陶洁版美国文学选读第三版课后习题答案

1、美国文学选 读 第三版 课后习题 答案 陶洁（部分）Unit 1 Benjamin FranklinQuestionsdid Franklin write his Autobiography？Franklin says that because his son may wish to know about his life, he istaking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record his past.He also says that he has enjoyed his life and would like

2、 to repeat itmade Franklin decide to leave the brother to whomhe had been apprenticed ？His brother was passionate, and had often beaten him. The aversion toarbitrary power that has stuck to him through his whole life .After a brushwith the law, Franklin left his brother.did he arrive in Philadephia

3、？First he set out in a boat for Amboy, the boat dropped him off about 50 milesfrom Burlington, the next day he reached Burlington on foot, in Burlingtonhe found a boat which was going towards Philadelphia, he arrived there about eight or nine o clock, on the Sunday morning and landed at the Market S

4、treet wharf.features do you find in the style of the above selection？It is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision（言简意赅 ）. The narrative is lucid（ 易懂的 ）, the structure is simple, the imagery is homely（ 朴素的 ）.Unit 2 Edgar Allen Poeis the narrator What wrong does he want to redres

5、s？Montresor.Fortunato, one of wine experts insulted him, so he wanted to murder him.is the pretext he uses to lure Fortunato to his wine cellar？He baits Fortunato by telling him he has obtained what he believes to be acask of Amontillado a rare and valuable sherry wine.Fortunato is anxious to determ

6、ine whether or not it is truly Amontillado,so he goes to the vault with Montresor.happens to Fortunato in the endHe was walled up alive behind bricks in a wine cellar.briefly how Poe characterizes Montresor and Fortunato as contrasts？Poe uses color imagery to characterize them. Montresor face is cov

7、ered ina black silk mask, In contrast, Fortunato dresses the motley-colored costume of the court fool, who gets literally and tragically fooled by Montresor's masked motives.The color schemes here represent the irony of Fortunato's death sentence.Through the acts, words, and thoughts ofFortu

8、nato,we know He is greedy, hewas lured into the dark and somber vaults just because a cask of Amontillado.This is also due to his bad habit of bibulosity（酗酒） . He lost himself onhearing the wine.At the same time, he was cheated by his enemy, which reflected his ignorance.When he heard the pretended

9、compliment from Montresor, he became very boastful and arrogant.He was easily confused by the superficial phenomena and failed to watch outfor others. He couldn t tolerate that others were stronger than him.For example, Montresor always stimulated him with Luchresi who was good at connoisseur （鉴赏） i

10、n wine.Under the impulse of vanity, he fell into Montresor s terrible trap.In fact, he was careless and foolish and didn t find that the danger wasapproaching him.He looked down upon Montresor and others.He didn t realize his foolishness until the death was coming.Talking from the appearance, Monstr

11、esor was a well-educated and “ kindbusinessman.He enjoyed the honor and respect in the city. But in fact, he was an eviland awful person.His inner feelings were so cruel that they even made people tremble.Under his rich appearance was the dirty soul and despicable character.We couldn t see any glori

12、ous virtues in his mind. Instead, his heart was cold and dark.It was the revenge that threw Montresor into the deep evil valley.unit 4 Nathaniel Hawthorneis the prison the setting of Chapter 1No matter how optimistic the founders of new colonies may be, they are quick to establish a prison and a cem

13、etery in their “ Utopia, ” for they know that misbehavior, evil, and death are unavoidable.This belieffits into the larger Puritan doctrine, which puts heavy emphasison the idea of original sin the notion that all people are born sinners because of the initial transgressions of Adamand Eve in the Ga

14、rden of Eden. he is therefore using the prison building to represent the crime and the punishment which are aspect of civilized lifeWhat is the implication of the description of the roses？The rosebush symbolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast man's activities.The narrator suggests t

15、hat roses offer a reminder of Nature's kindness tothe condemned; for his tale, he says, it will provide either a “ sweet moral blossom” or else some relief in the fa ce of unrelenting sorrow and gloom.the appearance of Hester Prynne and the attitude of the people towards her.The second paragraph

16、 on page 30.The crowd in front of the jail is a mixture of men and women, all maintaining severe looks of disapproval.Several of the women begin to discuss Hester Prynne, and they soon vow thatHester would not have received such a light sentence for her crime if theyhad been the judges.One woman, th

17、e ugliest of the group, goes so far as to advocate death for Hester.has happened to HesterAs a young woman, Hester married an elderly scholar, Chillingworth, who sent her ahead to America to live.While waiting for him, she had an affair with a Puritan minister namedDimmesdale, after which she gave b

18、irth to Pearl.The scarlet letter is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy.Why does she make the embroidery of the letter A so elaborateIt seems to declare that she is proud, rather than ashamed, of her sin.In reality, however, Hester simply accepts the “sin ” and its symbol as part of herself,

19、just as she accepts her child.And although she can hardly believe her present “ realities, ” she takes them as they are rather than resisting them or trying to atone for them.How does this tell us about her character？Throughout The Scarlet Letter Hester is portrayed as an intelligent, capable.It is

20、the extraordinary circumstances shaping her that make her such an important figure.Unit5 Herman Melvilleare the stories Ismael tells about Moby Dick？Ishmael compares the legend of Moby Dick to his experience of the whale.He notes that sperm whale attacks have increased recently and that superstitiou

21、s sailors have come to regard these attacks as having an intelligent, even supernatural origin.In particular, wild rumors about Moby Dick circulate among whalemen, suggesting that he can be in more than one place at the same time and thathe is immortal. Ishmael remarks that even the wildest of rumor

22、s usually contains some truth.Whales, for instance, have been known to travel with remarkable speed fromthe Atlantic to the Pacific; thus, it is possible for a whale to be caughtin the Pacific with the harpoons of a Greenland ship in it.Moby Dick, who has defied capture numerous times, exhibits an “

23、intelli gent malignity ”（狠毒） in his attacks on mendoes Ahab react so violently against the white whale？First, he lost one of his legs because of the white whale.Second,He considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world, and hepursues the White Whale ， because he believes it his inescapable f

24、ate to destroy this evil.Ishmael suggests that Ahab is “ crazy ” and call him “ a raving lunatic. ”Do you agree with him Why or why not ？Ishmael describes Ahab as mad in his narration, and it does indeed seem madto try to fight the forces of nature or God.3. What narrative features can you find in t

25、he selected chapterIn the selected charpter, Melville employed the technique of multiple viewof his narrative to portray Moby Dick to achieve the effect of ambiguity and let readers judge the meaning.Unit 6 Henry David Thoreauindeed did Thoreau live, both at a physical level and at a spiritual level

26、 ？He lived in a cabin on Walden Pond, which belonged to Emerson s property.Thoreau ever bought a farm Why did he enjoy the act of buying？No, he hadn t.He avoided purchasing a farm because it would inevitably tie him down financially and complicate his life.Thoreau didn t see the acquisition of wealt

27、h as the goal for humanexistence, he saw the goal of life to be an exploration of the mind and of the magnificent world around us.He regarded the places as an existence free of obligations and full of leisure.it significant that Thoreau mentioned the Fourth of July as the day on which he began to st

28、ay in the woods Why ？Yes, it is.Because The Fourth of July is known as Independence Day,the birthday ot theUnited States.Here Thoreau uses the day to express his beginning ofregeneration at Walden.It also means a symbol of his conquest of being.could you answer the question Thoreau asked at the end

29、of this selectionUnit 7 19th Century American Poets1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow(1) I Shot an Arrow 1. Why did the speaker lose sight of his arrow and songThe arrow flies too swiftly and too far away to be seen by the speaker; whereas the song is naturally invisible.2. In what circumstances did he f

30、ind them againHe finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a tree and the heartof a friend.3. What do arrow and song stand for in this poemThe images of arrow and song here may stand for friendship.(2) A Psalm of Life1. What kind of person is the speaker of this poemThe speaker is a man

31、of action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as much as possible in the short span of life.2. According to the poem, how should our lives be led to overcome the fact that each day brings us nearer to deathWe should work harder and live happier.3. Interpret the metaphor of "Footp

32、rints on the sand of time" (line 28).The metaphor refers to human deeds in real life.2. Walt Whitman(1)One's Self I Sing1. What is the significance of singing about one's selfIt is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people.2. What is the difference betw

33、een physiology and physiognomyPhysiology is a science that deals with the functions and life process of humanbeings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of face itself or the appearance of a person.3. What does Whitman mean by the term of "the Modern Man"

34、;He means that a man should be free from any prejudice and pride, totally different from the traditional one, that is full of bias.(3) O Captain! My Captain!1. Why is the word "Captain" capitalized throughout the poemIn this poem the word “ Captain ” specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, pr

35、esident of the United States.2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poemLife is a journey.3. Whydo people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sadThey welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to rec

36、eive his own honor.Dickinson(1) To Make a Prairie 1. What things are needed to "make" a prairie In what sense can one really do itSome grass and insects and small animals. People can make a prairie with their imagination.2. How can "revery alone" create a prairieThe prairie stays

37、 in one's mind.(2) Success Is Counted Sweetest1. Why is success "counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed"Those who have tasted the bitterness of failure would have a keener desire for success.2. Who are "the purple host"The so-called successful people in the world.3.

38、Who is "he" in the last stanzaAnyone who is pursuing his success.(3) I'm Nobody!1. Who are the "pair of us" and "they" in this poem The "pair of us" refers to the speaker in the poem and the reader, and "they" refers to the public, especially tho

39、se in power.2. What does "an admiring bog" really mean" (line 28).It Implies the vain and empty common people, who are always admiring and pursuing the celebrities.3. What is the theme of this poemThe real admirable life is a secluded and common one.4. Do you want to be "nobody&q

40、uot; or "somebody" Explain your reasons.Different persons would have different answers to this question. Personally, I prefer to be nobody.Unit 8 Mark Twain1: Why do you think is so eager to tell these storiesFrom s behaviors and contents of his narration we can know he is so eagerbackedto

41、 tell these , when "I" asked him to tell "me" something about , he meinto a corner and blockaded mewith his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the narrative ” . And during the process of telling his stories, he never paid any attention to others'response to his story and

42、 just went on telling what amused him. At last when the listener felt boring and wanted to leave, even didn't notice it and still asked him to sit there listening to him.2: Does his audience share his enthusiasm in telling the stories No. the audience does not show any interest in stories. In fa

43、ct, the narrator was very feverish about his stories, but ,in the eyes of the listener,the stories were very boring and had nothing to do with his preoccupation. As an educated man, the listener couldn't understand the way of laborers for joy, and he would never bother himself to understand it.

44、So after the long timeof solo narration and when the audience got a chance, he fled away.3: Do you think the narrator and his listener ever suspect the presence of humor Why How do you interpret their interactionsThe narrator and his listener never noticed or suspected the presence of the intercours

45、e,the narrator went vigorously on his monotonous narrative "wihout a little smiling" talking about the animals and the things like ,while the listener felt rather puzzled or bothered by his seemed to be kind of coarse things. So the two different scenes go on separately without a intersect

46、ion.And their interaction was a complete failure according toour common sense about it in this sense produced the effect of humor which can be tasted by our readers due to the skills adopted by Mark Twain.Unit 14 F Scott Fitzgeraldyou think Gatsby deserves to be called“ the great ” Why( 1 ) I think

47、it is too complicated to simply say Gatsby deserves to begreat II or one thing, Gatsby was ambitious, hardworking, generous and passionate. He was so extremely loyal to his love and Daisy that he coulddo anything to get Daisy back: he did shady business to earn money and social position; he threw lu

48、xurious parties just to draw Daisy s attention; hecould take the blame for a death that he did not cause.(2) In this respect, he is much greater II than his contemporaries. For another thing, Gatsby never realized that Daisy wasn t the girl he lovedanymore. Gatsby was so innocent that he staked ever

49、ything on his dreams, not realizing that his dreams are unworthy of him. He wasn t sober enough tobe great.“ the green light ” Gatsby believed in exist in reality Why or why not 1） I think the green light II does not exist in reality. Because the green light which situated at the end of Daisy s East

50、 Egg dock and barely visible from West Egg lawn represents Gatsby s unattainable dream. Although thecolor itself can be seen as hope and bright future, Gatsby s quest for Daisy back is doomed to be impossible. Daisy lived in a material world without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dream lik

51、e airII . 2） 2） After five years when Gatsby met Daisy again, the miracle Daisy had lost her original glory. Therefore, there is no delaying that Gatsby s dreamwould not come true. In the novel, the green light not only represents that innocent Gatsby looked forward to the future, but also means his

52、 longing for the history his happy past with Daisy. The distinction between ideal and reality was huge. As if American dream between golden past and golden future always suffered from the realistic betrayal and crush.does Gatsby s Schedule reveal about him and how does it relate to the American Drea

53、m（ 1） The schedule is a reflection of Gatsby s determination and ambition.It reveals that he is hard on himself in pursuit of his goal to be anupper-class man.（ 2） On one hand, we can know that he is persistent in pursuing his American Dream- to attain wealth and happiness through his struggle. On t

54、he other hand, he is too idealistic and naive.3） He tries his best to make money and learns everything required to be an upper-class man so that he can get access to his beloved is important but there are other barriers difficult to penetrate. The girl he loves is as vulgar and superficial as others

55、 in her circle, she is unable to meets Gatsby s romantic fantasy. So his dream is destined to shatter, which indicates the disillusion of American Dream.you read the line “He （the man with owl-eyed glasses） took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in ,” what images does it create in yo

56、urmind, given the novel s numerous references to the strikingly strange scene of the spectacled eyes（ 1） From this line , superficially, owl-eyes is a person with thick and blurry glasses who can not see clearly all the things in the world. However, we know he is actually an owl-wise observer and se

57、es more clearly than anyone elsein the novel. Owl-Eyes, except Nick, is the only friend to appear at therain-soaked burial of Gatsby, when others are unwilling to come. He feels sympathy for Gatsby s tragedy.（ 2） After reading this line, I cannot help thinking of the billboard with its huge yellow s

58、pectacles in this novel. In manyrainy days, Dr. Eckleburg s eyes are also dimmed and seem blind. But in fact this is a pair of"all-seeing" eyes. The Owl-Eyed Man is similar to Dr. Eckleburg, sadly looking at the people s life and idealism of this time. Both of them symbolize an uninvolved

59、spectator god. They watch all the activities of the humans. Owl-eyes is the avatar of the sightless Dr. Eckleburg.Unit 16 Ernest Hemingway1. How do you interpret the irony of the title after reading the story（1） The title-A Clean Well-Lighted Place II refers to the caf ein the text.The caf e was very clean and well-