The beginning of American literature

　　American has always been a land of beginnings. After Europeans “ discovered” America in the fifteenth century, the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life, an escape from poverty and persecution, a chance to start again. We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin?

　　American literature begins with American experiences. Long before the first colonists arrived, before Christopher Columbus, before the Northmen who found America about year 1,000, Native Americans lived here. Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land. Another kind of experience, one filled with fear and excitement, found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English. In addition, the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness' tell unforgettable tales of hard end sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years.

　　Experience, then, is the key to early American literature. The New World provided a great variety of experiences, and experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers. These writers included John Smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the American, continent. They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd，who thought of themselves as British subjects, never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own. American Indians, explorers,

　　Puritan ministers, frontier wives, plantation owner一they are all the creators of the first American literature.

　　練習(xí)：

　　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.

　　2. When did American literature begin?

　　A) Before the American natives lived there.

　　B) When Columbus and other explorers gent reports back home..

　　C) When tire Northmen found America in about 1,000.

　　D) Long before the year 1,000.

　　3. What can we learn from the literature of the tribes of the native Americans?

　　A) About the everyday fife 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.

　　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.

　　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.

　　參考答案：

　　1.B.解析：首先找到“that hope”在文章中的位置：

　　(第一段)American has always been a land of beginnings. After(在..之后) Europeans “ discovered”(發(fā)現(xiàn)) America in the fifteenth century(世紀(jì)), the mysterious(神秘的) New World became for many people a genuine(真正的，真誠的) hope of a new life, an escape from (逃避)poverty and persecution(迫害), a chance(機(jī)會) to start(開始) again(再次). We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin?

　　“that hope”就是指前一句中的a genuine hope of a new life/開始新生活的真誠希望。

　　2.D. 利用問題句及被選項中的特征詞，細(xì)節(jié)信息詞/結(jié)構(gòu)(American literature, American natives, Columbus and other explorers, Northmen, America, 1,000)作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：

　　American has always been a land of beginnings.(第一題答案相關(guān)句) After Europeans “ discovered” America in the fifteenth century, the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life, an escape from poverty and persecution, a chance to start again. We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin?

　　American literature begins with (以...開始)American experiences(經(jīng)歷). Long before (早在...之前)the first colonists(殖民者) arrived, before Christopher Columbus, before the Northman who found America about year 1,000, Native Americans lived here. Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land. Another kind of experience, one filled with fear and excitement, found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English. In addition, the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness' tell unforgettable tales of hard end sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years.

　　從第2段第2句可知：很早以前， 本土美國人就居住在這里。既然前一句說“美國文學(xué)產(chǎn)生于美國人的生活經(jīng)歷”， 由此可知美國文學(xué)產(chǎn)生于很早以前就居住這里的本土美國人的生活經(jīng)歷，對比被選項判斷只有D合適。

　　3.A. 利用問題句及被選項中的特征詞，細(xì)節(jié)信息詞/結(jié)構(gòu)(literature, tribes, native Americans, everyday life, Columbus, experience, first European settlers, New England Wilderness)作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：

　　American has always been a land of beginnings. (第1題答案相關(guān)句) After Europeans “ discovered” America in the fifteenth century, the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life, an escape from poverty and persecution, a chance to start again. We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin?

　　(第2題答案相關(guān)句) American literature begins with American experiences. Long before the first colonists arrived, before Christopher Columbus, before the Northman who found America about year 1,000, Native Americans lived here. Each tribe's literature was tightly(緊密地) woven (編織，編寫)into the fabric(結(jié)構(gòu)， 構(gòu)架， 織物) of daily(每天的， 日常的) life and reflected(反映，反射) the unmistakably(明白地) American experience of lining with(給...加襯) the land(土地， 陸地). Another kind of experience, one filled with fear and excitement, found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English. In addition, the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness' tell unforgettable tales of hard end sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years.

　　根據(jù)答案相關(guān)句(第2段第3句)可知“從美洲土著部落的文學(xué)中， 我們可以找到他們?nèi)粘Ｉ�活的寫�?rdquo;。

　　4.D. 主旨題。 關(guān)注指定段落是否有段落主題詞及段落主題句。

　　(觀點句)Experience, then, is the key(關(guān)鍵) to early(早期的) American literature.(段落主題句) The New World provided a great variety of experiences, and experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers. These writers included John Smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the American, continent. They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd，who thought of themselves as British subjects, never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own. American Indians, explorers, Puritan ministers, frontier wives, plantation owner一they are all the creators of the first American literature.

　　根據(jù)段首句句意判斷D是答案。

　　提示:

　　如果段首句是“觀點句， 概括句，定義句， 權(quán)威人士的發(fā)言”， 則這樣的段首句往往就是其所在段落的主題句。

　　5.D. 利用被選項中的共有詞British writers， American literature作為答案線索，在第4段中查找答案相關(guān)句：

　　(第4段)(第4題答案相關(guān)句) Experience, then, is the key to early American literature. The New World provided a great variety of experiences, and experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers. These writers included John Smith, who spent only two-and-a-half year: on the American, continent. They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd，who thought of themselves as(把...看作為...) British subjects(國民，題目，主題，學(xué)科), never suspecting(懷疑) a revolution(革命) that would create(創(chuàng)造) a United States of America with a literature of its own(自己的). American Indians, explorers, Puritan ministers, frontier wives, plantation owner一they are all the creators of the first American literature.

　　譯文：

美洲文學(xué)的開端

　　美洲一直是一個充滿新開端的地方。15世紀(jì)歐洲發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲之后這個神奇的新世界給很多人提供了真正的新生活的希望，讓他們遠(yuǎn)離貧窮和迫害，開始一次新生。我們可以說美國是在這種對新生活的美好愿望中誕生的。那么美洲文學(xué)是何時開始的呢?

　　美洲文學(xué)是在美洲生活經(jīng)歷中產(chǎn)生的。早在第一個殖民者踏上美洲大陸之前，在哥倫布到達(dá)這里之前，甚至1 000年北歐人聲稱發(fā)現(xiàn)了美洲之前，這塊土地上就有美洲印第安人居住。每個部落的文學(xué)都緊密地交織到日常生活的構(gòu)架中去，反映了和土地密切相連的確鑿無疑的美洲生活經(jīng)歷。另一種美洲經(jīng)歷是充滿恐懼又令人興奮的哥倫布及其他探險家?guī)Щ丶亦l(xiāng)的用西班牙語，法語和英語成的報告。另外還有一些新英格蘭荒原-上生活的人在日記中記載了早時那難忘的困苦以及有時讓人心痛的經(jīng)歷。

　　美洲的生活經(jīng)歷是美洲早期文學(xué)產(chǎn)生的關(guān)鍵因素。這個新世界給人們提供了各種各樣的生活經(jīng)歷，這就需要大量的美洲早期文學(xué)家用各種各樣的方式來描述美洲生活。這些文學(xué)家包括僅在美洲居住兩年半的約翰?史密斯，還有約翰遜?愛德華和維廉姆?白伊德。這兩位自認(rèn)為是大英帝國臣民的英國作家對一場將會創(chuàng)造出一個擁有自己文學(xué)的美利堅合眾國的革命從來沒有任何懷疑。不管是美洲印第安人，探險家，還是清教徒，新派妻子，農(nóng)場主等等，他們都是最初美洲文學(xué)的創(chuàng)造者。

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