[英语考试]《英美文学选读》串讲讲义

《英美文学选读》应考指导

一、教材说明

《英美文学选读》是全国高等教育自学考试英语专业本科段的必修课程，也是广大考生比较头疼的课程。教材大体可以分为两个大的部分，文学发展史和作家介绍及作品选读。让考生头疼的事情是课本信息量太大，考纲要求的内容较多，学习的时候理不出头绪，也不便记忆。事实上，文学课有着相当强的逻辑性和系统性，只要我们把握住这一点，这门课程并不难学，也不难考过。

二、考情分析

2009年，本门课程的考试大纲做了一些调整，这种调整在某种程度上减轻和考生的复习负担，但也同时考察的内容更细，更全。

（一）关于考核要求的调整

考核要求中每章概述内容不作调整；“该时期的重要作家”只包含对考核知识点中保留的重要作家的相关内容的考核。

（二）大纲调整后的特点

（1）新大纲更加突出了英美各个文学时期的时代特点。如：文艺复兴时期的戏剧和诗史，浪漫主义时期的诗歌等。从这个意义上讲，命题的重点突出了。

（2）新大纲中考核的作家，都是每一个文学时期文学潮流的最具代表性的作家，都是对该时期文学的发展起到决定作用的作家。从这个意义上讲，命题的焦点集中了。

（3）新大纲中所保留的作家的作品大多是广大考生耳熟能详的作品，从这个意义上讲，考试的难度降低了。

三、复习方法

（一）概述：

考试大纲调整以后，可命题的作家的数量减少了，但命题的深度会增加；同时，由于作家数量的减少，这也意味着在每一章的概述部分和作品选读部分的命题点会增多。

（二）每章概述部分的复习重点

在对这部分的复习中，重点关注每一个文学时期的界定以及其标志性事件；另外每一个文学时期的时代特点和突出文学成就也是考查的重点，还有本时期同时存在的文学流派的特点也是重点内容。

（三）每章重点作家的复习重点

作家的文学史上的地位和贡献；作家的代表作以及代表作的中心大意和所反映的社会现实；作家的写作风格和写作特点也是命题的重点。

（四）每章作品选读的复习重点

作品选读前面的斜体字部分的简介和概括；作品中的名句；作品选读中的注释部分，小说作品中的人物关系。

在对新考纲解读完了之后，剩下的事情就是大家去听后面的串讲，认真学习，通过考试！

Part One: English Literature

An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature

I Understanding and application: (理解应用)

1. England’s inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence o f these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.

2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norm

3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one

4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.

5. After the Norman’s conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.

6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others

II Recite: (识记再现)

1. Romance:

①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period.

②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.

③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.

④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.

Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.

⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.

2. Heroic couplet: ()

Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.