6.2 考研真题与典型题详解
I. Fill in the blanks.
1．Except Common Sense, Paine’s the other two famous works were ________ and ________.
【答案】Rights of Man，The Age of Reason
【解析】潘恩著名的作品包括，《常识》、《人权论》、《理性时代》。
2．On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine’s famous pamphlet ________ appeared.
【答案】Common Sense
【解析】1776年美国独立的风潮开始，托马斯·潘恩支持美国独立，反对英国的殖民专政，撰写了他的成名小册子《常识》，为美国从英国殖民中独立出来辩论，批评英国国王残暴无能，认为独立后的美国应该建立共和国。
3．Thomas Paine，with his natural gift for pamphleteering and rebellion，was appropriately born into an age of ________.
【答案】revolution
【解析】潘恩是美国独立革命时期著名的作家之一。
4．Thomas Paine’s second most important work ________ was an impassioned plea against hereditary monarchy.
【答案】Rights of Man
【解析】1791年3月，托马斯·潘恩在伦敦出版《人权论》，激烈抨击埃德蒙·伯克（Edmund Burke，1729-1797）的《法国革命感言录》（Reflections on the Revolution in France）（1790）。《人权论》的可贵之处还在于，它冲破了当时笼罩于整个西方思想界对英国君主立宪政体的迷信，深入骨髓地批判了这一政体，给当时还处于摸索状态的法国革命指明了共和主义的崭新方向。
5．A series of sixteen pamphlets by Thomas Paine was entitled ________.
【答案】The American Crisis
【解析】在1776-1783的戎马生涯中，托马斯·潘恩忙中偷闲，以笔代剑，先后发表16篇文章，最后集结为一册并定名为《美国危机》(The American Crisis)。
II. Multiple Choices
1．It was not until January 1776 that a widely heard public voice demanded complete separation from England. The voice was that of________, whose pamphlet Common Sense, with its heated language, increased the growing demand for separation.
A. Thomas Paine
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. George Washington
D. Patrick Henry
【答案】A
【解析】潘恩的《常识》号召美国摆脱英国的统治。
2．Which is not connected with Thomas Paine?
A. Common Sense
B. The American Crisis
C. The Rights of Man
D. The Autobiography
【答案】D
【解析】《自传》是本杰明·富兰克林的代表作，其余三项都是潘恩的主要作品。
3．“These are the times that try men’s souls”，these words were once read to Washington’s troops and did much to spur excitement to further action with hope and confidence. Who is the author of these words?
A. Benjamin Franklin
B. Thomas Paine
C. Thomas Jefferson
D. George Washington
【答案】B
【解析】“这是考验人的灵魂的时刻”选自潘恩的《美国危机》。
4．Thomas Paine’s Common Sense _____.（对外经贸2014研）
A. blamed the Parliament for the colonies’ problems, but maintained the colonies should be loyal to the king
B. blamed the king for the colonies’ problems and urged Americans to declare their independence
C. insisted that the British allow the colonies to elect their own representatives to Parliament
D. urged the overthrow of the British king and the establishment of democracy in England
【答案】B
【解析】托马斯·潘恩的《常识》主要谴责了英国的殖民统治，呼吁美国人反抗，争取独立，建立自己的共和政府。
III. Read the following quotation and answer the questions.
These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly—This dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods.
Questions:
(1) Which book is this passage taken from?
(2) Who is the author of this book?
(3) Whom is the author praising? Whom is the author criticizing?
(4) What do you think of the language used in the book?
Key：
(1) The American Crisis
(2) Thomas Paine
(3) Paine is praising those who stand “it”, it referring to “the service of their country”. In the meantime, Paine is criticizing those who shrink from the service of their country in this crisis.
(4) The language is plain, impressive and forceful. Paine himself once said that his purpose as a writer was to use plain language to make those who can scarcely read understand.
IV. Essay question
Analyze The American Crisis.
Key：
①The American Crisis is a series of pamphlets which came out at one of the darkest moments of the revolution when Washington’s troops had just suffered one of the worst defeats in the war and were in the process of retreating. When Washington had it read to the troops, it proved a heartening stimulus, a spurring excitement to further action of hope and confidence.
②“These are the times that try men’s souls,” “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Paine maintains that consolation for those Americans who support the overthrow of tyranny is the belief that they will win "more glorious" victory and people must appreciate what they believe in and fight for. He believes that God will "not give up" or abandon a people who have so steadfastly tried to avoid war. Certainly Britain cannot look to God for guidance; criminals have as much reason to look for guidance as the British; in fact, they are criminals.
③Paine quotes the Tory who states, "Give me peace in my day". He is concerned only with immediate results so that he can reap the benefits, perhaps without care for the permanence of peace. Paine believes that the speaker should be willing to fight and suffer in his lifetime in order to insure a more permanent peace which his posterity may enjoy.
④In short, The American Crisis is a Enlightenment document. Man relies on reason and indomitable optimism, not salvation, for liberty. However much the soldier, the scholar, the common man struggling for victory wants the support of God, he must rely on his devotion to his cause and to his fellow man first and foremost.