When a new movementin art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what itsadvocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable theirprinciples may seem today, it is possible that in years to come they may beregarded as normal. With regard to Futurist poetry, however, the case is ratherdifficult, for whatever Futurist poetry may be―even admitting thatthe theory on which it is based may be right―it can hardly beclassed as Literature。
This, in brief, is what the Futurist says: for a century, pastconditions of life have been conditionally speeding up, till now we live in aworld of noise and violence and speed. Consequently, our feelings, thoughts andemotions have undergone a corresponding change. This speeding up of life, saysthe Futurist, requires a new form of expression. We must speed up ourliterature too, if we want to interpret modern stress. We must pour out a largestream of essential words, unhampered by stops, or qualifying adjectives, orfinite verbs. Instead of describing sounds we must make up words that imitatethem; we must use many sizes of type and different colored inks on the samepage, and shorten or lengthen words at will。
Certainly their descriptions of battles are confused. But it is alittle upsetting to read in the explanatory notes that a certain line describesa fight between a Turkish and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge off which theyboth fall into the river—and then to find that the line consists of the noise of theirfalling and the weights of the officers: “ Pluff! Pluff! Ahundred and eighty-five kilograms。”
This, though it fulfills the laws and requirements of Futuristpoetry, can hardly be classed as Literature. All the same, no thinking man canrefuse to accept their first proposition: that a great change in our emotionallife calls for a change of expression. The whole question is really this: havewe essentially changed?
19. This passage is mainly____。
[A]a survey of new approaches to art
[B]a review of Futurist poetry
[C]about merits of the Futurist movement
[D]about laws and requirements of literature
20. When a novel literary idea appears, people should try to_____。
[A]determine its purposes
[B]ignore its flaws
[C]follow the new fashions
[D]accept the principles
21. Futurists claim that we must____。
[A]increase the production of literature
[B]use poetry to relieve modern stress
[C]develop new modes of expression
[D]avoid using adjectives and verbs
22. The author believes that Futurist poetry is____。
[A]based on reasonable principles
[B]new and acceptable to ordinary people
[C]indicative of basic change in human nature
[D]more of a transient phenomenon than literature
解析
19. This passage is mainly____. 本文中心思想是____。
[A]a survey of new approaches to art 对新的艺术理论的调查
[B]a review of Futurist poetry 对未来派诗歌的评论
[C]about merits of the Futurist movement 有关未来派运动的优点
[D]about laws and requirements of literature 有关文学的规则和要求
【答案】 B
【考点】 文章主旨题。
【分析】 本文第一段提到“至于未来派诗歌,情况却有点难,因为即使承认未来派诗歌理论根据可能正确,无论它是怎样的,也很难称之为文学”。第二段提到“未来主义者声称,这种加速的生活需要一种新的表达方式。如果我们想解释现代社会的压力,就必须加快文学的速度”。第三段例举了一个未来文学的例子,指出其难以接受。最后一段仍然是对未来文学的批评。因此我们看出本文是一篇文学评论,而且是对未来文学的评论。只有选择[B]。
20. When a novel literary idea appears, people should try to_____。
当出现一个新的文学理念时,人们应该努力_____。
[A]determine its purposes 确定它的目标
[B]ignore its flaws 忽视它的缺陷
[C]follow the new fashions 跟随这个新的潮流
[D]accept the principles 接受原则
【答案】 A
【考点】 事实细节题。
【分析】 本题可以定位到第一段第一句“每当一个新艺术思潮达到一定流行程度时,(在评价它之前)最好先找出其倡导者的目的”。
21. Futurists claim that we must____。
未来主义者声称我们必须____。
[A]increase the production of literature 加大文学的产出
[B]use poetry to relieve modern stress 用诗歌来减轻现代的压力
[C]develop new modes of expression 开发出新的表达方式
[D]avoid using adjectives and verbs 避免使用形容词和动词
【答案】 C
【考点】 事实细节题。
【分析】 根据题干,我们无法定位到任何一段,只能通过具体的选项来做具体的判断。[A]选项错误,文中并没有提到要加大文学的产出,虽然文中提到“如果我们想解释现代社会的压力,就必须加快文学的速度。”但是这句话的意思不是要加大文学的产出,而是加快文学的节奏。[B]选项错误,因为文中在提到压力的时候,只是说“解释”(interpret)压力,而没有说用诗歌来减轻现代的压力。[D]选项错误,文中提到形容词和动词的地方是第二段“我们必须大量使用基本词汇,不受句号,修饰性形容词及限定动词的限制”这一句。但是并没有说避免使用形容词和动词。[C]选项“开发出新的表达方式”这个说法合适,因为文中第二段提到“未来主义者声称,这种加速的生活需要一种新的表达方式”。
22. The author believes that Futurist poetry is_____. 作者相信未来派诗歌是_____。
[A]based on reasonable principles 根据合理的原则
[B]new and acceptable to ordinary people 对普通人而言是新的可接受的
[C]indicative of basic change in human nature 显示出人性中基本的变化
[D]more of a transient phenomenon than literature
与其说是文学不如说是一种暂时的现象
【答案】 D
【考点】 中心主旨题。
【分析】 在本文最后一段,作者说“没有一个善于思考的人会拒绝接受他们的首要主张,即情感生活的巨大变化要求表达方式也随之变化。实际问题是:我们发生了根本的变化吗?”这个问题实际上就已经否定了未来主义者的首要主张,即他们对历史和现实的认识是不正确的,所以其理论根据是站不住脚的。所以说未来派诗歌并没有稳定的理论基础,只是一个暂时的现象。