Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)

　　26、 回答26-40題

　　Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage :

　　Washington Irving was America' s first man of letters to be known internationally. His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States. He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in the country, and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States. (76) The respect in which he was held partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his urbanity, his gay spirits, his artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the New.

　　Thackeray described Irving as "a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere,was most finished, polished, witty ; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans. " ( 77 ) In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford--an unusual honor for a citizen of ayoung, uncultured nation--and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature. America　made him ambassador to Spain.

　　Irving' s background provides little to explain his literary achievements. A gifted but delicate child, he had little schooling. He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practice seriously.

　　He was immune to his strict Presbyterian home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theater.

　　The main point of the first paragraph is that Washington Irving was

　　A.America' s first man of letters

　　B.a writer who had great success both in and outside his own country

　　C.a man who was able to move from literature to politics

　　D.a man whose personal charm enabled him to get by with basically inferior work

　　27、 What is implied by the mention of Scott, Poe and Hawthorne?

　　A.Irving enjoyed great popular admiration.

　　B.Scott. Poe and Hawthorne were primarily responsible for Irving' s success.

　　C.Irving' s work was not only popular, but also of high literary quality.

　　D.More Americans than Britons admired Irving.

　　28、 Which of the following best describes the effect of Irving' s Presbyterian background on his life?

　　A.It fostered his love for the theater.

　　B.It developed his skill in business.

　　C.It prompted his interest in law.

　　D.It had almost no effect on his life.

　　29、 Which of the following best describes the effect of Irving' s personal qualities on his literary success?

　　A.His personal qualities were entirely responsible for his literary success.

　　B.His personal qualities were primarily responsible for his literary success.

　　C.His personal qualities had some effects on his literary success.

　　D.His personal qualities had no effects on his literary success.

　　30、 Why might Irving' s literary ability have been surprising to the English?

　　A.They feared competition from American writers.

　　B.They did not expect the United States to produce good writers.

　　C.They disapproved of the language American writers used.

　　D.They thought of the United States as a purely commercial power.