英语专业考研、专八英美文学习题集锦
Chapter I An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature & The Renaissance Period
I. Choose the right answer:
1. Dr. Faustus is a play based on the _____legend of a magician aspiring for ____ and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil.
A.British/ immoralityB.French/moneyC.German/knowledgeD.American/political power
Answer: C (可参考课本P21)
2. _____, is a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons.
A.The Wife’s Complaint B.BeowulfC.The Dream of the RoodD.The Seafarer
Answer: B (可参考课本P1)
3.It’s Chaucer alone who, for the first time in English literature, presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English Society in his masterpiece__________.
A.The Canterbury TalesB.The Legend of Good WomenC.Troilus and CriseydeD. The Romaunt of the Rose.
Answer: A (可参考课本P4)
4. The Essence of Renaissance, the most significant intellectual movement, was_____.
A. Geographical explorationB. Religious reformationC. Publishing and translationD. Humanism.
Answer: D (可参考课本P8)
5. “Prince Arthur’s greatest mission is his search for Gloriana, with whom he has fallen in love through a love vision.”The two figures come from_____.
A.Paradise Lost B.Dr. FaustusC.The Faerie QueeneD.Hamlet
Answer: C (可参考课本P13)
6. In “Sonnet 18”, Shakespeare_________________.
A.Meditate on the destructive power of time and eternal beauty by poetry.
B.Satirize human’s vanity.C.Predict the eternity of love.D.Eulogize the power of the beauty.
Answer: A (P37)
7. ____ gave new vigor to the blank verse with his “mighty lines” and make ’blank verse’ the principle vehicle of expression in drama.
A.Surrey B.WyattC.MarloweD.Sidney
Answer: C (P21)
8. Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies are the following works except____.
A.HamletB.King LearC.Romeo and JulietD.Othello
Answer: C (P33)
9. The Renaissance refers to between 14th----mid-17th century, which was under the reign of Queen___and absolute monarchy in England reached its summit, and in which the ’real mainstream (真正的文学主流)’ was ____.
A.Victoria/poetry B.Elizabeth/ drama C.Mary/ novel D.James/ drama
Answer: B (P11)
10. In The Legend of Good Women, Chaucer used for the first time in English the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter, which is to be called later____.
A.The Spenserian stanza B.The heroic couplet C.The blank verse D.The free verse
Answer: B (P5)
11. The Redcrosse Knight in “The Faerie Queene” stands for_____, and Una stands for_____.
A.bravery/ chastity B.holiness/ truth C.error/ delivery  D.true gentleman/ lady.
Answer: B (P16)
12. Which of the following is NOT regarded as one of the characteristics of Renaissance?
A.Rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture.
B.Attempt to remove the old feudalist ideas in Medieval Europe.
C.Exaltation of man’s pursuit of happiness in his life, and tolerance of man’s foibles.
D.Praise of man’s efforts in soul delivery and personal salvation.
Answer: D (P7)
13. “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” is an example of ______.
A.Metaphor B.Simile C.Irony D.Personification
Answer: A (P55)
14. _____ introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England.
A.Anglos/ Saxons B.Normans/ Anglo-Saxons C.Greeks/ Romans D.Romans/ Normans
Answer: B (P11)
15. It is ___ alone who, for the first time in English literature presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life.
A.Edmund Spenser B.Geoffrey Chaucer C.William Shakespeare D.John Donne
Answer: B (P4)
16. The following belong to the characteristics of ’metaphysical poetry’ represented by ’John Donne’ except___.
A.Conceits B.Actual imagery and simple diction C.Argumentative form D.Elegant style
Answer: D (P63)
17. Paradise Lost is actually a story taken from____.
A.Greek Mythology B.Roman legend C.The Old Testament D.The New Testament
Answer: C (P73)
18. In “Paradise Lost”, Satan says “We may with more successful hope resolve/ To wage by force or guile eternal war, / Irreconcilable to our grand Foe” What does the “Eternal war” mean?
A.To remove God from his throne B.To burn the Heaven Down
C.To corrupt God’s creation of man and woman-----Adam and Eve D.To beguile into a snake to threaten man’s life
Answer: C (P71, 节选部分在P75)
19. _____, the first of the great tragedies, is generally regarded as Shakespeare’s most popular play on the stage, for it has the qualities of a “blood-and-thunder” thriller and a ’philosophical exploration’ of life and death.
A.The Merchant of Venice B.Hamlet C.King Lear D.The Winter’s Tale
Answer: B (P33)
20. It was ___and ___ the two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.
A.Anglos/ Saxons B.Normans/ Anglo-Saxons C.Romans/ Normans D.Greeks/ Romans
Answer: B (P1)
21. Paradise Lost is ___’s masterpiece, which is an epic in 12 books, written in blank verse, about the heroic revolt of Satan against God’s authority.
A.John Donne B.Christopher Marlowe C.John Milton D.Edmund Spenser
Answer: C (P71)
22. The following description fit into Milton ’except’_____.
A.a great revolutionary poet of the 17th century B.an outstanding political pamphleteer
C.a great stylist and master of blank verse D.a kind of elegant and refine style.
Answer: D (P70---73)
23. _____is not written by John Milton.
A.Samson Agonistes B.Paradise Lost C.Paradise regained D.Tamburlaine
Answer: D (P71)
24. Marlow’s greatest achievement is that he perfected the ’blank verse’, and he is regarded as ’the pioneer of English drama’, which of the following is not written by him?
A.Tamburlaine B.The Jew of Malta C.The Passionate to His Love D.The Sun Rising
Answer: D (P20)
25. ____Essays is the first example of that genre in English literature, which has been recognized as an important landmark in the development of English prose.
A.John Milton’s B.Francis Bacon’s C.Montaigne’sD.Thomas Gray’s
Answer: B (P58)
26. _____Was known as “the poets’ poet”.
A.William ShakespeareB.Edmund Spenser C.John Donne D.John Milton
Answer: B (P15)
27. “And we will make thee beds of roses / And a thousand fragrant posies/ A cap of flowers, and a kirtle/ Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.” The above lines are probably taken from______.
A.Spenser’s The Faerie Queene B.John Donne’s The Sun Rising
C.Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 D.Marlow’s The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.
Answer: D (P28)
28. Which of the following statement best illustrates the theme of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18?
A.The speaker eulogizes the power of Nature. B.The speaker satirizes human vanity.
C.The speaker praises the power of artistic creation. D.The speaker meditates on man’s salvation.
Answer: C (P37)
II. Read the quoted part and answer the questions:
1.“For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than is her custom. It is still her use
To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
An age of poverty; from which ling’ring penance
Of such misery doth she cut me off”

1.Identify the title of the works and author.
2.Explain “from which…cut me off”.
3.What happened to him, which caused the words?

参考答案:
The lines are from “The Merchant of Venice”,
William Shakespeare. (P48)
2) This sentence means she, ’Lady Fortune(命运女神)’, is more kind to him because she is taking away both his wealth and life.
3) The speaker is Antonio, it’s said that his ship have all been lost, and he is penniless, and will have to pay the pound of flesh. (Because Shylock has made a strange bond that requires Antonio to pay him a pound of flesh if he can’t repay him the money that he borrowed for his friend in due time.) (P38)

2.“Read not to contract and confuse, not to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider”
1)Identify the work and author.
2)What idea does the passage express?

参考答案：
1) The sentence comes from “Of Studies” written by ’Francis Bacon’. (P61)
2) The Sentence talks about the proper way to read: When you read, don’t be puzzled by the content of the book; don’t take it for granted; don’t quote too much from the book; before accepting its idea, you’d better think about its shortcomings and consider it from all sides.
3.“ Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
1) Where does the poem comes from? Who wrote it?
What does “eternal lines” mean?