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(B)
Most people consider Mark Twain as a great American writer. But few stop to ask: what made his writing so special? The answer lies in two things—his use of everyday language and his clever humour.
Twain was one of the first American writers to use the vernacular style. That means he wrote the way ordinary people actually spoke, not in the formal, literary language of his time. He used local expressions and different dialects to make his characters sound real. For example, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck says, “that ain’t no matter” instead of “that doesn’t matter”. This was a bold choice. By making his characters speak naturally, Twain created a new kind of American fiction—one that felt true to life.
But Twain’s style was not just about language. He was also a master of humour and satire(讽刺). He used jokes, exaggeration, and irony to entertain readers—and at the same time, to attack social problems. His humour had a serious purpose. He laughed at slavery, greed, and dishonesty. He believed that laughter could make people see the truth.
What made Twain’s humour so powerful? Contrast. He loved to put things side by side—rich and poor, powerful and weak, the “civilized” and the “wild”—to show how ridiculous the world could be. His comic vision came from seeing the big difference between how things are and how they should be.
Twain’s style changed over time. In his early career, his humour was lighter and more playful. Later, as he grew older, his satire became darker and more bitter. He became angrier about injustice and more doubtful about human nature. But through all these changes, one thing remained: his belief that humour was the best way to tell the truth.
Mark Twain once said: “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand. ” He proved that wit and words could be just as powerful as weapons.
46. What does the underlined word “vernacular” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Formal literary language.
B. The way ordinary people speak.
C. Humorous expressions.
D. Old-fashioned English.
47. What was the real purpose of Twain’s humour?
A. To make his characters sound more natural and realistic.
B. To attack social problems while entertaining readers.
C. To show the difference between the rich and the poor.
D. To make his stories become more popular.
48. What can be inferred about Twain’s later works compared to his early ones?
A. They became more playful and light-hearted.
B. They contained less satire about social problems.
C. They showed a more pessimistic view of human nature.
D. They focused more on the contrast between rich and poor.
49. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To compare Mark Twain’s early and later works.
B. To prove that humour is more powerful than weapons.
C. To introduce the plot of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
D. To explain what made Mark Twain’s writing style unique.
50. What does the author think of Twain’s belief in humour?
A. It was ineffective in the end.
B. It was as strong as weapons.
C. It changed greatly over time.
D. It made him famous worldwide.
Most people consider Mark Twain as a great American writer. But few stop to ask: what made his writing so special? The answer lies in two things—his use of everyday language and his clever humour.
Twain was one of the first American writers to use the vernacular style. That means he wrote the way ordinary people actually spoke, not in the formal, literary language of his time. He used local expressions and different dialects to make his characters sound real. For example, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck says, “that ain’t no matter” instead of “that doesn’t matter”. This was a bold choice. By making his characters speak naturally, Twain created a new kind of American fiction—one that felt true to life.
But Twain’s style was not just about language. He was also a master of humour and satire(讽刺). He used jokes, exaggeration, and irony to entertain readers—and at the same time, to attack social problems. His humour had a serious purpose. He laughed at slavery, greed, and dishonesty. He believed that laughter could make people see the truth.
What made Twain’s humour so powerful? Contrast. He loved to put things side by side—rich and poor, powerful and weak, the “civilized” and the “wild”—to show how ridiculous the world could be. His comic vision came from seeing the big difference between how things are and how they should be.
Twain’s style changed over time. In his early career, his humour was lighter and more playful. Later, as he grew older, his satire became darker and more bitter. He became angrier about injustice and more doubtful about human nature. But through all these changes, one thing remained: his belief that humour was the best way to tell the truth.
Mark Twain once said: “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand. ” He proved that wit and words could be just as powerful as weapons.
46. What does the underlined word “vernacular” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Formal literary language.
B. The way ordinary people speak.
C. Humorous expressions.
D. Old-fashioned English.
47. What was the real purpose of Twain’s humour?
A. To make his characters sound more natural and realistic.
B. To attack social problems while entertaining readers.
C. To show the difference between the rich and the poor.
D. To make his stories become more popular.
48. What can be inferred about Twain’s later works compared to his early ones?
A. They became more playful and light-hearted.
B. They contained less satire about social problems.
C. They showed a more pessimistic view of human nature.
D. They focused more on the contrast between rich and poor.
49. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To compare Mark Twain’s early and later works.
B. To prove that humour is more powerful than weapons.
C. To introduce the plot of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
D. To explain what made Mark Twain’s writing style unique.
50. What does the author think of Twain’s belief in humour?
A. It was ineffective in the end.
B. It was as strong as weapons.
C. It changed greatly over time.
D. It made him famous worldwide.
答案
46. B 47. B 48. C 49. D 50. B
解析
【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解题，需结合原文内容解答词义猜测、细节理解、推理判断、主旨大意及作者态度类题目。解题时需先定位原文对应段落，再分析选项与原文的匹配度：
1. 第46题：需定位第二段中“vernacular”的解释句，找到对应含义；
2. 第47题：定位第三段关于Twain幽默目的的描述，提取核心信息；
3. 第48题：定位第五段Twain早期与后期作品的对比内容，分析后期作品特点；
4. 第49题：梳理全文结构，明确文章围绕的核心主题；
5. 第50题：定位最后一段关于Twain幽默信念的评价，匹配选项。
【解析】
46题：根据第二段“That means he wrote the way ordinary people actually spoke”可知，vernacular意为“普通人说话的方式”，对应选项B。
47题：第三段明确提到Twain的幽默“to entertain readers—and at the same time, to attack social problems”，即娱乐读者同时攻击社会问题，对应选项B。
48题：第五段指出Twain后期“his satire became darker and more bitter... more doubtful about human nature”，即对人性更怀疑，对应“更悲观的人性观”，选项C正确。
49题：文章开头提出“what made his writing so special”，随后从语言和幽默两方面展开说明，核心是解释Twain写作风格独特的原因，对应选项D。
50题：最后一段引用Twain的话“wit and words could be just as powerful as weapons”，说明他认为幽默和文字与武器一样强大，对应选项B。
【答案】
46. B 47. B 48. C 49. D 50. B
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、词义猜测、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】
本题涵盖英语阅读理解常见题型，需学生精准定位原文信息，理解文章逻辑结构，难度适中，适合中等水平学生练习。
【难度系数】
0.5
本题为英语阅读理解题，需结合原文内容解答词义猜测、细节理解、推理判断、主旨大意及作者态度类题目。解题时需先定位原文对应段落，再分析选项与原文的匹配度：
1. 第46题：需定位第二段中“vernacular”的解释句，找到对应含义；
2. 第47题：定位第三段关于Twain幽默目的的描述，提取核心信息；
3. 第48题：定位第五段Twain早期与后期作品的对比内容，分析后期作品特点；
4. 第49题：梳理全文结构，明确文章围绕的核心主题；
5. 第50题：定位最后一段关于Twain幽默信念的评价，匹配选项。
【解析】
46题：根据第二段“That means he wrote the way ordinary people actually spoke”可知，vernacular意为“普通人说话的方式”，对应选项B。
47题：第三段明确提到Twain的幽默“to entertain readers—and at the same time, to attack social problems”，即娱乐读者同时攻击社会问题，对应选项B。
48题：第五段指出Twain后期“his satire became darker and more bitter... more doubtful about human nature”，即对人性更怀疑，对应“更悲观的人性观”，选项C正确。
49题：文章开头提出“what made his writing so special”，随后从语言和幽默两方面展开说明，核心是解释Twain写作风格独特的原因，对应选项D。
50题：最后一段引用Twain的话“wit and words could be just as powerful as weapons”，说明他认为幽默和文字与武器一样强大，对应选项B。
【答案】
46. B 47. B 48. C 49. D 50. B
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、词义猜测、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】
本题涵盖英语阅读理解常见题型，需学生精准定位原文信息，理解文章逻辑结构，难度适中，适合中等水平学生练习。
【难度系数】
0.5
