RogerRosenblatt’sbookBlackFiction,inattemptingtoapplyliteraryratherthansociopoliticalcriteriatoitssubject,successfullyalterstheapproachtakenbymostpreviousstudies.AsRosenblattnotes,criticismofBlackwritinghasoftenservedasapretextforexpoundingonBlackhistory.AddisonGayle’srecentwork,forexample,judgesthevalueofBlackfictionbyovertlypoliticalstandards,ratingeachworkaccordingtothenotionsofBlackidentitywhichitpropounds.Althoughfictionassuredlyspringsfrompoliticalcircumstances,itsauthorsreacttothosecircumstancesinwaysotherthanideological,andtalkingaboutnovelsandstoriesprimarilyasinstrumentsofideologycircumventsmuchofthefictionalenterprise.Rosenblatt’sliteraryanalysisdisclosesaffinitiesandconnectionsamongworksofBlackfictionwhichsolelypoliticalstudieshaveoverlookedorignored.WritingacceptablecriticismofBlackfiction,however,presupposesgivingsatisfactoryanswerstoanumberofquestions.Firstofall,isthereasufficientreason,otherthanthefacialidentityoftheauthors,togrouptogetherworksbyBlackauthorsSecond,howdoesBlackfictionmakeitselfdistinctfromothermodernfictionwithwhichitislargelycontemporaneousRosenblattshowsthatBlackfictionconstitutesadistinctbodyofwritingthathasanidentifiable,coherentliterarytradition.LookingatnovelswrittenbyBlackoverthelasteightyyears,hediscoversrecurringconcernsanddesignsindependentofchronology.Thesestructuresarethematic,andtheyspring,notsurprisingly,fromthecentralfactthattheBlackcharactersinthesenovelsexistinapredominantlywhiteculture,whethertheytrytoconformtothatcultureorrebelagainstit.BlackFictiondoesleavesomeaestheticquestionsopen.Rosenblatt’sthematicanalysispermitsconsiderableobjectivity;heevenexplicitlystatesthatitisnothisintentiontojudgethemeritofthevariousworksDyethisreluctanceseemsmisplaced,especiallysinceanattempttoappraisemighthaveledtointerestingresults.Forinstance,someofthenovelsappeartobestructurallydiffuse.Isthisadefect,oraretheauthorsworkingoutof,ortryingtoforge,adifferentkindofaestheticInaddition,thestyleofsomeBlacknovels,likeJeanToomey’sCane,vergesonexpressionismorsurrealism;doesthistechniqueprovideacounterpointtotheprevalentthemethatportraysthefateagainstwhichBlackheroesarepitted,athemeusuallyconveyedbymorenaturalisticmodesofexpressionInspiteofsuchomissions,whatRosenblattdoesincludeinhisdiscussionmakesforanastuteandworthwhilestudy.BlackFictionsurveysawidevarietyofnovels,bringingtoourattentionintheprocesssomefascinatingandlittle-knownworkslikeJamesWeldonJohnson’sAutobiographyofanEx-ColoredMan.Itsargumentistightlyconstructed,anditsforthright,lucidstyleexemplifieslevelheadedandpenetratingcriticism.
1.Theauthorofthetextisprimarilyconcernedwith__________.
[A]Evaluatingthesoundnessofaworkofcriticism.[B]Comparingvariouscriticalapproachestoasubject.
[C]Discussingthelimitationsofaparticularkindofcriticism.
[D]Summarizingthemajorpointsmadeinaworkofcriticism.
2.TheauthorofthetextbelievesthatBlackFictionwouldhavebeenimprovedhadRosenblatt__________.
[A]EvaluatedmorecarefullytheideologicalandhistoricalaspectsofBlackfiction.
[B]AttemptedtobemoreobjectiveinhisapproachtonovelsandstoriesbyBlackauthors.
[C]ExploreingreaterdetailtherecurrentthematicconcernsofBlackfictionthroughoutitshistory.
[D]Assessedtherelativeliterarymeritofthenovelsheanalyzesthematically.
3.author’sdiscussionofBlackFictioncanbebestdescribedas__________.
[A]Pedanticandcontentious.
[B]Criticalbutadmiring.
[C]Ironicanddeprecating.
[D]Argumentativebutunfocused.authorofthetextemploysallofthefollowinginthediscussionofRosenblatt’s
4.bookEXCEPT:__________.
[A]Rhetoricalquestions.
[B]Specificexamples.
[C]Comparisonandcontrast.
[D]Definitionofterms.
5.TheauthorofthetextreferstoJamesWeldonJohnson’sAutobiographyofanEx-ColoredManmostprobablyinorderto__________.
[A]pointoutaffinitiesbetweenRosenblatt’smethodofthematicanalysisandearliercriticism.
[B]Clarifythepointaboutexpressionisticstylemadeearlierinthepassage.
[C]QualifytheassessmentofRosenblatt’sbookmadeinthefirstparagraphofthepassage.
[D]giveaspecificexampleofoneoftheaccomplishmentsofRosenblatt’swork.
WhichofthefollowingitalicizedwordsDOESNOTcarrythemetaphoricalmeaning?
Evenifhisletter()tomorrow,it()toolatetodoanything.
Our()sensitivitydecreaseswithage.Byage60,mostpeoplehavelost40percentoftheirabilitytosmelland50percentoftheirtastebuds.
Arrivingatthebusstop,_____waitingthere.