A
Regarded as one of the English language’s most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn’t receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middleclass family, the young John didn’t attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family’s friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis(肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his time. He was completely addicted to the poetry of Edmund Spenser. He published his first poem in the examiner in 1816, named O solitude! If I Must with Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats wrote a volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm.
John Keats’ next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a boy who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy’s hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Endymion, he tried something more narrativebased and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the “knowledge ” associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all he learned. However, a bout(发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy kept him from his work and eventually took his life in 1821.
【解题导语】 本文讲述了英国诗人John Keats的生平和作品。
1．John Keats’ attitude towards life changed because of ________．
A．his early education from school
B．the death of his parents
C．Edmund Spenser’s poetry
D．the criticism from a magazine
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段“After his father’s death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis(肺结核), he began viewing life differently.”可知，诗人在父母相继离世后开始改变对生活的看法。故选B。
2．What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
A．They read many books.
B．They had a bad childhood.
C．They died of the same disease.
D．They showed strong interest in poetry.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的“followed by his mother’s passing due to tuberculosis(肺结核)”和文章最后一句“a bout(发作) with tuberculosis...eventually took his life in 1821”可知，诗人与母亲死于相同疾病。故选C。
3．What do we know from the passage?
A．Keats didn’t attend a school.
B．Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor.
C．In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem.
D．Endymion was about a real love story.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段第一句话“At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he might become a doctor.”可知，诗人16岁时曾师从一位外科医生，B项正确；第二段第一句说John没有上过私立学校，上过公立学校，A项错误；1817年诗人用了不到两个月写出诗集，而非1816年，C项错误；Endymion是一首神话诗歌(falls in love with the moon goddess)而非真实爱情故事，D项错误。故选B。
4．While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was ________．
A．determined B．experienced
C．knowledgeable D．impatient
A 解析：推理判断题。从第三段最后一句“However, the negative response didn’t stop his pursuit of rhythm.”可知，尖锐的批评没有使诗人放弃对诗歌的执着。determined“意志坚定的”，故选A。
