Review Tips for Final Exam (Critical Reading - Literature 2023)
I. 期末考试题型
Vocabulary （1point*20 = 20 points）
Reading Comprehension （2 points*20 = 40 points)
Literary Terms （2 points*5 = 10 points）
Essay Questions （5选3，10 points*3 = 30 points）
II. Literary Terms
1. Theme: It is an opinion statement suggesting the author's central insight or general comment about human nature or the human condition as conveyed through the characters, actions, etc.
2. Plot: It is the author's deliberate selection and arrangement of incidents in a story.
3. Setting: It is the time and place in which a story takes place.
4. Characterization: It is the method by which an author depicts a character. Protagonist is a word for the central character. The opposite is the antagonist.
5. Point of view: It is the perspective from which a story is narrated. The most common points of view are the first person singular and the third person point of view.
6. Metaphors and Similes: A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. A simile draws resemblance with the help of the words "like" or "as". Therefore, it is a direct comparison. A metaphor, however, makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that share some common characteristics.
7. Epiphany: It is a moment in the story where a character achieves realization, awareness, or a feeling of knowledge, after which events are seen through the prism of this new light in the story.
8. Symbolism: It is the use of one object, action, or character to suggest another; the use of symbols.
9. Staging: The staging of a play refers to the physical spectacle it presents to the audience in a performance by the actors.
10. Foreshadowing: It is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
11. Irony: It is the contrast between what is or appears to be and what really is.
12. The iceberg theory: It is a style of writing initiated by American writer Ernest Hemingway, who believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly.
13. American Dream (as a Motif): It is a common motif in American literature in which characters believe that they can pursue the opportunity for prosperity, success, and an upward social mobility through hard work in a society with few barriers.
14. Rhythm: In a poem, the actual number and distribution of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse of a given type.
15. Concrete poetry: It is an arrangement of linguistic elements in which the typographical effect is more important in conveying meaning than verbal significance.
16. Parody: It is a work created to imitate, make fun of or comment on an original work by means of satiric or ironic imitation.
III. 考试范围及类型
For essay questions, please review the "Critical Thinking" part in Units 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 14.
"A Worn Path"
"The Story of an Hour"
"The Chrysanthemums"
"Hills Like White Elephants"
"The Lottery"
"Anti-Aggression"
Trifles
Evaluation of Essay Questions:
Correct use of points/ideas, details, examples, facts, reasoning (8 points)
Language: 3 language mistakes, -1 point
2 language mistakes, -0.5 point
Word limit (2 points): fewer than 50 words, -2 points
