LiterarySelectionsandAnalysis(北航2008研)
—Andwhoisthebestpoet,Heron?askedBoland.
—LordTennyson,ofcourse,answeredHeron.
—O,yes,LordTennyson,saidNash.Wehaveallhispoetryathomeinabook.AtthisStephenforgotthesilentvowshehadbeenmakingandburstout:
—Tennysonapoet!Why,he’sonlyarhymester!
—O,getout!saidHeron.EveryoneknowsthatTennysonisthegreatestpoet.
—Andwhodoyouthinkisthegreatestpoet?askedBoland,nudginghisneighbor.
—Byron,ofcourse,answeredStephen.
Herongavetheleadandallthreejoinedinascornfullaugh.
—Whatareyoulaughingat?askedStephen.
—You,saidHeron.Byronthegreatestpoet!He’sonlyapoetforuneducatedpeople.
—Hemustbeafinepoet!saidBoland.
—Youmaykeepyourmouthshut,saidStephen,turningonhimboldly.Allyouknowaboutpoetryiswhatyouwroteupontheslatesintheyardandweregoingtobesenttotheloftfor.
Boland,infact,wassaidtohavewrittenontheslatesintheyardacoupletaboutaclassmateofhiswhooftenrodehomefromthecollegeonapony:
AsTysonwasridingintoJerusalem
HefellandhurthisAlecKafoozelum.
ThisthrustputthetwolieutenantstosilencebutHeronwenton:
—InanycaseByronwasahereticandimmoraltoo.
—Idon’tcarewhathewas,criedStephenhotly.
—Youdon’tcarewhetherhewasahereticornot?saidNash.
—Whatdoyouknowaboutit?shoutedStephen.Youneverreadalineofanythinginyourlifeexceptatrans,orBolandeither.
—IknowthatByronwasabadman,saidBoland.
—Here,catchholdofthisheretic,Heroncalledout.InamomentStephenwasaprisoner.
—Tatemadeyoubuckuptheotherday(5),Heronwenton,abouttheheresyinyouressay.
—I’lltellhimtomorrow,saidBoland.
—Willyou?saidStephen.You’dbeafraidtoopenyourlips.
—Afraid?
—Ay.Afraidofyourlife.
—Behaveyourself!criedHeron,cuttingatStephen’slegswithhiscane.
Itwasthesignalfortheironset.NashpinionedhisarmsbehindwhileBolandseizedalongcabbagestumpwhichwaslyinginthegutter.StrugglingandkickingunderthecutsofthecaneandtheblowsoftheknottystumpStephenwasbornebackagainstabarbedwirefence.
—AdmitthatByronwasnogood.
—No.
—Admit.
—No.
—Admit.
—No.No.
a.Identifytheauthorandtheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.
b.Whatisthesymbolicmeaningoftheprotagonist’sname?
c.Describehisgrowingprocess,whichisalsocalledBildungsroman—novelsofeducation/growth.
d.Howishispersonalityisrevealedfromtheabovementionedselections?
举一反三
- <strong>Directions:Youaresupposedtofillthefollowingblankswithwordsorexpressionsthatbestexpresstheideasorthecontextualmeaningofthesentences,basedonthereadingyouhavedoneinBritishandAmericanliterarystudies.</strong><br/><alone></alone>Baconhasbeencalledthefatherof____,forhisworksestablishedandpopularizedinductivemethodologiesforscientificinquiry,oftencalledtheBaconianmethod.
- Passage41<br/>It’snotthatweareafraidofseeinghimstumble,ofscribblingamustacheoverhiscareer.Sure,thenicepartofuswantsMiketoknowweappreciatehim,thathestillreigns,atleastinourmemory.Thetruth,though,isthatwedon’twanthimtocomebackbecauseevenforMichaelJordan,thiswouldbeanactofhubrissomonumentalastomakehistrademarkconfidencetwistintoconceit.Wedon’twanthimbackonthecourtbecausenoonelikesashow-off.Thestumbling?Thatwillbefun.<br/><alone></alone>Butwearenicepeople,weAmericans,with225yearsofoptimismatourbacks.DaysagowhenM.J.saidhehadmadeadecisionaboutreturningtotheNBAinSeptember,wegotexcited.Hehadsaidthedaybefore,“Ilookforwardtoplaying,andhopefullyIcangettothatpointwhereIcanmakethatdecision.It’sO.K.,tohavesomedoubt,andit’sO.K.tohavesomenervousness.”ATime/CNNpolllastweekhasAmericans,2to1,sayingtheywouldlikehimonthecourtASAP.Andonly21percentthoughtthatifhecamebackandjustcompletelybombed,itwoulddamagehislegend.Infactonly28percentthinkathletesshouldretireattheirpeak.<br/><alone></alone>SourcesclosetohimtellTimethatwhenJordanfirsttalkedaboutacomebackwiththeWashingtonWizards,theteamJordanco-ownsandwouldplayfor,someofhistrustedadvisersprivatelytriedtodiscouragehim.“Buttheysayiftheytrytostophim,itwillonlyfirmuphisresolve,”saysanNBAsource.<br/><alone></alone>TheproblemwithJordan’sreturnisnotonlythathecan’tpossiblyliveuptothestorybookendinghegaveupin1998—earninghissixthringwithalast-secondchampionship-winningshot.Theproblemisthatthemotivesforcomingback—needingtheattention,needingtoplayevenwhenhis38-year-oldbodydoesnot—violatetheverymythofJordan,themythofabsolutecontrol.BabeRuth,the20thcentury’sfirststar,wasagustoffatbravadoanddrunkentalent,whileJordanendedthecenturybyprovingtheeleganceofresolve;Babe’spointingtothebleachersreplacedbythecharmofabackpedalingshouldershrug.Jordansymbolizedsuccessbynotsullyinghisbrandwithhispolitics,hisopinionorsuperstarpersonality.TobeaJordanfanwastobeafanofclassinessandconfidence.<br/><alone></alone>TocomebackwhenheknowsthatplayingforWizardswon’tgethimanywherenearthesecondroundoftheplay-offs,whenheknowsthathewon’tbetheleaguescoringleader,that’salossofcontrol.<br/><alone></alone>Jordandoesnotcarewhatwethink.Friendssaythathetakesarticlesthattellhimnottocomebackandtacksthemallonhisrefrigeratorasinspiration.Sowhybotherwritingsomethingtellinghimnottocomeback?HeisstillMichaelJordan.
- Practice4<br/>CharlesDarwindidn’twanttomurderGod,asheonceputit.Buthedid.Hedidn’twanttodefyhisfellowCantabrigians,hisgentlemanlyVictoriansociety,hisdevoutwife.Buthedid.Hewaited20yearstopublishhistheoryofnaturalselection,but—fittingly,afteranotherscientistthreatenedtobefirst—hedid.<br/><alone></alone>BeforeDarwin,mostpeopleacceptedsomeversionofbiblicalcreation.Humanswereseenastheapotheosisofgodlyarchitecture.Humanscouldthusbeanaccidentofnaturalselection,notadirectproductofGod.Worriesabouthowmuchhistheorywouldshakesocietyexacerbatedthestrangeillnesseshesuffered.It’salsoworthnotingthatDarwin’slifewasn’tDarwinian:heachievedhiswealththroughinheritance,notcompetition,andsomemightsayhissicklychildrensufferedbecausetheywereinbred.<br/><alone></alone>Darwin’stheoriesstillprovokeopposition.OnehundredandfortyyearsafterTheOriginofSpecies,backersofcreationismhavemadeacomebackinstateslikeKansas,pushingevolutionoutoftheschoolroom.YetDarwinismremainsoneofthemostsuccessfulscientifictheorieseverpromulgated.Thereishardlyanelementofhumanity—notcapitalism,notgenderrelations,certainlynotbiology—thatcanbefullyunderstoodwithoutitshelp.
- <spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">PostHurricaneKatrina</span>ThesouthernUnitedStatesisagainbeingbatteredbyatropicalstormRita,threeweeksafterHurricaneKatrina.Thistimethewarningstoleaveseemtohavebeenheededandroadsleadingawayfromthethreatenedareashavebeenchokedwithtrafficasmorethantwomillionpeopleheadinland.FollowingthedevastationinNewOrleans,theauthoritieswerecriticizedfornotdoingenoughforthoseleastabletohelpthemselves:thepoor,thesickandthosewithouttransport.Thoughthistimemoreprovisionwasmadetoevacuatepeopleaheadofthehurricane,butinthelongterm,whethertherewillbeanyrealchangeintheUSsocialsystem?<br/><alone></alone>Astheeventofmassiveforce,Katrinasweptawayanawfullot,buttheghastlyfailureoftheauthoritiestoprepareandtorescuethoseatriskseemstohavedonemorethanthephysicaldamage.BillClintonisamongmanyeminentAmericanswhowonderwhetherKatrina’sbiggestimpactmightbepsychological,political.Therealquestion,puttingisbaldly,iswhetherthereisgoingtobearevolution.WilltheAmericansocialandeconomicsystem,whichcreatesthewealthwhichpaysforbillionaires’privatejetsandthepovertywhichdoesn’tallowforabusfareoutofNewOrleans,beaddressed?It’sbeentinkeredwithbeforeofcourse,sometimesasaresultofnaturaldisasters.Therewereforinstanceplentyofbusesonhandforthisweek’sRitaevacuation.Butthesystem’sfundamentals,nolimitonhowhighyoucanflyandlittlelimitonhowlowyoucanfall,remainasintactastheywereintheSanFranciscogoldrush.<br/><alone></alone>AsCharlesWheelerwrote,oneofthetragediesoftheVietnamWarhadbeen"thedismembermentofAmerica’sinfantwelfarestate".‘Thewar,"hesaid,"stoppedsocialreforminitstracksandtoday,withthebudgetdeficithugeandgrowing,thereisnoprospectthatawindfallofmoneyreleasedbythewarcansuddenlybeappliedtotheneedsofthepoorinthecities."Charleswaswritingin1973.Americadidrecover.Theeconomywasrescued.Moneywasmadeinverylargeamounts.Butthepoorstilldidnotreceivethatwindfall;theywerenevergoingto.<br/><alone></alone>AmericansarecrosswiththegovernmentanddisappointedwiththeresponsefromWashington,buttheyhavenotsatontheirhandsandwaitedforthegovernmenttosortitselfout.Muchtheopposite,Americanshavegivenwithunbridledenthusiasmandgenerosity.TheygivemoneytovictimsofKatrina;dropoffteddybearstheynolongerwant;dispatchclothforwhichtheyhavegrowntoofatetc.HurricaneKatrinahasencouragedanoutpouringofcharityonascaleneverseenbefore."Isn’tthatsomethinggovernmentsdo?"Americansdon’tthinksoandneverwill.Thisisunquestionablyasourceofstrengthandspineintroubledtimes,butitisjustcharitythatputsadampeneronrevolution.Charityameliorates,itsoftensblows,itpoursoilontroubledwaters.Itdoesnotleadtosocialchange.<br/><alone></alone>InequalityisapartofAmericanlifeandsoisself-reliance,nothingaltersthat.Aftertheweekend’sdevastation,Americaislittlechanged.
- Thepoormanlives________inthe________house. A: alone;lonely B: alone;alone C: lonely;lonely D: lonely;alone