第四十九篇： the beginning of american literature

1  american has always been a land土地 of beginnings.开端 after europeans欧洲人 “ discovered”发现 america in the fifteenth century, the mysterious 神秘的new world became for many people a genuine真实的 hope of a new life, an escape逃离 from poverty贫困 and persecution,迫害 a chance to start again. we can say that, as nation, america begins with that hope. when, however, does american literature begin?

2  american literature begins with american experiences.经历 long before the first colonists殖民者 arrived, before christopher克利斯多夫 columbus,哥伦布 before the northmen who found america about year 1,000, native americans美洲印第安人 lived here. each tribe's 部落literature was tightly紧密地 woven交织into the fabric 组织of daily life and reflected反应the unmistakably真切的 american experience经历 of lining with the land. 和土地密切相连another kind of experience, one filled with 充满着fear 恐惧and excitement,兴奋 found its expression语句 in the reports that columbus 哥伦布and other explorers 探险家sent home in spain, french and english. in addition, 另外the journals日记 of the people who lived and died in the new 新england 英格兰wilderness荒原 tell unforgettable 难忘的tales传说 of hard and sometimes heartbreaking让人心痛的 experiences 经历of those early years.

3  experience, then, is the key关键 to early american literature. the new world provided 提供a great variety变化 of experiences, and experiences demanded 要求a wide variety 变化of expressions表达 by an even wider宽的 variety变化 of early american writers. these writers included john smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the american, continent.大陆they included jonathan 约翰edwards 爱德华and william 威廉姆byrd白伊德，who thought of themselves as british 英国subjects,国民 never suspecting 怀疑a revolution革命 that would create 创造a united states of america with a literature of its own. american indians, explorers,探险家puritan清教徒 ministers, frontier 边界wives, plantation owner农场主一they are all the creators of the first american literature.

1) what does “that hope” in the first paragraph refer to?
a)the hope that america would be discovered.
b) the hope to start a life.
c) the hope to see the mysteries of the new world.
d) the hope to find poverty here.

解析：1  american has always been a land土地 of beginnings.开端 after europeans欧洲人 “ discovered”发现 america in the fifteenth century, the mysterious 神秘的new world became for many people a genuine真实的 hope of a new life, an escape逃离 from poverty贫困 and persecution,迫害 a chance to start again. we can say that, as nation, america begins with that hope. when, however, does american literature begin?

2. when did american literature begin?
a) before the american natives lived there.
b) when columbus and other explorers sent reports back home..
c) when the northmen found america in about 1,000.
d) long before the year 1,000.

解析：2  american literature begins with american experiences.经历 long before the first colonists殖民者 arrived, before christopher克利斯多夫 columbus,哥伦布 before the northmen who found america about year 1,000, native americans美洲印第安人 lived here. each tribe's 部落literature was tightly紧密地 woven交织into the fabric 组织of daily life and reflected反应the unmistakably真切的 american experience经历 of lining with the land. 和土地密切相连another kind of experience, one filled with 充满着fear 恐惧and excitement,兴奋 found its expression语句 in the reports that columbus 哥伦布and other explorers 探险家sent home in spain, french and english. in addition, 另外the journals日记 of the people who lived and died in the new 新england 英格兰wilderness荒原 tell unforgettable 难忘的tales传说 of hard and sometimes heartbreaking让人心痛的 experiences 经历of those early years.

3. what can we learn from the literature of the tribes of the native americans?
a) about the everyday life of the native americans.
b) about the arrival of columbus
c) about the experience of the first european settlers
d) about the experience of those who died in the new england wilderness.

解析：2 american literature begins with american experiences.经历 long before the first colonists殖民者 arrived, before christopher克利斯多夫 columbus,哥伦布 before the northmen who found america about year 1,000, native americans美洲印第安人 lived here. each tribe's 部落literature was tightly紧密地 woven交织into the fabric 组织of daily life and reflected反应the unmistakably真切的 american experience经历 of lining with the land. 和土地密切相连another kind of experience, one filled with 充满着fear 恐惧and excitement,兴奋 found its expression语句 in the reports that columbus 哥伦布and other explorers 探险家sent home in spain, french and english. in addition, 另外the journals日记 of the people who lived and died in the new 新england 英格兰wilderness荒原 tell unforgettable 难忘的tales传说 of hard and sometimes heartbreaking让人心痛的 experiences 经历of those early years.

4. the main purpose of the last paragraph is to tell the readers that
a) in the early days most american writers were from great britain.
b) people with rich life experience became writers.
c) there were many writers in the early days of american history
d) early-day experience provided the foundation for american literature.

解析：3 experience, then, is the key关键 to early american literature. the new world provided 提供a great variety变化 of experiences, and experiences demanded 要求a wide variety 变化of expressions表达 by an even wider宽的 variety变化 of early american writers. these writers included john smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the american, continent.大陆they included jonathan 约翰edwards 爱德华and william 威廉姆byrd白伊德，who thought of themselves as british 英国subjects,国民 never suspecting 怀疑a revolution革命 that would create 创造a united states of america with a literature of its own. american indians, explorers,探险家puritan清教徒 ministers, frontier 边界wives, plantation owner农场主一they are all the creators of the first american literature.

5. according to the last paragraph, which of the following statements is true about america literature?
a) some british writers started american literature.，
b) early-day american literature is a reflection of the boring life then.
c) some british writers had doubts about the future of american literature.
d) some british writers had great confidence in the future of american literature.

解析：3 experience, then, is the key关键 to early american literature. the new world provided 提供a great variety变化 of experiences, and experiences demanded 要求a wide variety 变化of expressions表达 by an even wider宽的 variety变化 of early american writers. these writers included john smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the american, continent.大陆they included jonathan 约翰edwards 爱德华and william 威廉姆byrd白伊德，who thought of themselves as british 英国subjects,国民 never suspecting 怀疑a revolution革命 that would create 创造a united states of america with a literature of its own. american indians, explorers,探险家puritan清教徒 ministers, frontier 边界wives, plantation owner农场主一they are all the creators of the first american literature