发布时间 : 星期三 文章英国文学期末考试试题(广东外语外贸大学)更新完毕开始阅读
2. Wordsworth believes that “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” and poetry “takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”. How does this poem reflect the poet’s philosophy of composition？ Excerpt 2：
The proper study of mankind is man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state， A being darkly wise， and rudely great： With too much knowledge for the Skeptic side， With too much weakness for the Stoic’s pride， He hangs between； in doubt to act， or rest； In doubt to deem himself a God， or beast； In doubt his mind or body to prefer； Born but to die， and reasoning such， Whether he thinks too little or too much； Chaos of thought and passion， all confused； Still by himself abused or disabused； Created half to rise， and half to fall； （Alexander Pope， An Essay on Man） Questions：
1. What’s the topic of the above lines？
2.Summarize the main idea in a few sentences. Excerpt 3：
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts， which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London， that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious， nourishing， and wholesome food， whether stewed， roasted， baked， or boiled； and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.
I do therefore humbly offer it to public consideration that of the hundred and twenty thousand children， already computed， twenty thousand may be reserved for breed，
whereof only one fourth part to be males， which is more than we allow to sheep， black cattle， or swine； and my reason is that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage， a circumstance not much regarded by our savages， therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may at a year old be offered in sale to the person of quality and fortune through the kingdom， always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully in the last month， so as to render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends， and when the family dines alone， the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish； and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day， especially in winter. （Jonathan Swift， A Modest Proposal） Questions：
1. What is the author’s modest proposal in the passage？ And what do you think is his real idea behind it？
2. What kind of tone is shown in the passage？（Explain it with specific quotations from the text）
Part V. Critical Reading （25%）
Read the attached short story and answer the questions in essay form.
1. What’s the turning point in the murder trial？ Describe it in a few sentences.
2.Read carefully the last two paragraphs of the story and comment， in the form of a 150-200-word essay， on the message or real meaning of the author. The Case for the Defense Graham Greene
1 It was the strangest murder trial that I ever attended. They named it the Peckham murder in the headlines， though Northwood Street， where the old woman was found battered to death， was not strictly speaking in Peckham. This was not one of those cases of circumstantial evidence in which you feel the juryman’s anxiety—because mistakes have been made—like domes of silence muting the court. No， this murderer was all but found with the body； no one present when the Crown counsel outlined his case believed that the man in the dock stood any chance at all.
2 He was a heavy stout man with bulging bloodshot eyes. All his muscles seemed to be in his thighs. Yes， an ugly customer， one you wouldn’t forget in a hurry—and that was an important point because the Crown proposed to call four witnesses who hadn’t forgotten him， who had seen him hurrying away from the little red villa in Northwood Street. The clock had just struck two in the morning.
3 Mrs. Salmon in 15 Northwood Street had been unable to sleep； she heard a door click shut and thought it was her own gate. So she went to the window and saw Adams （that was his name） on the steps of Mrs. Parker’s house. He had just come out and he was wearing gloves. He had a hammer in his hand and she saw him drop it into the laurel bushes at the front gate. But before he moved away， he had looked up—at her window. The fatal instinct that tells a man when he is watched exposed him in the light of a street-lamp to her gaze—his eyes suffused with horrifying and brutal fear， like an animal’s when you raise a whip. I talked afterwards to Mrs. Salmon， who naturally after the astonishing verdict went in fear herself. As I imagined did all the witnesses—Henry MacDougall， who had been driving home from Benfleet late and nearly ran Adams down at the corner of Northwood Street. Adams was walking in the middle of the road looking dazed. And old Mr. Wheeler， who lived next door to Mrs. Parker， at No. 12 and was waken by a noise—like a chair falling—through the thin-as-paper villa wall， and got up and looked out of the window， just as Mrs. Salmon had done， saw Adam’s back and， as he turned， those bulging eyes. In Laurel Avenue he had been seen by yet another witness—his luck was badly out； he might as well have committed the crime in broad daylight.
4 “I understand，” the counsel said， “that the defense proposes to plead mistaken identity. Adams’ wife will tell you that he was with her at two in the morning on February 14， but after you have heard the witnesses for the Crown and examined carefully the features of the prisoner， I do not think you will be prepared to admit the possibility of a mistake.” 5 It was all over， you would have said， but the hanging.
6 After the formal evidence had been given by the policeman who had found the body and the surgeon who examined it， Mrs. Salmon was called. She was the ideal witness， with her slight Scotch accent and her expression of honesty， care and kindness.
7 The counsel for the Crown brought the story gently out. She spoke very firmly. There was no malice in her， and no sense of importance at standing there in the Central Criminal Court with a judge in scarlet handing on her words and the reporters writing them down. Yes， she said， and then she had gone down stairs and rung up the police station. 8 “And do you see the man here in court？”
She looked straight and at the big man in the dock， who stared at her with his Pekingese eyes without emotion.
“Yes，” she said， “there he is.” “You are quite certain？”
She said simply， “I couldn’t be mistaken， sir.” It was as easy as that. “Thank you， Mrs. Salmon.”
9 Counsel for the defense rose to cross-examine. If you had reported as many murder trials as I have， you would have known beforehand what line he would take. And I was right， up to a point.
10 “Now， Mrs. Salmon， you must have remembered that a man’s life may depend on your evidence.”
“I do remember it， sir.” “Is your eyesight good？”
“I have never had to wear spectacles， sir.” “You are a woman of fifty-five？” “Fifty-six， sir.”
“And the man you saw was on the other side of the road？” “Yes， sir.”
“And it was two o’clock in the morning. You must have remarkable eyes， Mrs. Salmon？” “No， sir. There was moonlight， and the man looked up， he had the lamplight on his face.”
11 I couldn’t make out what he was at. He couldn’t have expected any other answer than the one he got.
12 “None whatever， sir. It isn’t a face one forgets.”