The Beginning of American Literature American has always been a land of beginnings. After Europeans ’discovered’ America in the fifteenth century, the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life, an escape from poverty and persecution, a chance to start again. We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences. Long before the first colonists arrived, before Christopher Columbus, before the Northmen who ’found’ America about the year 1,000, Native Americans lived here. Each tribe’s literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land. Another kind of experience, one filled with fear and excitement, found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, France and England. In addition, the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience, then, is the key to early American literature. The New World provided a great variety of experiences, and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers. These writers included John Smith, who spent only two-and-a-half years on the American continent. They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd, who thought of themselves as British subjects, never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own. American Indians, explorers, Puritan ministers, frontier wives, plantation owner -- they are all the creators of the first American literature.

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Singapore 1 Singapore is an independent city-state in southeastern Asia, consisting of one major island the Singapore Island—and more than 50 small islands, located off the southern tip of Malay. The city of Singapore, the capital of the country, is at the southeastern end of the Singapore Island, it is one of the most important port cities and commercial centers of Southeast Asia. The total area of the republic is 640 sq. km. 2 Low-lying Singapore Island has no outstanding relief(轮廓鲜明的) features. A central area of hills rises to the maximum height of 176m. The country has a wet tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 27.2℃. The average annual rainfall is 2,413 mm; the wettest months are November through January. 3 Singapore is governed under a constitution of 1959, as amended (修正后的). A president, elected to a four-year term, is head of state, and a prime minister is head of government. The president used to be elected by Parliament, but by a 1991 constitutional amendment (修正), the president is now elected directly by the people. The Parliament is the law-making body with its 81 members popularly elected. 4 In the late 1980s the country had some 290 primary schools with 278,300 pupils and 160 secondary schools with 200,200 students. The main institutions of higher education are the National University of Singapore (founded in 1980 with the combination of two major universities), several technical colleges, and a teachers college. 5 Singapore has one of the highest standards of living of any country in Asia. In the late 1980s the gross domestic product was estimated at ＄ 23.7 billion, or ＄ 8,870 per person. The fishing industry is centered on the port of During, on southwestern Singapore Island. Industry has grown rapidly since the 1960s, and Singapore now produces a diversity (多样化的) of goods, including chemicals, electronic items, clothing, and processed foods, etc. Shipbuilding and petroleum refining are also important. A) Introduction to Singapore B) Education C) Economy D) State System of Singapore E) History of Singapore F) Land and Climate

Thanksgiving Day The American Thanksgiving Day celebration goes back to 1621. In that year, a special dinner was prepared in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The people who had settled there had left England because they were forbidden to keep their religious belief. They came to the new land and faced difficulties in sailing across the ocean. The ship which carried them was called “the Mayflower“. The North Atlantic was hard to travel. There were bad storms and huge waves. With the help of the Indians, they learned to live in the new land. These Puritans, as they were called, had much to be thankful for. They could enjoy religious freedom. They learned how to grow their crops in accordance with the climate and soil. Now when they selected the fourth Thursday of November for their Thanksgiving celebration, they invited their neighbors, the Indians, to join them in dinner. They also wanted to pray God for the new life. They recalled the group of 102 men, women and children who left England. They remembered those who did not live to see the shores of Massachusetts. They thought of the 65 day’s journey which tested their strength.

Economic Growth The economy of a nation requires【46】. Total output must grow if the country is to absorb about 1.5 million new workers who enter the labor force each year and more workers who are replaced each year as a form of technological change. If the nation produced the same level of output each year,instead of increasing it,people would have fewer jobs,growing unemployment, and a decline in the per-capita(人均的)income of the nation. To maintain or increase the existing standard of living and to prevent unemployment from rising,【47】. Higher rates of employment and substantial per-capita output gains seem to occur when the real economic growth rate is over 3%,as it was in the years 1983 through 1988. Recent experience shows that, with a real growth rate of less than 2.5%,the U.S. economy suffers from【48】. For example,unemployment at the end of 1990 was 5.4% of the labor force. But by the end of 1991,unemployment was more than 6.6% of the labor force. Why did this happen? Simply because the real output of goods and services declined in 1991. New members into the labor force could not be absorbed,so【49】. Furthermore,a large number of workers withdrew from the labor force altogether because【50】. Instead of rising in 1991,the real GDP actually fell 0.7 %. Real GDP rose again in 1992 by 2.6% ,but unemployment also rose to 7.3% of the labor force. GDP continued to rise during 1993,gained a 3%. At the same time unemployment stood at 6.80% of the labor force. Per-capita income also grew again during 1993. A) unemployment rose B) they were unable to find work C) a healthy rate of economic growth D) out of work E) they must increase real gross domestic product (GDP) continuously F) higher unemployment and limited gains in per-capita output and income

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Norwich Norwich, the capital of the part of Britain known as East Anglia, has been in existence for more than two thousand years. It began as a small village beside the River Wensum. At the time of the Norman invasion in 1066 it had grown to become one of the largest towns in England. With two cathedrals and a mosque(清真寺), Norwich has long been a popular centre for various religions. The first cathedral was built in 1095 and has recently celebrated its 900th anniversary, while Norwich itself had a year of celebration in 1994 to mark the 800th anniversary of the city receiving a Royal Charter. This allowed it to be called a city and to govern itself independently. Today, in comparison with places like London or Manchester, Norwich is quite small, with a population of around 150,000, but in the 16th century Norwich was the second largest city of England. It continued to grow for the next 300 years and got richer and richer, becoming famous for having as many churches as there are weeks in the year and as many pubs as their are days in the year. Nowadays, there are far fewer churches and pubs, but in 1964 the University of East Anglia was built in Norwich. With its fast-growing student population and its success as a modern commercial centre (Norwich is the biggest centre for insurance services outside London), the city now has a side choice of entertainment; theatres, cinemas, nightclubs,busy cafes,excellent restaurants, and a number of arts and leisure centres. There is also a football team, whose colours are green and yellow. The team is known as “The Canaries (金丝雀)“,though nobody can be sure why. Now the city’s attractions include another important development, a modern shopping centre called “The Castle Mall“. The people of Norwich lived with a very large hold n the middle of their city for over two years, as builders dug up the main car park. Lorries moved nearly a million tons of earth so that the roof of the mall could become a city centre park, with attractive water pools and hundreds of trees, but the local people are really pleased that the old open market remains, right in the heart of the city and next to the new development. Both areas continue to do good business, proving that Norwich has managed to mix the best of the old and the new.

The Greatest Show on Earth The Olympic Games (奥林匹克运动会) are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete (竞赛) for the highest honors in sport. As many as 6,000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals(奖牌) and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is in spirit of the Olympics-to take part is what matters. The Olympic Games always start in a bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony(仪式) and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held-the host country-marches in last. The runner with the Olympic torch (火炬) then enters the stadium(体育场) and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath (誓言) on behalf of all the competitors(竞赛者). The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium the host country puts on a wonderful display. The competitions begin the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field (田径), but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport-riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded (颁发) for the individual winners and for national teams. More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912. But it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

The Beginning of American Literature American has always been a land of beginnings. After Europeans ’discovered’ America in the fifteenth century, the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life, an escape from poverty and persecution, a chance to start again. We can say that, as nation, America begins with that hope. When, however, does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences. Long before the first colonists arrived, before Christopher Columbus, before the Northmen who ’found’ America about the year 1,000, Native Americans lived here. Each tribe’s literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land. Another kind of experience, one filled with fear and excitement, found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, France and England. In addition, the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience, then, is the key to early American literature. The New World provided a great variety of experiences, and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers. These writers included John Smith, who spent only two-and-a-half years on the American continent. They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd, who thought of themselves as British subjects, never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own. American Indians, explorers, Puritan ministers, frontier wives, plantation owner -- they are all the creators of the first American literature.

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According to the last paragraph, which of the following statements is true about American literature?

The main purpose of the last paragraph is to tell the readers that

What can we learn from the literature of the tribes of the native Americans?

When did American literature begin?

What does ’that hope’ in the first paragraph refer to?