ENGLISH BOOK7 课后习题答案 (黄源深,朱种毅主编)

Lesson Eight

1.Discuss the metaphor of drama used by Cowley to describe the role of an old

person.

The author compares the old life to a drama, elderly people play a new role in it that must be improvised. That is because old age gives nobody any mental preparation to get oneself ready for it. What’s more, t he infirmities are likened to a prompter, reminding them of the fact that they are old and should behave like old people. This metaphor vividly shows the state of getting into the old age. And the author suggests that one has to act and response to old age although getting old may happen suddenly to him or her.

2.What is the implication of the metaphor?

The author uses this image of the captain who stands on the bridge of the ship and bravely defy against the overpowering force of the sea to analogize the elderly who refuse to surrender and stand up to the old age. He expresses his admiration for the captain as well as those old people. He implied that one should accept old age as a series of challenges instead of giving in.

3.H ow does the author explain and illustrate “the vices of age”? Does he offer

any explanation for the formation of such vices?

The author gives specific explanations for the three vices of age he listed--avarice, untidiness and vanity:

●Firstly, he explains avarice as the old people’s paranoiac insistence of hoarding

money through exemplification. He also discusses the reason for it-- the accumulation of money, which is regarded as a form of power by the elderly, can give them a sense of comfort.

●And secondly, as for untidiness, the author uses the story of Collyer to illustrate

the old persons’ habit of accumulating junks as well as the bad consequence of i t, and points out two reasons for the formation of it---laziness and their belief that things including their bodies, which were once useful, should be preserved.

●Finally, with regard to vanity, the author uses several examples of an athlete, a

physician, a judge and others to explain why it forms--with less expectation for the future, the elderly yearn for recognition of what they have been.

4. Tell how the tone and figures of speech used by Cowley describe the pleasure of sitting still.

1)The pleasure of sitting still is expressed in a tone of positive. The author

appreciates the relaxation, peace and tranquility of sitting still.

2)The figures of speech used by the author includes

●Analogy: draw an analogy between an old man sitting still and a snake on a

sun-warmed stone

●transferred epithet: a delicious feeling of indolence “delicious” is often used to

modify food, but here it is transferred to modify people’s feeling of indolence

●rhetorical question：but why, do they work so hard when the most they can hope

for is a longer obituary?

●Contrast: contrast between old people’s relaxation and young people’s suffering

of the competition with others

●Rhyme: scrounging and gouging

●Specific details

5. What are the physical compensations of old age and how does Cowley illustrate them?

1)Physical compensations are like dozing in the sun and the satisfaction of a few of

the simplest needs such as eating and sleeping.

2)Cowley illustrates them by exemplification, analogy, contrast and so on.

3)When it comes to illustrating the pleasure of sitting still, the author uses analogy

and contrast.

4)In order to illustrate the pleasure of eat and sleep, the author uses the example of

an old woman in nursing house who can only look forward to meals and sleep.

However, to young people, sleep is a mere interruption of their work.These are physical compensations of old age

6. Show how the analogy used in the poem “Terminus” helps convey its theme. 1)By analogizing one’s life to a voyage, the god of bounds to destiny, the finality

of life to the shore, one’s ambitions to the branches and roots, one’s horizons to the firmament, the author suggested some disadvantages of aging.

2)The god of destiny brings infirmity and senility which is a kind of restraint,

leaving elderly people unable to exert their strength and continue with their ambitions.

3)What’s more, he limit s old people’s imagination and creativity and finalizes

their death.

7. What does the writer think of giving up?

1) The writer thinks giving up is the greatest temptation of age. The givers-up

see no reason for working. They decide that their efforts are useless.

2) The author thinks that he hasn’t the right to blame them, not being able to put

himself in their shoes.

3) He sympathizes with their problems and understand their reasons for giving

up, but he admires those who accept old age as a series of challenges and make