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1. Romance 2. Humanism 3. Renaissance 4. Spenserian stanza
5. Conceits 6. Metaphysical poetry 7. Epic
8. Ballad 9. Sonnet 10. Blank verse 11. Beowulf
12. Robin Hood 13. meter
Select from the four choices of each item the one that best answers the question or completes the statement. Mark your choice by blackening the corresponding letter A, B,C or D on the answer sheet.
1. Although________was essentially a medieval writer, he bore marks of humanism and anticipated a new era of literature to come.
A. William Langland B.John Gower
C. Geoffrey Chaucer D. Edmund Spenser
2. The religious reformation in the early 16th-century England was a reflection of the class struggle waged by the________.
A. rising bourgeoisie against the feudal class and its ideology
B. working class against the corruption of the bourgeoisie
C. landlord class against the rising bourgeoisie and its ideology
D. feudal class against the corruption of the Catholic Church
3. The statement that a man gained the whole world but lost his own soul makes a good summary of the main plot of________.
A. Paradise Lost B. The Merchant of Venice
C. Hamlet D. The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus
4. The essence of humanism is to________.
A. restore a medieval reverence for the church
B. avoid the circumstances of earthly life
C. explore the next world in which men could live after death
D. emphasize human qualities
5. The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely________.
A. William Langland’s Piers Plowman
B. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales
C. John Gower’s Confessio Amantis
D. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
6. The tragedy of Dr. Faustus, the protagonist in Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragic History of Dr. Faustus , is the very fact that________.
A. man is confined to tim
B. he tried to join Africa to Spain
C. he became a man without soul after he sold it
D. he conjured up Helen, the lady who was the very cause of the Trojan War
7. Here are two lines from a long poem: “Weapon a great adventure he was bond, /That greatest Gloriana to him gave.” The poem must be________.
A. B.owulf
B. John Milton’s Samson Agonistes
C. Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
D. Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene
8. In reading Shakespeare, you must have come across the line “To be or not to be—that is the question” by________.
A. Iago in Othello B. Lear in King Lear
C. Shylock in The Merchant of Venice D. Hamlet in Hamlet
9. “Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted” is one of the epigrams found in________.
A. Bacon’s Of Studies
B. Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress
C. Fielding’s Tom Jones
D. Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language
10. “To wage by force or guile eternal war,Irreconcilable to our grand Foe.” (Milton, Paradise Lost )
Who is the “grand Foe” the speaker is referring to?
A. Satan. B. God. C. The Serpent. D. Adam.
11. In the line “So long lives this, and this gives life to thee” of Sonnet 18 , Shakespeare ________.
A. meditates on man’s mortality B.eulogizes the power of artistic creation
C. satirizes human vanity D. presents a dream vision
12. “Now that I have obtained what I desire I’ll live in speculation of this art/ Till Mephistophilis return again.” (Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus ) The “art” here refers to________.
A. the art of pure poetry B.the power of religion
C. the art of verse drama D. the supernatural power
13. The sentence “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is the beginning of one of Shakespeare’s________.
A. comedies B. tragedies C. sonnets D. histories
14. “Not on thy sole but on thy soul, harsh Jew, / Thou mak’st thy knife keen________.”
In the above quotation taken from The Merchant of Venice , Shakespeare employs a(n).
A. oxymoron B. pun C. simile D. synecdoche
15. “O prince, O chief of many throned powers.
That led th’ embattled seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, endangered Heaven’s perpetual King.”
In the third line of the above passage quoted from Milton’s Paradise Lost , the phrase “thy conduct” refers to ________conduct.
A. Satan’s B. God’s C. Adam’s D. Eve’s
16. “If honest labor be unremunerative and difficult to endure; if it be the long, long road which never reaches beauty, but wearies the feet and the heart; if the drag to follow beauty be such that one abandons the admired way, taking rather the despised path leading to her dreams quickly, who shall cast the first ston ?”
Where is the underlined phrase taken from?
A. The Bible. B. Milton. C. Shakespeare. D. Hawthorne.
17. “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 )
What does “this” refer to?
A. Lover. B. Summer. C. Poetry. D. Time.
18. Romance, which uses narrative verse or prose to tell stories of adventures or other heroic deeds, is a popular literary form in the medieval period________.
A. Christian B. knightly C. Greek D. primitive
19. Among the great Middle English poets, Geoffrey Chaucer is known for his production of________.
A. Piers Plowman B. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
C. Confessio Amantis D. The Canterbury Tales
20. Which of the following historical events does NOT directly help to stimulate the rising of the Renaissance Movement?
A. The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture.
B. The new discoveries in geography and astrology.
C. The Glorious Revolution.
D. The religious reformation and the economic expansion.
21. Which of the following statements 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.
22. “And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.”
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. Marlowe’s The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
23. “Bassanio: Antonio, I am married to a wife
Which is as dear to me as life itself;
But life itself, my wife, and all the world,
Are not with me esteem above thy life;
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all
Here to the devil, to deliver you.
Portia: Your wife would give you little thanks for that,
If she were by to hear you make the offer.”
The above is a quotation taken from Shakespeare’s comedy The Merchant of Venice .
The quoted part can be regarded as a good example to illustrate________.
A. dramatic irony B. personificatio C. allegory D. symbolism
24. The true subject of John Donne’s poem, The Sun Rising , is to________.
A. attack the sun as an unruly servant
B. give compliments to the mistress and her power of beauty
C. criticize the sun’s intrusion into the lover’s private life
D. lecture the sun on where true royalty and riches lie
25. Novum Organum is a successful treatise written in Latin on methodology. The argument is for the use of________.
A. the deductive reasoning B.the inductive reasoning
C. general reasoning D. particular reasoning
26. “Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.”
Who wrote the above lines?
A. Ralph Waldo Emerson. B. Thomas Gray.
C. Alexander Pope. D. Francis Bacon.
27. According to Bacon, man’s understanding consists of three parts. Which of the following statements is NOT one of the three parts?
A. The reflection of current situation
B. History to man’s memory.
C. Poetry to man’s imagination and creation.
D. Philosophy to man’s reason.
28_______.cares more about axioms under the guidance of which man thinks and acts than human nature or morality.
A. Francis Bacon B. John Bunyan C. Henry Fielding D. Samuel Johnson
29. Among the following plays which is NOT written by Christopher Marlowe?
A. Dr. Faustus . B. The Jew of Malta .
C. Edward Ⅱ . D. The School for Scandal .
30_______.is NOT written by Francis Bacon.
A. Of Studies B. Novum Organum
C. The Advancement of Learning D. The History of the Reign of Henry Ⅶ
31. “All is not lost: the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome?”
The above lines come from________.
A. Dr. Faustus B. Paradise Regained C. Paradise Lost D. Tamburlaine
32. “Man shall find grace.” But he must lay hold of it by an act of free will. The freedom of the will is the keystone of________’s creed.
A. Jonathan Swift B. John Milton C. Henry Fielding D. Samuel Johnson
33. Generally, the Renaissance refers to the period between________ and centuries.
A. 16th/ mid-19th B. 14th/ mid-18th C. 14th/ mid-17th D. 16th/ mid-17th
34. Which of the following is NOT composed by John Milton?
A. Gulliver’s Travels . B. Paradise Lost .
C. Paradise Regained . D. Areopagitica .
35_______.and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanism.
A. Thomas More, Chritopher Marlowe B.John Milton, Thomas More
C. Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe D. John Donne, Edmund Spenser
36. In his life,________shows himself a real revolutionary, a master poet and a great prose writer. He fought for freedom in all aspects as a Christian humanist, while his achievements in literature make him tower over all other English writers of his time and exert a great influence over later ones
A. Edmund Spenser B.John Milton
C. John Donne D. William Shakespeare
37_______.frequently applied conceits in his poems.
A. John Donne B. John Milton C. Edmund Spenser D. Thomas Gray
38. In the following writings,________has been recognized as an important landmark in the development of English prose.
A. Of Studies by Francis Bacon B. The Advancement of Learning
C. Essays by Francis Bacon D. Novum Organum
39. Lycidas is a work of John Milton written for________.
A. his fellow undergraduate B.his brother
C. his sister D. his teacher
40_______.used wisdom in saving Antonio from being cut a pound of flesh by Shylock in The Merchant of Venice .
A. Judge B. Portia C. Bassanio D. Duke
41. “Busy old fool, unruly sun, / Why dost thou thus, / Through windows and through curtains call on us? / Must to thy motions lovers seasons run?”
The above lines are taken from________’s work.
A. John Bunyan B. John Donne C. John Milton D. John Dryden
42. “Metaphysical poetry” refers to the works of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of________.
A. John Milton B.Christopher Marlowe
C. John Donne D. John Bunyan
43. Spenser’s masterpiece________ is a great poem of its time.
A. The Faerie Queene B. The Shepherde’s Calender
C. The Canterbury Tales D. Metamorphoses
44. “And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally.” In the above lines, the word “sleep” refers to________.
A. a sound dream B.rest
C. death D. unconsciousness 45. “And better than thy stroke, why swell’st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally.” In the above lines, the phrase “wake eternally” means________.
A. lack of sleep B.eternal happiness after death
C. sleeplessness D. insomnia
46. Which of the following is NOT among the literary giants of English Renaissance?
A. Edmund Spenser. B. John Donne. C. Samuel Johnson. D. Francis Bacon.
47. Shakespeare’s plays are written in a beautiful English language. He created to express his characters________.
A. free verse B. short verse C. blank verse D. regular verse
48. John Milton’s literary achievements can be divided into three groups; which division is NOT true?
A. Early poetic works. B. Early prose works.
C. The middle prose pamphlets. D. The last great poems.
49_______.is known as the “poet of poets.’”
A. Edmund Spenser B.John Milton
C. Christopher Marlowe D. Robert Frost
50_______.shows how mankind, in the person of Christ, withstands the tempter and is established once more in the divine favor.
A. Paradise Regained B. Paradise Lost
C. Samson Agonistes D. Beowulf
51. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. In some sense, Samson is Milton.
B. The end of Samson Agonistes is a fitting close to the life work of the poet himself.
C. In Samson Agonistes , Milton borrows his story from the Bible.
D. Samson Agonistes dies a coward.
52. The masterpiece of Francis Bacon which opened a new genre in English literature is ________.
A. philosophy B. essays C. science D. poems
53. Which of the following writings is the most perfect example of the verse drama after the Greek style in English?
A. Paradise Lost. B. Paradise Regained.
C. Samson Agonistes. D. Beowulf.
54. Generally, the Renaissance refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries; its essence is________.
A. science B. philosophy C. arts D. humanism
55. Which of the following is NOT true about Renaissance?
A. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.
B. Attitudes and feelings which had been characteristic of the 14th and 15th centuries persisted well down into the era of Humanism and Reformation.
C. It was Chaucer who initiated the Reformation.
D. The Elizabethan drama, in its totality, is the real mainstream of the English Renaissance.
56_______.was the first person who introduced printing into England
A. William Caxton B. Homer C. Petrarch D. Wyatt
57. Which of the following is NOT the reason for that Edmund Spenser is credited with“the poet of poets’ ”?
A. Spenser’s idealism. B. His exquisite melody.
C. His love of beauty. D. His struggle for flattery
58. Christopher Marlowe gave new vigor to ________with his “mighty lines.”
A. the Petrarchan sonnet B.sestina
C. blank verse D. terza rima
59. All of the following are the most famous dramatists in the Renaissance England EXCEPT________.
A. William Shakespeare B.Christopher Marlowe
C. Francis Bacon D. Ben Jonson
60. The first and second parts of Henry IV are undoubtedly the most widely read among Shakespeare’s history plays. Shakespeare presents the________ spirit in it.
A. patriotic B. pessimistic C. optimistic D. ironic
61. The Merchant of Venice takes a step forward in its realistic presentation of human nature and human conflict. All the following characters are all from the play EXCEPT________.
A. Nick Adams B. Portia C. Bassanio D. Antonio
62. Crafty men contempt studies, simple men admire them, and wise men________ them.
A. make B. use C. respect D. hate
63. The lines “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee/Mighty and dreadful,for thou art not so” are found in________.
A. William Wordsworth’s writings B.John Keats’ writings
C. John Donne’s writings D. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s writings
64. The following comments on Shakespeare’s great works are true EXCEPT________.
A. The successful romantic comedy is Romeo and Juliet , which eulogizes the faithfulness of love and the spirit of pursuing happiness.
B. Hamlet , the first of the great tragedies, is generally regarded as Shakespeare’s most popular play on the stage.
C. The Merchant of Venice takes a step forward in its realistic presentation of human nature and human conflict
D. The three history plays on the reign of HenryⅥ are the beginning of Shakespeare’s epic treatment of English history.
65. “To fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline,” best describes________ principal intention.
A. Edmund Spenser’s B.Daniel Defoe’s
C. William Shakespeare’s D. John Milton’s
66. Which of the following statements about Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies is NOT true?
A. Macbeth’s lust for power stirs up his ambition and leads him to incessant crimes.
B. The Old King Lear who is willing to totally give up his power makes himself suffer from treachery and infidelity
C. Hamlet, the melancholic scholar-prince, faces the dilemma between action and mind.
D. Othello’s inner weakness is made use of by the outside evil force.
67. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Samuel Johnson’s letter To the Right Honorable the Earl of Chesterfield was written to ask for the favor of the Earl.
B. “Metaphysical poetry” is commonly used to name the work of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne
C. The Solitary Reaper is one of the Lucy Poems written by Wordsworth.
D. Fitzgerald is thought to be only an insider of the Jazz Age.
68_______.states that literary works which have truly reflected nature and reality can reach immortality.
A. William Shakespeare B.John Milton
C. Francis Bacon D. John Donne
69. In The Shepherd’s Calendar , Edmund Spenser tried to express________.
A. his meeting Sir Philip Sidney and starting a friendship with him
B. his laments over the loss of Elizabeth
C. his laments over the loss of Rosalind
D. his meeting Leicester
70. In Beowulf ,________fought against the monster Grendel and a fire-breathing dragon.
A. Beowulf B.the Anglo-Saxon
C. the Scandinavian D. the Winter Dragon
71. In Spenser’s masterpiece The Faerie Queene , he speaks of ________virtues of the private gentleman.
A. 10 B. 12 C. 15 D. 11
72. The literary form of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene is________.
A. narrative poem B. allegorical poem C. lyric poem D. ironic poem
73. Which of the following statements does NOT describe Spenser’s poetry?
A. A perfect melody. B. Realism.
C. A splendid imagination. D. A rare sense of beauty.
74. The lines “A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine, Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde” are taken from________.
A. Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning B. Spenser’s The Shepherd’s Calendar
C. Spenser’s The Faerie Queene D. Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound
75. “It is not so express’d; but what of that? ’Twere good you do so much for charity.”“What of that” in the quoted line means.
A. this is not important B.this is very important
C. this is true D. this is not true
76. “To be or not to be—that is the question; whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer.
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?”
Who is the speaker?
A. King Lear. B. Hamlet. C. Macbeth. D. Othello.
77. The Advancement of Learning is a great tract on________.
A. education B. literature C. history D. policy
78. Among the works by John Milton, which is indeed the only generally acknowledged epic in English literature since Beowulf ?
A. Paradise Regained . B. Paradise Lost .
C. Areopagitica . D. Samson Agonistes .
79. Which writing is a typical example of Shakespeare’s pessimistic view towards human life and society in his late years?
A. The Tempest . B. King Lear . C. Hamlet . D. Othello .
80_______.lays the foundation for modern science with his insistence on scientific way of thinking and fresh observation rather than authority as a basis for obtaining knowledge.
A. Francis Bacon B.Thomas Hardy
C. Charles Dickens D. William Blake
81. Which of the following comments about Christopher Marlowe is NOT true?
A. Marlowe is so strong in dramatic construction that he is superior to Shakespeare.
B. Marlowe’s greatest achievement lies in that he perfected the blank verse and made it the principal medium of English drama.
C. Marlowe composed 6 plays within his short lifetime.
D. Marlowe’s second achievement is his creation of the Renaissance hero for English drama.
82. Twelfth Night by Shakespeare is a________.
A. history play B. comedy C. tragedy D. poem
83. Francis Bacon’s achievements mainly lie in the following fields EXCEPT________.
A. poem writing B. science C. essay writing D. philosophy
84. The theme of The Faerie Queene by Spenser is________.
A. arms and the man B.virtues and vices
C. evils and temptations D. fierce wars and faithful love
85. As the most gifted of the University Wits, Marlowe composed six plays within his short life. Which of the following writings does NOT belong to them?
A. Dr. Faustus . B. The Jew of Malta .
C. The Faerie Queene . D. Tamburlaine .
86_______.is a product of characteristically Renaissance imagination, fascinated by the earthly magnificence available to men of imagination power who have the energy of their convictions.
A. Tamburlaine B. Dr. Faustus C. Hamlet D. King Lear
87. The lines “Come live with me and be my love, /and we will all the pleasures prove /That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, /Woods, or steepy mountain yield” are found in________.
A. The Faerie Queene by Spenser
B. Paradise Lost by John Milton
C. The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe
D. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
88_______.’s dominant moral is human rather than religions; it celebrates the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness; it also reveals man’s frustration in realizing the high aspirations in a hostile moral order.
A. Tamburlaine B. The Jew of Malta C. Dr. Faustus D. Paradise Lost
89. The greatest masterpiece of Marlowe’s plays is________.
A. Tamburlaine B. Dr. Faustus
C. The Jew of Malta D. The Passionate Shepherd to His love 90. “Forward and backward anagrammatized,
The breviated names of holy saints,
Figures of every adjunct to the heavens,
And characters of Signs and erring stars,”
The above lines are taken from________.
A. Shakespeare’s Hamlet B. Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus
C. Bacon’s Novum Organum D. Donne’s The Songs and Sonnets
91.________is a play based on the German legend of a magician aspiring for knowledge and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil.
A. Tamburlaine B. Hero and Leander C. Dr. Faustus D. Amores
92. According to your knowledge, which of the following sentences is NOT true?
A. Marlowe is masterful in handling blank verse and creating dramatic effects; he is as strong as Shakespeare in dramatic construction.
B. Marlowe’s second achievement is his creation of the Renaissance hero for English drama.
C. Shakespeare worked both as actor and playwright.
D. Bacon’s essays are famous for their brevity, compactness and powerfulness.
93. Paradise Lost is actually a story taken from________.
A. The Renaissance B. The Old Testament
C. Greek Mythology D. The New Testament
94. In the second period, Shakespeare’s style and approach became highly individualized.He wrote six comedies. Which one doesn’t belong to them?
A. Titus Andronicus . B. A Midsummer Night’s Dream .
C. The Merchant of Venice . D. Twelfth Night .
95. Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies are.
A. Romeo and Juliet , Hamlet , Othello , and King Lear
B. Hamlet , Othello , Macbeth , and The Merchant of Venice
C. Hamlet , Othello , King Lear , and Macbeth
D. Romeo and Juliet , The Merchant of Venice , and Othello , Hamlet
96. In the following statements, which is NOT true?
A. Milton wrote his three major poetical works: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes after the Restoration in 1660.
B. Thomas Gray, though he was a famous poet, did not write much.
C. Walt Whitman created free verse in his Leaves of Grass , which won him the name of a great American poet.
D. Pope made his name as a great poet with the publication of The Rape of the Lock .
97.’s history plays are mainly written under the principle that national unity under a mighty and just sovereign is a necessity.
A. Edmund Spenser B.Christopher Marlowe
C. William Shakespeare D. John Donne
98. Which writing is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons?
A. B.owulf . B. Blackness .
C. The Seafarer. D. The Wife’s Complaint.
99. Shakespeare claims through the mouth of Hamlet that the end of dramatic creation is to give of the social realities of the time.
A. allegorical description B.instructive representation
C. faithful reflectio D. imaginative narration
100., a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons.
A. B.owulf B. The Wife’s Complaint
C. The Dream of the Rood D. The Seafarer
101. 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 free verse B.the heroic couplet
C. the Spenserian stanza D. the blank verse
102. The Elizabethan, in its totality, is the real mainstream of the English Renaissance.
A. poetry B. novel C. drama D. humanism
103. Dr. Faustus is a play based on the legend of a magician aspiring for knowledge and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil.
A. American B. German C. French D. British
104. Christopher Marlowe’s second achievement is his creation of for the English drama.
A. the Romantic hero B.the Byronic hero
C. the Renaissance hero D. the Realistic hero
105. Humanists of the Renaissance turned to the spirit of culture for inspiration.A. Greek and Roman B. Anglo-Saxon
C. Celtic D. Medieval
106. Donne’s famous analogy of parting lovers to a drawing compass provides a prime example of________.
A. conceit B.dramatic monologue
C. exaggeration D. paradox
107.________is the leading figure of the metaphysical school
A. John Milton B. John Donne C. John Bunyan D. John Keats
108. Essays is the first example of that genre in English literature
A. John Milton’s B.Thomas Gray’s
C. John Bunyan’s D. Francis Bacon’s
109.________is a study of the lust for wealth, which centers on Barabas the Jew, a terrible old money lender.
A. The Jew of Malta B. The Merchant of Venice
C. The Tempest D. Tamburlaine
110. In The Faerie Queene , the Redcross Knight, who stands for true religion of,sets out on the orders of the Glorious Queen of Faerie, who represents.
A. humanism/ divine truth B.Christianity/ Christ
C. the Anglican Church/ Queen Elizabeth D. the Roman Catholic/ Pope
111.________is based on a widespread legend in northern Europe.
A. The Jew of Malta B. Tamburlaine C. Hamlet D. The Winter’s Tale
112., the first of the great tragedies, is generally regarded as Shakespeare’s most popular play on the stage.
A. Julius Caesar B. Hamlet C. King Lear D. Othello
113. “Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide/ Late school-boys, and sour prentices.” In this quoted line the tone of the poet is________.
A. sarcastic B. humorous C. critical D. understated
114. The sonnet Death Be Not Proud is written in the strict Petrarchan pattern. It reveals the poet’s belief that.
A. death is only a sleep, after which we live eternally
B. death is like a long sleep that offers final peace for the sou
C. death is not as strong as people think he is
D. death is but momentary while happiness after death is eternal
115. In the line “And every fair from fair sometimes declines” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 ),what does the first and second “fair” mean
A. The beautiful person or thing/ beauty. B.Sound reason/ justice.
C. Loveliness/ beautiful women. D. Light complexion/ beauty.
116. The most important and popular comedy written by Shakespeare is________.
A. As You Like it B. Twelfth Night
C. Romeo and Juliet D. The Merchant of Venice
117. The first and second parts of are undoubtedly the most widely read among Shakespeare’s history plays.
A. Henry Ⅴ B. Henry Ⅳ C. Richard Ⅱ D. Richard Ⅲ
118. In his “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Hamlet gives the reasons why he wants to
commit suicide. Apart from his personal revenge, that he is another reason.
A. cannot bear the social injustice and grievances
B. is mentally tormented by his father’s ghost
C. is unable to restore his earlier idealized image of his mother
D. thinks the next world is far better than the harsh reality
119. The central figure of Tamburlaine represents the Renaissance desire for infinite .
A. knowledge and happiness B.power and authority
C. success and adventure D. ambition and conquest
120. In King Lear , Shakespeare has not only made a profound analysis of the social crisis in which the evils can be seen everywhere, but also criticized.
A. the bourgeois egoism B.tyranny
C. anarchy and rebellion D. supernatural forces
121. Marlowe’s short lyric The Passionate Shepherd to His Love derives from the tradition, in which the shepherd enjoys an ideal country life, cherishing a pure affection for his love.
A. pastoral B. rustic C. sonnet D. ornate
122. What is the relationship between Claudius and Hamlet?
A. Father-in-law and son-in-law. B.Uncle and nephew.
C. Cousins. D. Father and son.
123. Una in The Faerie Queene is a symbol of________.
A. truth B. holiness C. error D. chastity
124.first made blank verse the principal instrument of English drama
A. Marlowe B. Shakespeare C. Sidney D. Wyatt
125. “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” is an example of________.
A. simile B. irony C. allegory D. metaphor
126. Paradise Lost by Milton took its material from________.
A. Greek mythology B.The Bible
C. Roman mythology D. French romance
127. “In a dream vision, Arthur witnessed the loveliness of Gloriana, and upon awakening resolves to seek her.” The two above literary figures “Arthur” and“Gloriana” are from________.
A. Paradise Lost B. Romeo and Juliet
C. The Faerie Queene D. Paradise Regained
128. Which of the following does NOT describe metaphysical poetry best represented by John Donne’s works?
A. Elegant language. B. Conceit.
C. Argument. D. Common speech.
129. Which of the following comments on the Elizabethan Age is NOT true?
A. It is the age of translation.
B. It is the age of bourgeois revolution.
C. It is the age of the protestant reformation.
D. It is the age of exploration.
130. “To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deify his power
... that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy, and shame beneath
This downfall; ...”
The above lines are from Milton’s Paradise Lost .
Which of the following statements is true of these lines?
A. To beg God for mercy and worship his power were more shameful and disgraceful than this downfall.
B. To beg God for mercy is more shameful than worship his power.
C. To beg God for mercy and worship his power were as low as this downfall.
D. To fight against God is as low as to worship Satan
131. “For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than in 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 off.”
The above lines are from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Which of the following comments on these lines is NOT true?
A. Lady Fortuna is not always kind towards the fallen man.
B. Antonio thinks she is more kind towards him because she is taking away both his wealth and life.
C. It is her usual habit to take away the fallen man’s wealth and let him live in poverty.
D. She is kind to Antonio because she does not take his life away though she destroys his ships.
132. English Renaissance Period was an age of________.
A. ballads and songs B.poetry and drama
C. prose and novels D. essays and journals
133. The four Greatest Tragedies of Shakespeare’s do NOT include________.
A. Othello B. King Lear C. Romeo and Juliet D. Macbeth
134. A stanza of nine lines, with the first eight lines in iambic pentameter and the last line in iambic hexameter, rhyming ababbcbcc is called________.
A. Shakespearean Sonnet B.Petrarchan Sonnet
C. Spenserian Stanza D. Blank Verse
135. The English Renaissance began during the reign of________.
A. Henry Ⅷ B. Charles Ⅱ C. Elizabeth Ⅰ D. JamesⅠ
136. The following comments on the characteristics of Renaissance are all wrong EXCEPT________.
A. Praise of man’s efforts in having his soul delivered.
B. Tolerance of human foibles.
C. Cultivation of the genuine flavor of ancient culture
D. Exaltation of man’s pursuit of happiness in this life.
137. In “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see/ So long lives this, and this gives life to thee,” “this” refers to________.（2015年首都师范大学）
A. this free verse B.this heroic couplet
C. this blank verse D. this sonnet
138. The prevailing form of Medieval English literature is________.（2015年第二外国语学院）
A. novel B. drama C. romance D. essay
139. Robin Hood was written in the form of________.（2014年第二外国语学院）
A. free verse B. ballad C. sonnet D. blank verse
140. “The Faerie Queene” written by Edmund Spenser is a(n)_______.（2014年首都师范大学）
A. blank verse B. sonnet C. free verse D. epic
141. Tragedy describes the________of a great individual because he has transgressed against the great moral principles which govern the universe.（2013年首都师范大学）
A. fall B. rise C. life D. development
Read the quoted parts carefully and answer the questions in English. Write your answers in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.
1. “Busy old fool, unruly sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows and through curtains call on us?”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. What does the word “fool” refer to?
C. What idea does the quotation express?
2. “Had I as many souls as there be stars
I give them all for Mephistophilis!
By him I’ll be great emperor of the world,
And make a bridge through the moving air
To pass the ocean with a band of men;
I’ll join the hills that bind the Afric shore
And make that country continent to Spain,
And both contributory to my crown;
The Emperor shall not live but by my leave,
Nor any potentate of Germany.
Now that I have obtained what I desire
I live in speculation of this art
Till Mephistophilis return again.”
A. Name the playwright and the title of the work from which the passage is taken.
B. Name the speaker of the passage quoted above.
C. Use the above passage as a guide and write down in one or two sentences the theme of the play.
3. “And the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied or with the pale cast of thought. / And enterprises of great pith and moment, / With this regard, their currents turn awry,/And lose the name of action.” (Shakespeare, Hamlet )
A. What does the “native hue of resolution” mean?
B. What does the “pale cast thought” stand for?
C. What does the word “name” mean?
D. What idea do the two lines express?
4. “A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
Yet armea till that time did he never wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdaining to the curbe to yield:
Full jolly knight he seemed, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt
A. Identify the poet and the poem.
B. What does the knight in the passage stand for?
C. What idea does the quotation express?
5. “A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,
Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide
Under a vale, that wimpled was full low,
And over all a blacke stole she did throw,
As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,
And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow:
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,
And by her in line a milke white lambe she lad.”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. Who does “A lovely Ladie” refer to?
C. What does the word “palfrey” mean?
6. “Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. What kind of literary tradition can be found in this stanza?
C. What idea does this stanza express?
7. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st:
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life the thee.”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. What does the word “this” refer to?
C. What idea does this stanza express?
8. “You may as well go stand upon the beach
And bid the main flood bate his usual height:
You may as well use question with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops and to make no noise
When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;
You may as well do any thing most hard
As seek to soften that—than which what’s harder?—
His Jewish heart.”
A. Identify the author and the work.
B. Who is here implied to be more cruel than the wolf?
C. What idea does the passage express?
9. “To be, or not to be—that is the question:
Whether is nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them ...”
A. Identify the author and the work.
B. What figure of speech is employed in this passage
C. What idea does this quotation express?
10. “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.”A. Identify the author and the work.
B. What kind of language can be found in this quotation?
C. What idea does this quotation express?
11. “One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.”
A. Identify the poet and the poem.
B. What does the phrase “One short sleep” mean?
C. What idea do these two lines express?
12. “Though changed in outward luster, that fixed mind
And high disdain, from sense of injured merit,
That with the Mightiest raised me to contend
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of spirits armed,
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power opposed
In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven,
And shook his throne...”
A. Identify the poet and the poem.
B. Who does “the Mightiest” refer to in the passage?
C. What idea does this passage express?
13. “If he be not apt to beat over matters, let him study the lawyer’s cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.”
A. What does “beat over matters” mean?
B. What does “receipt” refer to?
C. Identify the work from which this quotation is taken from and summarize the main idea of the work.
14. “And ever as he rode, his hart did earne,
To prove his puissance in battell brave/ Upon his foe, ...”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. What does the word “puissance” mean?
C. What is the theme of the work?
15. “Here in the heart of hell to work in fire,
Or do his errands in the gloomy deep.”
A. Identify the poet and the poem.
B. What’s the meaning of “in the gloomy deep”
C. What does the poem try to express?
16. “That was the cause, but yet per accidents,
For when we hear one rack the name of God,
Abjure the Scriptures and his Saviour Christ,
We fly in hope to get his glorious soul.
A. Identify the author and the work.
B. What does “rack” mean?
C. What is the play based on? Can you give a brief introduction to it?
17. “So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,
She was in life and every virtuous lore,
And by descent from royall lynage came
Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore
Their scepters stretcht from east to westerne shore,
And all the world in their subjection held;
Till that infernall feend with foule uprore
Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:
Whom to avenge, she had this knight from far compeld.”
A. Identify the poet and the poem.
B. What does “this knight” refer to?
C. What idea does the quotation express?
18. “If her eyes have not blinded thine,
Look, and tomorrow late, tell me,
Whether both th’s Indias of spice and mine
Be where thou left’st them, or lie here with me.
Ask for those kings whom thou saw’st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear, all here in one bed lay.”
A. Identify the poem and the poet.
B. What does the word “thou” in the last line refer to?
C. What idea does the quoted passage express?
19. “Within this circle is Jehovah’s name
Forward and backward anagrammatized,
The breviated names of holy saints,
Figures of every adjunct to the heavens
And characters of signs and erring stars,
By which the spirits are enforced to rise.”
A. Identify the author and the work.
B. Who does “Jehovah” refer to?
C. What idea does the quotation express?
Give brief answers to each of the following questions in English.
1. “For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than in 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 linging penance
Of such misery doth she cut me off.”
The above lines are taken from a speech made by Antonio, a major character in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice . Why does Antonio say that Fortune is more kind to him than in her custom?
2. Novum Organum (“New Instrument”), along with other works, won the author the honor “Father of modern science.” Who is the author? What is the main concern of the work? Why is the work so important for the development of modern science?
3. What are the characteristics of Humanism?
4. Edmund Spenser is known as “the poet of poets.’” What are the qualities of his poetry?
5. What are the main themes in Shakespeare’s plays?
6. What is the theme of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 ?
7. Discuss briefly John Donne’s view of love
8. Give a brief analysis of John Donne’s poem The Sun Rising.
9. Give a brief analysis of John Donne’s Death, Be Not Proud .
10. Comment briefly on the features of “metaphysical poetry.
Write no less than 150 words on each of the following topics in English.
1. What are the reasons for Chaucer’s being honored as the “Father of English Poetry”?
2. List three distinctive features of English Renaissance movement in literature and then illustrate each with proofs from either the concerned chapter in your textbook or your own reading.
3. Briefly discuss why Hamlet is so impressive in Shakespeare’s Hamlet .
4. William Shakespeare is one of the most remarkable playwrights and poets the world has ever known. Try to discuss his art of creations.
5. According to the setting of the poem Paradise Lost , discuss the theme, the author’s intention to create it and the implication that the poem expresses.
6. Give a brief analysis of Shylock, a character in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice .
7. Discuss briefly Hamlet’s hesitation in taking revenge
8. Discuss briefly the main tragic heroes in Shakespeare’s four greatest tragedies
9. Comment briefly on Marlowe’s literary contribution to English literature