iBT TOEFL Listening

Chapter 5: Comprehending the Details (4)

17: American Literature: Mark Twain

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Part 1: (1)
(1) Today we are going to discuss the life of Mark Twain. Do you know who he is? // Yeah.
Everyone has heard about him! He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, didn't he?
Note-Taking
* Mark Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn
Key Words & Expressions
* discuss: to talk or argue about something in conversation

(2) Did you know he was a thorn in the U.S. government's side? Surprised? Well, Mark
Twain was his pen name; he was actually born Samuel Clemens. And, today you are going
to learn about Mark Twain and his activities in the Anti-Imperial League. // Really? He was
friends with Roosevelt and other politicians. I read about it.
Note-Taking
* Pen name - Samuel Clemens - the Anti-Imperial League
Key Words & Expressions
* thorn: a constant irritation or annoyance ( )
* pen name: a pseudonym used by a writer
!!! thorn .

(3) Oh, he was a rebel, a rebel with a cause. He more than belonged to the League; he was
the Vice President from 1901-1910. Let's start at the beginning. The League was the first of
its kind in the U.S and was formed in reaction to the outcome of the Spanish/American war
in 1898.
Note-Taking
* Rebel with a cause League Vice President / League - first of its kind reaction to
Spanish / American war
Key Words & Expressions
* rebel: someone who refuses to conform to conventional rules of behaviour, dress, etc

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( , )
* cause: an ideal, principle, aim, etc, that people support and work for

(4) Basically, Spain turned over colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific to the U.S. as the
loser in a settlement. It was called 'The Treaty of Paris.' It named Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico
and the Philippines. Twain supported the U.S. in the beginning but did a turn-about-face
when he learned about the terms of the treaty. He believed it was just a way for U.S.
expansion.
Note-Taking
* Spain -Caribbean and Pacific to the U.S. / 'The Treaty of Paris'- Cuba, Guam, Puerto
Rico and the Philippines / the terms of the treaty- just a way for U.S. expansion
Key Words & Expressions
* turn over: give ones right, possession, etc to someone else ()
* turn-about-face: change ones attitude completely (180 )
!!! .

(5) Twain was in Europe at the time of the Spanish-American war and returned to the U.S.
in 1900. He was always ready to tell how he felt about the treaty. He campaigned fiercely
against Imperialism by making speeches, writing articles and after sending A Salutation
Speech from the Nineteenth Century to the Twentieth Century to the League as well as the
New York Herald, he became the Vice President of the League.
Note-Taking
* Campaigned against Imperialism - making speeches, writing articles / the Vice
President of the League
Key Words & Expressions
* treaty: an agreement between two parties or individuals ()

Part 2: (2)
(6) In a nutshell, he believed that the U.S. could not be both an empire and a republic at
the same time. Twain admired Emilio Aguinaldo tremendously, and what he was all about.
Note-Taking
* Empire and republic / admired Emilio Aguinaldo
Key Words & Expressions
* in a nutshell: concisely or very briefly expressed ()
!!! . Ex) in a nutshell, in short

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(7) Who was he? // Well, he was a Filipino rebel. He wanted freedom for his country. He
organized rebellions against the Spanish and was exiled by them to Hong Kong before the
war. When the war started, he went back to the Philippines thinking the U.S. was going to
help free the Philippines. Wrong! I don't think he realized that the U.S. wanted the
Philippines for its own. In the end, the U.S. kept the Philippines.
Note-Taking
* Filipino rebel - against the Spanish- exiled to Hong Kong- the U.S. wanted the
Philippines for its own
Key Words & Expressions
* rebellion: revolt ()
* exile: force someone to leave from one's country or town, especially for a long time and
often as a punishment ()

(8) The U.S. criticized the Spanish for having concentration camps in Cuba and used it as
propaganda against them. Then they turned around and did the same thingopen
concentration camps in the Philippines. This is what got on Twain's nerves.
Note-Taking
* Spanish concentration camps in Cuba - propaganda against them - open concentration
camps in the Philippines
Key Words & Expressions
* concentration: a prison camp used to detain civilians who are not tolerated by the
authorities ( )
* propaganda: the organized circulation by a political group, etc of doctrine, information,
misinformation, rumor or opinion, intended to influence public feeling, raise public
awareness, bring about reform, etc ()
!!! get on somebodys nerves ~ .

(9) Anyway, Twain was thoroughly displeased by the whole thing. When he went back to the
U.S. in 1901 he published To the Person Sitting in the Darkness. This had a great impact
on the war and the government's dishonesty.
Note-Taking
* Published To the Person Sitting in the Darkness.- impact on the war and the
government's dishonesty
Key Words & Expressions
* impact: a strong effect or impression

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(10) And in 1903, Twain was active in helping the League protest how they treated Filipino's
in their own country. Does that surprise you about Twain? He was involved with the Anti-
Imperial League until his death in 1910. There was a lot more to Twain than Tom Sawyer
and Huckleberry Finn.
Note-Taking
* Helping the League protest how they treated Filipino's / Anti-Imperial League until his
death in 1910
Key Words & Expressions
* protest: a declaration of disapproval or dissent
!!!
.

Part 3:
Now get ready to answer the questions. You may use your notes to help you answer.
1. What is the surprising thing about Mark Twain?
(A) He was really a famous writer.
(B) He was a rebel in the Philippines.
(C) He was the president of the Anti-Imperial League.
(D) He quite actively protested against the government after the Spanish/American War.

2. According to the lecture, which of the following is NOT true?

(A) The Treaty of Paris put a few countries in hands of the United States.
(B) Emilio Aguinaldo was fighting for the liberation of the Philippines.
(C) America opened concentration camps in Cuba.
(D) Mark Twain died in 1910.
:
(1) Spain turned over colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific to the U.S. as the loser in a
settlement. It was called 'The Treaty of Paris'.
(2) Well, he was a Filipino rebel. He wanted freedom for his country.
(3) The U.S. criticized the Spanish for having concentration camps in Cuba and used it as
propaganda against them.
(4) He was involved with the Anti-Imperial League until his death in 1910.

3. Why does the professor mention Hong Kong?

(A) It was a place where Mark Twain wrote To the American People.
(B) It was a place where the Anti-Imperial League was organized.

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(C) It was a place where Mark Twain was during the Spanish/American War.
(D) It was a place where Emilio Aguinaldo was exiled to.
: He organized rebellions against the Spanish and was exiled by them to Hong
Kong before the war.

4. What was the subject of To the Person Sitting in the Darkness?

(A) the dishonesty of the American government
(B) the Treaty of Paris
(C) Samuel Clemons
(D) Its a travel book.
: When he went back to the U.S. in 1901 he published To the Person Sitting in
the Darkness. This had a great impact on the war and the government's dishonesty.

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turn-about-face 180 / fiercely , / concentration camps
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