Exercise for English Literature (2)
Choose the best answer for each blank.
1. ________, the “father of English poetry” and one of the greatest narrative poets of England, was born in London about 1340. A. Geoffrey Chaucer B. Sir Gawain C. Francis Bacon D. John Dryden 2. Chaucer died on the 25th October 1400, and was buried in ________. A. Flanders B. France C. Italy D. Westminster Abbey
3. The progress in industry at home stimulated the commercial expansion abroad. ________ encouraged exploration and travel, which were compatible with the interest of the English merchants. A. Henry V B. Henry VII C. Henry VIII D. Queen Elizabeth
4. Except being a victory of England over ________, the rout of the fleet “Armada” (Invincible) was also the triumph of the rising young bourgeoisie over the declining old feudalism. A. Spain B. France C. America D. Norway
5. At the beginning of the 16th century the outstanding humanist ________ wrote his Utopia in which he gave a profound and truthful picture of the people’s suffering and put forward his ideal of a future happy society. A. Thomas More B. Thomas Marlowe C. Francis Bacon D. William Shakespear
6. Absolute monarchy in England reached its summit during the reign of Queen ________. A. Mary B. Elizabeth C. William D. Victoria 7. English Renaissance Period was an age of ________. A. prose and novel B. poetry and drama C. essays and journals D. ballads and songs
8. From the following, choose the one which is not Francis Bacon’s work: ________. A. The Advancement of Learning B. The New Instrument C. Essays D. The New Atlantics E. Venus and Adonis
9. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” This is the beginning line of one of Shakespeare’s ________. A. songs B. plays C. comedies D. sonnets
10. The heroines of Shakespeare’s great comedies, ________ are the daughters of the Renaissance, whose
images and stories will remain a legacy to readers and audiences of all time. A. Portia B. Roseland C. Viola D. Beatrice
11. Choose the four great tragedies of Shakespeare from the following ________. A. Hamlet B. Othello C. Macbeth D. King Lear E. Timon of Athens
12. Which play is not a comedy? ________ A. A Midsummer Night’s Dream B. The Merchant of Venice C. Twelfth Night D. Romeo and Juliet E. As You Like It
13. “Denmark is a prison”. In which play does the hero summarise his observation of his world into such a bitter
sentence? ________ A. Charles I B. Othello C. Henry VIII D. Hamlet
14. The works of ________ and the Authorised Version of the English Bible are the two great treasuries of the
English language. A. Geoffrey Chaucer B. Edmund Spenser C. William Shakespeare D. Ben Johnson
15. In which play does the hero show his profound reverence for man through the sentence: “What a piece of
wok is a man! How nobel in reason! How finite in faculty!” ________ A. Romeo and Juliet B. Hamlet C. Othello D. The Merchant of Venice 16. In 1649, ________ was beheaded. England became a commonwealth. A. James I B. James II
C. Charles I D. Charles II 17. The revolution of 1688 meant three of the following things: ________. A. the supremacy of Parliament B. the beginning of modern England C. the triumph of the principal liberty
D. the triumph of the principle of political liberty E. the Restoration of monarchy
18. Who of the following were the important metaphysical poets? ________ A. John Donne B. George Herbert C. John Milton D. Richard Lovelace 19. Which work was NOT written by John Milton? ________ A. Paradise Lost B. Paradise Regained C. Samson Agonistes D. Volpone 20. Paradise Lost is ________. A. John Milton’s masterpiece B. a great epic in 12 books C. written in blank verse
D. about the heroic revolt of Satan against God’s authority 21. John Milton is ________.
A. a great revolutionary poet of the 17th century B. an outstanding political pamphleteer C. a great stylist
D. a great master of blank verse
22. From the Old Testament, John Milton took his stories of Paradise Lost, i.e. ________. A. the creation
B. the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fellow-angels C. their defeat and expulsion from Heaven
D. the creation of the death and of adam and Eve E. the fallen angels in hell plotting against God F. Satan’s temptation of Eve
G. the departure of Adam and Eve from Eden
23. The finest thing in Paradise Lost is the description of hell, and ________ is often regarded as the real hero of
the poem. A. God B. Satan C. Adam D. Eve
24. Who is the greatest of the Metaphysical school of poetry? ________ A. John Donne B. George Herbert C. Andrew Marvell D. Henry Vaugham
25. ________ was a progressive intellectual movement throughout Western Europe in the 18th century. A. The Renaissance B. The Enlightenment C. The Religious Reformation D. The Chartist Movement
26. The main literary stream of the 18th century was ________. What the writers described in their works were
mainly social realities. A. naturalism B. romanticism C. classicism D. realism E. sentimentalism
27. The eighteenth century was the golden age of the English ________. The novel of this period spoke the truth
about life with an uncompromising courage. A. drama B. poetry C. essay D. novel
28. In 1704, Jonathan Swift published two works together, ________ and ________, which made him well-known as a satirist. A. A Tale of a Tub B. Bickerstaff Almanac C. Gulliver’s Travels D. A Modest Proposal
29. “Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style.” This sentence is said by ________, one
of the greatest masters of English prose. A. Alexander Pope B. Henry Fielding C. Daniel Defoe D. Jonathan Swift
30. As a journalist, ________ had learned how to make his reporting vivid and credible by a skillful use of
circumstantial detail. This power to make his characters alive and his stories credible is an inimitable gift.
A. Joseph Addison B. Daniel Defoe C. Samuel Richarson D. Tobias Smollett
31. Which of the following are NOT written by William Blake? ________ A. Poetical Sketches B. Songs of Innocence C. Songs of Experience D. Auld Lang Syne E. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell F. Prophecis G. Visions of the Daughters of Albion and America, a Prophecy
32. In the 18th century English literature, the representative poets of pre-romanticism were ________. A. William Wordsworth B. William Blake C. Robert Burns D. Jonathan Swift
33. The Romantic Age begab with the publication of The Lyrical Ballads which was written by ________. A. William Wordsworth B. Samuel Johnson C. Samuel Taylor Coleridge D. Wordsworth and Coleridge
34. The Romantic Age came to an end with the death of the last well-known romantic writer ________. A. Jane Austen B. Walter Scott C. Samuel Taylor Coleridge D. William Wordsworth 35. The glory of the Romantic Age lies in the poetry of ________. A. William Wordsworth B. Samuel Taylor Coleridge C. George Gordon Byron D. Percy Bysshe Shelley E. John Keats
36. The English Romantic Age produced two major novelists. They are ________. A. George Gordon Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley B. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge C. Walter Scott and Jane Austen D. Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt
37. Which poets belong to the Active Romantic group? ________ A. George Gordon Byron B. William Wordsworth C. Percy Bysshe Shelley D. John Keats E. John Milton
38. Which poets belong to the Lakers? ________ A. William Wordsworth B. Samuel Taylor Coleridge C. John Keats D. Robert Southey E. Walter Scott
39. Which of the folloeing were written by Wordsworth ONLY? ________ A. To the Cuckoo B. The Lyrical Ballads C. Lucy Poems D. The Solitary Reaper E. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
40. The publication of ________ marked the break with the conventional poetical tradition of the 18th century,
i.e., with classicism, and the beginning of the Romantic revival in England. A. The Lyrical Ballads B. The Prelude C. Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage D. Don Juan
41. As contrasted with the classicists who made reason, order and the old, classical traditions the criteria in their
poetical creations, ________ based his own poetical principle on the premise that “all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.” A. Samuel Taylor Coleridge B. George Gordon Byron C. Percy Bysshe Shelley D. William Wordsworth 42. ________ was the first critic of the Romantic School. A. William Wordworth B. Samuel Johnson C. Samuel Taylor Coleridge D. Wordworth and Coleridge
43. Which of the following statements is (are) NOT true about George Gordon Byron? ________
A. Byron’s early years had been far from happy for he was born with a clubfoot, in the frequent family scenes his mother called him “you lame brat.”
B. Byron died in Italy annd was deeply mourned by the Italian people and by all progressive people throughout the world.
C. The reactionary criticism of the 19th century tried to belittle Byron’s genius and his role in the development of English literature, but Byron remains one of the most popular English poets both at home and abroad.
D. Since the May 4 Movement in 1919, more and more of Byron’s poems have been translated into Chinese and well received by the poets and young readers. Byron has now become one of the best-known English poets in our country.
44. In 1805, Wordsworth completed a long autobiographical poem entitled ________.
英国文学选读练习题-含答案
