African American drama has, until recently, been rooted in the mimetic tradition of modern American naturalism. The most distinctive attribute of this tradition is the mechanistic, materialistic conception of humanity. Naturalism sees each individual as inextricably bound to the environment and depicts each person as someone controlled by, instead of controlling, concrete reality. As long as African American drama maintained naturalism as its dominant mode, it could only express the “plight of African American people”. Its heroes might declare the madness of reality, but reality inevitably triumphed over them.
The surrealistic plays of Adrienne Kennedy mark one of the first departures from naturalism by an African American dramatist. The overall goal of her work has been to depict the world of the soul and the spirit, not to mirror concrete reality. Within this framework, Kennedy has been able to portray African American minds and souls liberated from their connections to the external environment.
1. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?
A. African American drama has been primarily influenced by naturalisms emphasis on the materialistic.
B. African American drama has traditionally acknowledged the relationship between the individual and the environment.
C. African American drama, traditionally naturalistic, has been little influenced by dramatist Kennedy’s spiritual and psychological approach to drama.
D. The work of Kennedy suggests a shift away from a commitment to strict naturalism in African American drama.
E. The work of Kennedy best exemplifies the current interest of African American artists in the spiritual and psychological worlds.
2. According to the passage, Kennedy is concerned with depicting the
A. internal rather than the external life of her characters
B. madness of reality rather than the effects of reality
C. effects of materialism on African American minds and souls
D. relationship between naturalism and the human spirit
E. effects that her characters have on the environment
3. Which of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the authors assertion that Kennedy’s work marks a serious departure from the tradition described in the first paragraph?
A. Kennedy places the action in a real-life setting that is nevertheless unfamiliar to the average viewer or reader
B. Kennedy movingly portrays the lives and struggles of prominent African Americans in the United States
C. Kennedy uses characters found only in ancient African legends and mythology
D. Kennedy provides insights into American mimetic tradition and dramatic convention
E. Kennedy depicts the events in a style reminiscent of a television documentary.
解析
答案：1D 2A 3C
解析：文章两段是典型的对比结构。一段是美国黑人戏剧最近之前的主导流派：自然主义。自然主义的典型特征是反映现实生活，人物命运决定于现实环境。二段是以AK为代表的最近变化：超现实主义，远离自然主义。塑造人物不依赖于与外部环境的联系。
实际上，利用“对比”就是我们理解抽象大词的主要方法之一，可以多多使用呀!
第一题
D
第1题，该题问文章主旨，D最准确。A选项只概括了首段内容。B选项概括主题偏离，没有体现对比变化。C选项无视二段内容。E选项best概念原文无，且没有体现一段。
第二题
A
第2题，该题问K的艺术主张。A选项定位到2段该句：The overall goal of her work has been to depict the world of the soul and the spirit, not to mirror concrete reality.
第三题
C
第3题，该题问最能加强作者论断(K的作品远离首段提及的自然主义传统)的选项。C最合适。K只使用古代神话传说中人物形象。意思是K的人物角色不依赖于周围环境。这与首段自然主义风格最相反：Naturalism sees each individual as inextricably bound to the environment and depicts each person as someone controlled by, instead of controlling, concrete reality.
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