1.2　考研真題與典型題詳解

I. Fill in the blanks.

1Beowulf probably existed in its oral form as early as the _____ century and its hero and his adventures are placed in _____ and southern Sweden rather than in England. （國際關(guān)系學(xué)院2010研）

【答案】6th；Denmark

【解析】《貝奧武夫》最早在公元六世紀開始口頭傳誦，故事發(fā)生在丹麥和瑞典南部，詩中并沒有提及英國。

2In the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon prose appeared. The famous prose writers of that period were Venerable Bede and _____.

【答案】Alfred the Great

【解析】阿爾弗雷德大帝和比德是盎格魯-撒克遜時期的散文家。

3The literature of the Anglo-Saxon period falls naturally into two divisions, _____ and Christian.

【答案】pagan

【解析】盎格魯-撒克遜時期的英國文學(xué)主要是世俗詩和宗教詩兩類。

4Angles, Saxons and _____ usually known as Anglo-Saxons are the first Englishmen. Language spoken by them is called _____, which is the foundation of English language and literature.

【答案】Jutes; the Old English

【解析】盎格魯-撒克遜人通常指盎格魯、撒克遜、朱特人三個部族的人，他們的語言是古英語。

5The _____ period witnessed a transition from tribal society to feudalism.

【答案】Anglo-Saxon

【解析】盎格魯-撒克遜時期，英國由部族社會步入封建社會。

6The early inhabitants on the island now we call England were _____, a tribe of Celts. From the Britons the island got its name of Britain, the land of Britons. The Britons were a _____ people.

【答案】Britons, primitive

【解析】作為凱爾特一個部族的不列顛人是英格蘭的早期定居者，不列顛島也因此而得名。

II. Multiple Choice

1The history of English literature begins in the _____ century. （北二外2009研）

A. 7th

B. 6th

C. 5th

D. 4th

【答案】C

【解析】英國文學(xué)始于盎格魯-撒克遜人定居英國，即公元450年，所以是五世紀。

2The Anglo-Saxons were Christianized in the _____ century.

A. 5th

B. 6th

C. 7th

D. 8th

【答案】C

【解析】七世紀基督教傳入英國。

3Beowulf describes the exploits of a _____ hero, Beowulf, in fighting against the monster Grendel, his revengeful mother, and a fire-breathing dragon.

A. Danish

B. Scandinavian

C. English

D. Norwegian

【答案】B

【解析】《貝奧武夫》講述的故事發(fā)生在北歐斯堪的納維亞半島。歌頌了主人公貝奧武夫先后戰(zhàn)勝巨怪Grendel，Grendel的母親以及火蛇的英勇事跡。

4The most important work of Alfred the Great is _____, which is regarded as the best monument of the old English prose.

A. The Song of Beowulf

B. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles

C. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

D. Brut

【答案】B

【解析】阿爾弗雷德大帝的代表作是《盎格魯-撒克遜編年史》；《貝爾武夫》是英國流傳下來的最古老的史詩。

III. Explain the following terms.

1Old English period (the Anglo-Saxon period)

Key: ① The Old English Period, extended from the invasion of Celtic England by Germanic tribes (the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in the first half of the fifth century to the conquest of England in 1066 by the Norman French under the leadership of William the Conqueror. ② Only after they had been converted to Christianity in the seventh century did the Anglo-Saxons, whose earlier literature had been oral, begin to develop a written literature.

2Alliteration （南開大學(xué)2010研）

Key: Alliteration: ① (also known as ‘head rhyme’ or ‘initial rhyme’), the repetition of the same sounds—usually initial consonants of words or of stressed syllables—in any sequence of neighboring words. ② Now an optional and incidental decorative effect in verse or prose, it was once a required element in the poetry of Germanic languages (including Old English and Old Norse) and in Celtic verse. ③ Such poetry, in which alliteration rather than rhyme is the chief principle of repetition, is known as alliteration verse; its rules also allow a vowel sound to alliterate with any other vowel.

3epic （天津外國語學(xué)院2007研；廈門大學(xué)2008研）

Key: epic: It is, originally, an oral narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style. Epics deal with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance, involving actions of broad sweep and grandeur. Most epics deal with the exploits of a single individual, thereby giving unity to the composition. Great epics include The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer.

IV. Short answer questions

1What are the main characteristics of Anglo-Saxon literature?

Key: Anglo-Saxon literature is almost exclusively a verse literature in oral form. It was passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. Most of its creators are unknown. There are two groups of English poetry in Anglo-Saxon period. The first group is the pagan poetry represented by Beowulf, the second is the religious poetry represented by the works of Caedmon and Cynewulf.

2What are the artistic features of Old English poetry?

Key:(1) he use of alliteration. Each full line has four stresses with a number of unstressed syllables, three of which begin with the same sound or letter.

(2) he use of the strong stress and the predominance of consonants. Almost all this poetry is composed without rhyme. Each line is divided into two halves and each half has two heavy stresses.

(3) he use of vivid poetic diction and parallel expressions for a single idea, such as the sea is called “swan-road” or “whale-path”, a soldier is called “shield-bearer”, “battle-hero” or “spear-fighter”, etc.

V. Essay questions

1What are the three parts told in the story of Beowulf? How is heroic ideal reflected in Beowulf?

Key:① Structurally speaking, Beowulf is built around three fights. The first part deals with the fight between Beowulf and the monster Grendel that has been attacking the great hall of Heorot, built by Hrothgar, the Danish King. The second part involves a battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother, a water-monster, who takes revenge by carrying off one of the king’s noblemen. The last part is about the fight between Beowulf and a firedrake that ravages Beowulf’s kingdom.

② Beowulf is a pagan poem concerned with the heroic ideal of kings and kingship in North Europe. Battle is a way of life at that time. Strength and courage are basic virtues for both kings and his warriors. The king should protect his people and show gentleness and generosity to his warriors. And in return, his warriors should show absolute obedience and loyalty to the king. By praising Beowulf s wisdom, strength and courage, and by glorifying his death for his people, the poem presents the heroic ideal of a king and his good relations to his warriors and people.