古英语和中古英语时期英国文学练习题答案

古英语和中古英语时期英国文学练习题答案I. Multiple choice.

1. D

2. C

3. A

4. B

5. C

6. B

7. B

8. A

9. A

10. D 11. A

12. A

13. B

14. A

15. B

16. A

17. D

18. B

19. C

20. B

21. A

22. B

23. D

24. D

25. C

26. B

27. C

28. D

29. C

30. A

31. A

32. C

33. B

34. B

35. A

36. C

37. A

38. B

II. Fill in the following blanks with proper words or phrases.

1. Britons

2. Julius Caesar

3. Roman

4. Jutes

5. 5th

6. pagan

7. Alfred the Great

8. religious

9. Beowulf

10. Hastings

11. Norman

12. landlords

13. Norman Conquest

14. Romance

15. common people

16. London dialect

17. Prologue

18. Italian

19. General Prologue

20. heroic couplet

21. Westminster Abbey

22. Geoffrey Chaucer

23. The Canterbury Tales

24. the wife of Bath

25. William Langland

26. Black Death

27. Arthurian

28. Thomas Malory 29. ballads

30. Saxon

III. Identify the author of following works.

1. William Langland

2. Geoffrey Chaucer

IV. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the main characteristics of Anglo-Saxon literature?

Anglo-Saxon literature is almost exclusively a verse literature in oral form. It was passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. Most of its creators are unknown. There are two groups of English poetry in Anglo-Saxon period. The first group is the pagan poetry represented by Beowulf, the second is the religious poetry represented by the works of Caedmon and Cynewulf.

2. What are the major subjects that the English romance mainly deals with?

The English romance mainly deals with three major subjects: the “Matter of France”, the “Matter of Rome”, and the “Matter of Britain”.

The “Matter of France” means a collection of tales about Charlemagne, the mighty ruler of France and neighboring countries around 800 A. D., and his peers and their wars against the Saracens. The “Matter of Rome” covers everything from the ancient Romans and the Greeks. Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia and conqueror of Greece, Egypt, India and Persian Empire is the favorite hero of this group. Besides this, Trojan War is also dealt with in this group.

The “Matter of Britain” means the legendary history of Britain. It mainly deals with the exploits of King Arthur and his knights.

3. What are the essential features of romance in the medieval English literature?

The romance was the prevailing form of literature in the Middle Ages. It was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. Its essential features are:

(1) It lacks general resemblance to truth or reality.

(2) It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues.

(3) It contains perilous adventures more or less remote from ordinary life.

(4) It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to a fair lady.

(5) The central character of the romance is the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. He is commonly described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments, or fighting for his lord in battle. He is devoted to the church and the king.

4. What is the influence of the Norman Conquest upon English language and literature? After the conquest, the body of customs and ideas known as chivalry was introduced by the Normans into England. The knightly code, the romantic interest in women, tenderness and reverence paid to V irgin Mary were reflected in the literature.

With the coming of the Normans, the Anglo-Saxons sank to a position of abjectness. Their language was made a despised thing. French words of Warfare and chivalry, art and luxury, science and law, began to come into the English language. Thus three languages existed in England at that time. The Normans spoke French, the lower class spoke English, and the scholars