard work. A. John Smith B. Cotton Mather C. Anne Bradstreet D. John Cotton7. The Puritans wished to restore simplicity to church services and the authority of _ to theology. A. th

6、e Bible B. the government C. the Church of England D. God8. The first major intellectual spokesman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was _ , sometimes called “the Patriarch of New England”.A. John Cotton B. John Smith C. Philip Freneau D. Cotton Mather9. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America is t

7、he first published collection of poems of _ .A. Edward Taylor B. Anne Bradstreet C. Walt Whitman D. Philip Freneau10. The first major center of thought in America was _ .A. Boston B. Philadelphia C. Now York D. the State of Virginia .Complete the following statements:1. At last early in the _ centur

8、y, the English settlements in _ and _ began the main stream of what we recognize as the American national history.2. The earliest settlers in US include _ , Swedes, _ , French, _ , Italians, and _ .3. The Puritans had come to New England for the sake of _ , while Virginia had been planted mainly as

9、a _ .4. The best way to learn more of the colonial Puritan mind is to meet two important figures, _ and _ .5. Most Puritan verse was decidedly plodding, but the work of two writers, Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, rose to the level of _ .Define the literary terms listed below:1. Theocracy 2. The

10、Puritan Movement .Answer the following question:What was the first American literature like?Part. Multiple choice:1. American Enlightenment can be described as the following except that _ .A. it dealt a decisive blow to the puritan traditionsB. it brought to life secular education and literatureC. i

11、ts representatives took the task of disseminating knowledge among the peopleD. it exerted little influence on the War of Independence2. The following statements are true to Benjamin Franklin except _ .A. a priest B. a scientist C. a diplomat D. a humanist3. Benjamin Franklin shaped his writing after

12、 _ .A. the Spectator Paper B. French writers C. John Milton D. Walt Scott4. Poor Richards Almanac written by Benjamin Franklin is _ .A. a novel B. a collection of short storiesC. a collection of poems D. an annual collection of proverbs5. “His shadow lies heavier than any other mans on this young na

13、tion” refers to _ .A. Benjamin Franklin B. Thomas Jefferson C. Thomas Paine D. Noah Webster6. Thomas Paine boldly advocated a “Declaration for Independence” in his famous pamphlet _ .A. Common Sense B. The Case of the Officers of the ExciseC. The American Crisis D. Rights of Man7. Thomas Paines chie

14、f contribution was a series of sixteen pamphlets entitled _ .A. Common Sense B. The Case of the Officers of the ExciseC. Rights of Man D. The American Crisis8. Which of the following is true about Thomas Jefferson? _ .A. He contributed a lot to the foundation of University of Virginia.B. He served f

15、or two terms as president.C. He drafted the Declaration of Independence.D. All of the above.9. _ has been called the “Father of American Poetry”.A. Anne Bradstreet B. Philip Freneau C. Thomas Paine D. Edward Taylor10. As a poet and political journalist, Philip Freneau is _ .A. a satirist and a senti

16、mentalist B. a humanitarianC. a poet of reason and a deistic optimist D. All of the above.Complete the following statements:1. As we have seen, _ dominated the Puritan phase of American writing, _ was the next great subject to command the attention of the best minds.2. American _ dealt a decisive bl

17、ow upon the Puritan traditions and brought to life _ and literature.3. In 1783, the year the United States achieved its independence, _ declared, “America must be as independent in literature as she is in politics, as famous for the arts and for arms”.4. Born in Boston in 1706, Benjamin Franklin wen

18、t to Philadelphia as a young man and began his career as _ .5. Philip Freneau was _ by training and taste yet romantic in essential spirit.Define the literary terms listed below:1. the Age of Reason 2. the Enlightenment.Answer the following question:Why do people think Benjamin Franklin is the embod

19、iment of American dream?Part . Multiple choice:1. A new Romanticism, appeared in England in the last years of the 18th century, came to America in _ .A. the early 19th century B. the mid 19th centuryC. the last years of 19th century D. the last years of the 18th century2. _ became the first work by

20、an American writer to win financial success on both sides of the Atlantic.A. Washington Irvings Sketch Book. B. Washington Irvings A Tour on the Prairies C. James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking Tales D. Henry Thoreaus Walden3. Which of the following is NOT regarded as one of the general characteri

21、stics shared by romantics? _ .A. Moral enthusiasm B. Faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perceptionC. The practice of a hard and disciplined lifeD. The presumption that mans society was a source of corruption4. Transcendentalists took some of their ideas from _ .A. German idealistic ph

22、ilosophy B. the Romantic literatures of EuropeC. neo-Platonism and Oriental mysticism D. All of the above.5. The first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature appeared in Washington Irvings _ .A. The sketch Book B. A History of New YorkC. Tales of a Traveler D. Alhambra

23、6. _ was the first important American novelist who began his literary career on a dare.A. James Fenimore Cooper B. Washington IrvingC. Edgar Allan Poe D. Nathaniel Hawthorne7. _ is one of James Fenimore Coopers best sea romances.A. The Spy B. The Pilot C. The Deerslayer D. The Pioneers8. Cooper laun

24、ched two kinds of great popular stories, the sea adventure tale and _ .A. the frontier saga B. the detective stories C. the love stories D. gothic novels9. Which of the following novels does NOT belong to Leatherstocking Tales? _ .A. The Deerslayer B. The Pathfinder C. The Pilot D. The Pioneers10. T

25、he last of the Mohicans in The last of the Mohicans refers to _ .A. Uncas B. Chingachgook C. Hawkeye D. Natty Bumppo11. In 1817, _ written by William Cullen Bryant introduced the best poet in America up to that time.A. “To a Waterfowl” B. “Thanatopsis” C. “The Raven” D. “To Helen”12. Which poem by W

26、illiam Cullen Bryant expressed both the poets grateful view and his sense of a divine power guiding and protecting everything in nature? _ .A. “To a Waterfowl” B. “Thanatopsis” C. “The Raven” D. “To Helen”13. Edgar Allan Poe deserved the following except _ .A. a playwright B. a poet and an editor C.

27、 a literary critic D. a writer of fiction14. Thy Naiad airs have brought me homeTo the glory that was Greece And the grandeau that was Rome.The above lines are selected from Edgar Allan Poes famous poem _ .A. “The Raven” B. “To Helen” C. “Ligia” D. “Annabel Lee”15. The American Scholar and The Divin

28、ity School Address are two speeches that made _ famous.A. Walt Whitman B. Ralph Waldo Emerson C. Henry David Thoreau D. Herman Melville16. Thoreau once wrote the reason that he went to live in a hut at Walden is that _ .A. he wanted to live the life of a hermitB. he didnt want to be arrested for fai

29、lure to pay the taxesC. he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of lifeD. he didnt like the people around him17. The story of The Scarlet Letter is set in _ in the days of the Massachusetts Colony.A. the ancient Europe B. the 19th century Europe C. the Puritan Boston D. the

30、 19th century Boston18. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote all of the following except _ .A. Typee B. The House of Seven GablesC. The Marble Faun D. Young Goodman Brown19. When Herman Melvilles Moby Dick first appeared, which of the following is NOT true about what happened to this great work? _ .A. It seeme

31、d to be a complete failure at the time.B. Critics in general also failed to see the qualities of this book.C. Hawthorne was one of the few who recognized it as a work of genius.D. It was a great hit at that time and was welcomed by the readers.20. Which of the following works established Henry Wadsw

32、orth Longfellows poetic reputation? _ .A. Voices of the Night B. Poems on Slavery C. Song of Hiawatha D. Ballads and Other Poems.Complete the following statements:1. Through the first half of 19th century the pursuit of _ , utility, and _ remained an American characteristic.2. _ values were prominen

33、t in American politics, art, and philosophy until the Civil War.3. As a moral philosophy, transcendentalism was neither _ nor _ .4. Romantic writers placed increasing value on the _ expression of emotion and displayed increasing attention to the _ states of their characters.5. In 1828, _ published A

34、n American Dictionary of the English Language.6. Irving was the first great _, writing always for _, and to produce _ .7. Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes and Whittier were regarded as the “_ poets”.8. At an early age, Irving preferred a literary _ .9. Ironically, while Poe was struggling in America, his

35、work was commanding more and more praise in _. His influence was especially strong on many _ writers.10. Emerson believed above all in _, independence of mind, and self-reliance.11. For Thoreau, as for Emerson, _ and _ ranked above all.12. Hawthornes unique gift was for the creation of strongly _ st

36、ories which touched the deepest roots of mans moral nature. The finest example is the recreation of Puritan Boston, _ .13. _ is a tremendous chronicle of s whaling voyage in pursuit of a seemingly supernatural white whale.14. “Pequod” in Moby Dick is a name of _ .15. Longfellows poetry was popular f

37、or his gentleness, sweetness, and _ .Define the literary terms listed below:1. Romanticism 2. Transcendentalism 3. Symbolism . Comment on one of the following:1. Benjamin Franklin and the American Dream2. Moby Dick 3. The Scarlet Letter4. “The Wild Honey Suckle”5. “To a Waterfowl”6. “To Helen”Part .

38、 Multiple choice:1.The end of _ marked the beginning of what Mark Twain called The Gilded Age.A. The American War of Independence B. World War One C. World War Two D. The Civil War2. “A Psalm of Life” is a famous poem written by _.A. Edgar Allan Poe B. Walt Whitman C. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow D. E

39、mily Dickinson3. By the 1870s _ had waned. A. Puritanism B. the New England Renaissance C. Realism D. Classicism4. By the end of the Civil War, _ became the nations literary center.A. New York B. Boston C. Jamestown D. Los Angeles5. _ had originated in France, a literary doctrine that called for rea

40、lity and truth in the depiction of ordinary life.A. Puritanism B. New England Renaissance C. Realism D. Classicism6. Local color began to decline _ .A. after 1920 B. by the turn of 19th century C. after 1910 D. in the 1870s7. The arbiter of 19th century literary realism in America was _ .A. William

41、Dean Howells B. Mark Twain C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland8. The poetic style Walt Whitman devised is now called _, that is, poetry without fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme.A. free verse B. blank verse C. lyrics D. sonnet9. “Song of myself” is a famous poem written by _ .A. Emily Dickinson B. Walt

42、 Whitman C. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow D. Edgar Allan Poe10. _ was the first book of Mark Twain.A. Jumping frog B. Innocents Abroad C. Roughing It D. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn11. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is the masterpiece of _ .A. Henry James B. William Dean Howells C. Mark Twain D

43、. Nathaniel Hawthorne 12. In “The Cop and the Anthem” the main reason for Soapy to deliberately commit one crime after another is that _ .A. he hates the wealthy people B. he just wants to revenge himselfC. winter is coming and Soapy has no refuge except the prisonD. he just does that for no reasons

44、13. The Gift of the Magi is one of the best stories by _ .A. O. Henry B. Mark Twain C. Harriet Beecher Stowe D. Jack London14. Jack wrote the following except _ .A. The Four Million B. The People of the Abyss C. The Iron Heel D. The Call of the wild 15. Which of the following novels is written by Ja

45、ck London? _ . A. The Portrait of a Lady B. The wings of the Dove C. The Scarlet Letter D. The Sea Wolf16. Theodore Dreisers masterpiece of Naturalism is _ . A. An American Tragedy B. The Financier C. The Titan D. The Stoic .Complete the following statements:1. Realism first appeared in the United S

46、tates in the literature of _ .2. James probed deeply at the individual _ of his characters.American naturalist writers attempted to achieve extreme _ and frankness.3. The naturalists emphasized that the world was _ .4. Darwinism seemed to stress the _ of man, to suggest that he was dominated by the

47、irresistible forces of evolution.5. Most of the poems in Leaves of Grass are about man and _ .6. Many of Dickinsons poems were based on single _ or symbols.7. O. Henry imitated _ as a model.8. Jack London was influenced by the teaching of Marx, Nietzsche and _ .1. Dreisers _ consists of The Financie

48、r, The Titan and The Stoic.2. Dreisers greatest and most successful novel was _ .Define the literary terms listed below:1. The Gilded Age 2. International Theme3. Realism 4. Naturalism.Answer the following question:1. What is the theme of The Leaves of Grass ?2. What are the major differences betwee

49、n Mark Twain and Henry James as major writers in the school of realism?Part . Multiple choice: 1. Writer of the first postwar era self=consciously acknowledged that they were _ . A. a Lost Generation B. a Beat Generation C. a Jazz Generation D. None of the above 2. During the 1920s William Faulkner

50、published one of the influential American novels of the age, _ . A. The Sound and the Fury B. An American Tragedy C. Winesburg, Ohio D. The Waste Land 3. After _ a group of new American dramatists emerged, and the American theater ceased to be dependent on the dramatic traditions of Europe. A. the W

51、ar of Independence B. the Civil War C. World War D. World War 4. _ came as a burst of literary achievement in the 1920s by Negro playwrights, poets and novelists who prepared the way for the emergence of numerous black writers after mid-century. A. The Lost Generation B. The Beat Generation C. The H

52、arlem Renaissance D. The New American Theater 5. “The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.” These lines were written by _ . A. Ezra Pound B. T. S. Eliot C. Robert Frost D. Carl Sandberg6. Edwin Arlington Robinson was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for _ .A. three times B. twice C. once D. four times 7. The central image of Frosts “Design” is _ .A. a fly B. a moth C.