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.

Wecanbeginourdiscussionof“populationasglobalissue”withwhatmostpersonsmeanwhentheydiscuss“thepopulationproblem”:toomanypeopleonearthandatoorapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.Thefactsarenotindispute,Itwasquiterighttoemploytheanalogythatlikeneddemographicgrowthto“along,thinpowderfusethatburnssteadilyandhaltinglyuntilitfinallyreachesthechargeandexplodes.”

Tounderstandthecurrentsituation,whichischaracterizedbyrapidincreasesinpopulation,itisnecessarytounderstandthehistoryofpopulationtrends.Rapidgrowthisacomparativelyrecentphenomenon.Lookingbackatthe8,000yearsofdemographichistory,wefindthatpopulationshavebeenvirtuallystableorgrowingveryslightlyformostofhumanhistory.Formostofourancestors,lifewashard,oftennasty,andveryshort.Therewashighfertilityinmostplaces,butthiswasusuallybalancedbyhighmortality.Formostofhumanhistory,itwasseldomthecasethatoneintenpersonswouldlivepastforty,whileinfancyandchildhoodwereespeciallyriskyperiods.Often,societieswereincleardangerofextinctionbecausedeathratescouldexceedtheirbirthrates.Thus,thepopulationproblemthroughoutmostofhistorywashowtopreventextinctionofthehumanrace.

Thispatternisimportanttonotice.Notonlydoesitputthecurrentproblemsofdemographicgrowthintoahistoricalperspective,butitsuggeststhatthecauseofrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyearsisnotasuddenenthusiasmformorechildren,butanimprovementintheconditionsthattraditionallyhavecausedhighmortality.

Demographichistorycanbedividedintotwomajorperiods:atimeoflong,slowgrowthwhichextendedfromabout8,000BC.tillapproximatelyAD.1650.Inthefirstperiodofsome9600years,thepopulationincreasedfromsome8millionto500millionin1650.Between1650andthepresent,thepopulationhasincreasedfrom500milliontomorethan4billion.Anditisestimatedthatbytheyear2000therewillbe6.2billionpeoplethroughouttheworld.Onewaytoappreciatethisdramaticdifferenceinsuchabstractnumbersistoreducethetimeframetosomethingthatismoremanageable.Between8000BCand1650,anaverageofonly50,000personswasbeingaddedannuallytotheworld’spopulationeachyear.Atpresent,thisnumberisaddedeverysixhours.Theincreaseisabout80,000,000personsannually.

1.Whichofthefollowingdemographicgrowthpatternismostsuitableforthelongthinpowderfuseanalogy?

A.Avirtuallystableorslightlydecreasingperiodandthenasuddenexplosionofpopulation.

B.Aslowgrowthforalongtimeandthenaperiodofrapid,dramaticincrease.

C.Toomanypeopleonearthandafewrapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.

D.Alongperiodwhendeathratesexceedsbirthratesandthenashortperiodwithhigherfertilityandlowermortality.

2.Duringthefirstperiodofdemographichistory,societieswereoftenindangerofextinctionbecause___.

A.onlyoneintenpersonscouldlivepast40.

B.therewashighermortalitythanfertilityinmostplaces.

C.itwastoodangeroustohavebabiesduetothepoorconditions.

D.ourancestorshadlittleenthusiasmformorechildren.

3.Whichstatementistrueaboutpopulationincrease?

A.Theremightbeanincreaseof2.2billionpersonsfromnowtotheyear2000.

B.About50,000babiesareborneverysixhoursatpresent.

C.Between8000BCandthepresent,thepopulationincreaseisabout80,000,000personseachyear.

D.Thepopulationincreasedfasterbetween8000BCand1650thanbetween1650andthepresent.

4.Theauthorofthepassageintendsto___.

A.warnpeopleagainstthepopulationexplosioninthenearfuture.

B.comparethedemographicgrowthpatterninthepastwiththatafter1650.

C.findoutthecauseforrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyears.

D.presentusaclearandcompletepictureofthedemographicgrowth.

5.Theword“demographic”inthefirstparagraphmeans___.

A.statisticsofhuman.

B.surroundingsstudy.

C.accumulationofhuman.

D.developmentofhuman.

Thebackgardenofourhousecontainsalawn，（）verypleasanttositoninsummer.

Ifyouexplainedthesituationtoyoursolicitor,he_____abletoadviseyoumuchbetterthanIcan.

Evenifhisletter____tomorrow，it____toolatetodoanything.