Pretest Study Guide

PRETEST: ENGL 2332 – World Lit I
Spring 2010


THE ANCIENT WORLD

1.    The author of Gilgamesh is ___

a.    Gilgamesh.

b.    Homer.

c.    Virgil.

d.    Anonymous.

2.    In “The Story of the Flood” in Gilgamesh, why did the gods agree to exterminate man?

a.    Because man was making so much noise the gods could no longer sleep

b.    Because man had begun to worship idols and false gods

c.    Because the Earth had become corrupted with violence

d.    Because man had begun to disavow the existence of the gods

3.    Who was the only mortal saved from the flood in Gilgamesh?

a.    Gilgamesh

b.    Noah

c.    Enlil

Utnapishtimd.   

4.    Of the following, which is NOT a convention of the epic formula?

a.    The poet opens by stating the theme and invoking a muse.

b.    The action opens in medias res; necessary exposition comes later in the action.

c.    The epic simile is frequently used.

d.    Catalogs of ships, warriors, and/or armies are rarely included.

5.     Of the following, which is NOT a common characteristic of the epic poem?

a.    The hero is a figure of imposing stature, of national or international importance, and of great historical or legendary significance.

b.    The setting is vast, covering great nations, the world, or the universe.

    1. The action consists of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage
    2. Supernatural forces—gods, angels, and demons—while commonly present, rarely involve themselves in the action or intervene in human affairs. 
6.     Of the following statements, which is/are true of the epic poem?

a.    It is a long narrative poem.

b.    Its central heroic figure is a person of imposing stature, of national or international importance, and of great historical or legendary significance.

c.    It is written in an elevated style.

d.    All of the above.

THE MIDDLE AGES

1.    “Lanval” and “Laustic” were composed by ___________.

a.    Marie de France.

b.    Christine de Pizan.

c.    Hildegard of Bingen.

d.    Beatrice, Countess of Dia.

2.    The knight in “Lanval” is primarily distressed because

a.    he has lost his fairy queen’s love.

b.    he has lost favor with Queen Guinevere.

c.    King Arthur has failed to reward him the same as the other knights.

d.    he has been denied his rightful inheritance following the death of his parents.

3.    In the end, the story of Lanval and his “lady love” reveals that

a.    love conquers all, but only in the fantasy world of fiction.

b.    love can serve as an alternative to an uncaring or unjust society.

c.    the author of the story has an acute awareness of the social conditions of her time and place, and she seems to sympathize with individuals who seek personal fulfillment.

d.    all of the above

4.     What is primogeniture?

a.    The legal right of the ELDEST SON to inherit ALL of his parents’ goods and property

b.    Middle English for “premature birth”

c.    A first generation

d.    The legal right of the FIRST BORN CHILD to inherit ALL of his or her parents’ goods and property.

5.     What is the main symbol used in the story “Laüstic”?

a.    A gold wedding band

b.    A red silk handkerchief

c.    A lock of red hair

d.    A nightingale

6.     What does the wife in “Laüstic” seem to want most?

a.    Her freedom

b.    To spend more time with her lover

c.    Not to be taken for granted

d.    To spend more time with her husband

7.     In "Laüstic," the author implies that the love the wife feels for her neighbor reflects

a.    her own need to assert her separate identity.

b.    her love for Christ.

c.    her dissatisfaction with her cruel and faithless husband.

d.    her narcissism.

8.    What is a lai (lay)?

a.    Generally, it is a short narrative concerned with love, adventure, and the supernatural.

b.    It is a story that starts with characters in a position of lack and crisis.

c.    It is a short tale that moves swiftly to a moment of happiness that is then severely tested.

d.    All if the above.

 

 

 

THE RENAISSANCE

1.    The author of The Prince is ___________

a.    Machiavelli.

b.    Shakespeare.

c.    Cervantes.

d.    Erasmus.

2.    When it comes to the question of whether it is better for a leader to be feared or loved, what conclusion does The Prince reach?

a.    It is better to be loved.

b.    It is better to be feared.

c.    It is better not to be a leader.

d.    None of the above.

3.        In The Prince, the author claims that a man will put up with an awful lot from his government. He'll even turn in his own father. What a man will not tolerate is his government taking his

a.    wife.

b.    children.

c.    money.

d.    land.

4.     Essentially, how would you describe the view of humanity reflected in The Prince?

a.    It is optimistic.

b.    It is pessimistic.

c.    It is ironic.

d.    It is difficult to discern.

5.     Of the following statements, which is/are true of The Prince?

a.    It is a short treatise on how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it.

b.    It is a guide for political action based on the lessons of history and the author’s personal experience as a foreign secretary in Florence.

c.    It is a unique example of “the art of persuasion” in its rhetorical power and drama of argumentation.

d.    All of the above.

6.    On your scantron, mark A for True or B for False: A treatise is a systematic, usually extensive written discourse on a subject. TRUE