HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES

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ENGLISH LITERATURE
REVISION FOR FINAL TEST (2021)
SUGGESTED ANSWERS

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 1
1. What is an epic? Is “The song of Beowulf” an epic? What is it about?
- An epic(e bíc k) is a long poem (pâu ừm) written in ancient time which tells about the most
remarkable(ri mác cơ bồ) events of a people’s history and the deed(đít đ) of one or more heroic
(hơ râu íc) personages (pơ sừn nít ch) .
- The song of Beowulf ( beo ua f) is an epic.
- It is about the historical past of the land from which the Angles, Saxons(sác sừn) and Jutes (rút
st) came. Beowulf tells of some events from a people’s history, sings the heroic deeds of a man,
his courage and desire( đi zai ờ )of justice(trớt tịt s) , his love for his people and self-sacrifice(sác
kri fai s ) for the sake( sêi k )of his country.
2. How do you think that the characters of Romeo and Juliet influenced the

outcome of the play?

- Romeo and Juliet are very young and emotional. They are also deeply in love with one another.
Because of this, they kill themselves when each thinks that the other is dead. Despite Juliet’s
level-headedness, she still gives in to her emotions at the very end of the play. If the two
characters were different, perhaps less emotional, then the whole tragedy(troét rơ đi) wouldn’t
have occurred.(ơ kơ r)
3. Why do you think Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter throughout the

passage you’ve learnt?

I think that Shakespeare used iambic pentameter(pen ta mơ tờ ) in this passage because it’s
common and easy rhythm to use. It makes the speech seem natural(na trua ồ ) and believable.

ENGLISH
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LITERATURE TEST 2
 1. What is a romance, a fabliau, a bestiary? In what languages were they written?
- A romance tells of love and adventure, and expresses the ideal of knighthood (nai thút d) in
feudal (fiu đồ ) society (sơ sai ty ). It is written in French.
- A fabliau(fa bô li ô) is a funny story about townspeople. It is written in Anglo( ăng lâu )-Saxon
language.
- A bestiary(bét tia ry) is a story in which the characters are animals. It is written in Anglo-Saxon
language
2. What was innovative about the play “Romeo and Juliet?
- It used love as the subject of strategy.(sờ troát tơ gy)

3. Can the play "Romeo and Juliet" make sense in any time or place? Why?
I think that the story can make sense in any time or place. The themes of young love,
forbidden(fow love, and feuding families work in a variety of times and places. This has been
I think that the story can make sense in any time or place. The themes of young love,
forbidden(phơ bi đừn) love, and feuding families work in a variety of times and places.
This has been proven by numerous(niu mơ rớt) adaptations(a đáp tây sừn) that have
been made of the play .

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 3
1. Who was the representative of the first period of English humanist literature?

What did he write?

Thomas More. He wrote Utopia(diu tâu pi ờ ). It is a story about an imaginary(im ma gin nơ ri)
island where all people are equal(i quùa) and free. Private property here has been replaced by
public ownership. Physical labor is combined with intellectual occupation(o kiu pây sừn). There
is no money on the island because people work and get equal pay for their labor. It was the first
literary work that conveyed the idea of communism(com miu ni rừm).
2. The original title of Robinson Crusoe was very long. Why do you think that the title of the
book was changed? What is good and bad about a long title of a book?
- The title was changed because it was too long to remember. It was easier to have a book
with a shorter title. Additionally, the author wants to focus on the main character Crusoe.
- With a longer title, people can learn more about the book without reading it. With a shorter title
it is easier to remember and say the name of the book.

3. Say something about the island in the story “Robinson Crusoe”.

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- The island is near the mouth of the Orinoco River in South America. This is very close
to the Equator, meaning that the island is tropical and hot. It has shade, fresh water. It is hilly
with lots of vegetation, goats and other animals.

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 ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 4
1. What did the Enlighteners defend?
The Enlighteners defended the interests of the common people: craftsmen, tradesmen, and
peasants. Their criticism(crit ti ri sừm) was directed against social inequality, religious hypocrisy
(hi póc rơ si) as well as the immorality(im mo ra li ti) of aristocracy.(a ri stocs cơ ri)
2. Say something about the character Robinson Crusoe.
- Independent, adventurous
- Be separated(se pơ rây tựt) from friends and family in a shipwreck(ship pờ rách)
- Arrogant(a ri gừn), feels superior to others, laughs at others’ naïve(na i v) beliefs(bi li f)
3. What kind of words did the author use to create the mood in the extracted chapter? Give
some examples.
- The author uses the words that heighten the readers’ sense of fear.
- EX: terrified, frightened, exceedingly(ích si đing ly) surprised(sơ prai đ), confused, out
of myself…

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 5
1. What was the central problem in the Enlightenment ideology?
- The central problem in the Enlightenment ideology(ai di o lơ gy) was that of man and his
nature. The Enlighteners believed in reasons as well as in man’s inborn goodness. They rejected
the religious idea of the sinful nature of man. Vice in people, they thought, was due to the
miserable life conditions which could be changed by force of reason. They considered it their
duty to enlighten people to help them see the roots of evil and the ways of social reformation.
The Enlighteners also believed in the powerful educational values of art.
2. Say something about the character Friday.
- A local man, be separated from friends and family
- Naïve, pure

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 - Open and loyal
3. What source of material did Daniel Defoe get for the novel Robinson Crusoe?
- True events in a true story
- The true sailor named Alexander Selkirk: young, went to the sea, stranded one island,
kept goats for meat and milk, raised a cat, lived on the island for 4 years, rescued by an
English ship

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 6
1. What were the two trends among English Enlighteners?
Trend 1: The moderates spoke in defense of the existing order, considering that a few
reforms were enough to improve it. They were represented in literature by Daniel Defoe, Joseph
Addison, Richard Steele…
Trend 2: The radicals wanted more democracy in the ruling of the country. They
defended the interests of the exploited masses. The most outstanding representatives were
Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Oliver Goldsmith…
2. What is the purpose of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet?
The so-called balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet is probably Shakespeare’s most famous single
scene, and no wonder as it’s the one where Romeo and Juliet, at night, passionately declare their
love for each other and resolve to marry in spite of the feud between their families.
3. In the play, why does Romeo have to leave Verona?
- Because he killed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 7
1. How long did the Romanticism in English literature last?
The period of Romanticism covers approximately 30 years, beginning from the last decade of the
18th century and continuing up to the 1830s.
2. Let’s talk about Robinson Crusoe. When seeing the footprint, what does Crusoe think

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 people will do with him?

- He thinks people will find him, destroy his crops and kills his goats

3. What do the attitudes of Crusoe and Friday represent?

Crusoe represents the arrogant attitudes that many Europeans had toward the native peoples of
different places. Friday represents the natural innocence and goodness of humankind in its
natural state.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 8
1. When did the history of American literature really begin? Why?
The history of American literature really began with the advent of romanticism in the 19 th
century because that was when the American romanticism American literature started its history
in the colonial revolutionary period with accounts of discoveries and explorations in American
that frequently display the characteristics of Elizabethan literary style in England.
2. Why are the following titles not suitable for the novel Robinson Crusoe?
- An Uninhabited Island
- The Great River of Oroonoque
- Shipwreck
- Delivered by Pirates

- An Uninhabited Island: once Crusoe arrives, the island is no longer uninhabited.

- The Great River of Oroonoque: the book has nothing to do with the river.
- Shipwreck: The shipwreck is just the beginning of Crusoe’s adventure.
- Delivered by Pirates: This is how the story ends.
3. Say something about the personalities of Crusoe and Friday. How are they the same
and how are they different?
- Both characters are separated from families and friends.
- While Crusoe is arrogant, Friday is naïve and pure. Crusoe laughs at Friday’s often simple
ideas and worldview. Crusoe feels as though he is better than Friday and that Friday deserves to
be treated more poorly than Crusoe. Friday, however, is very loyal to Crusoe and would rather
die than be separated from him.

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 ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 9
1. What were the most common beliefs of English writers in the seventies of the 19 th
century?
Most writers on social problems believed that science and science alone will sweep away all
human misery and bring civilization(si vi lai vây sừn) to all. Men of science(sai ừn) were greatly
admired. They were invited to speak in public halls and express their opinion on all kinds of
subjects.
2. Do you think Crusoe wants to meet another person? Why or why not?
It does not seem like Crusoe wants to meet another person. He assumes that the person will kill
him and destroy all of his crops and animals. He does not think that the person will be nice. So,
at least in this passage, it does not seem like that Crusoe wants to meet another person at all.
3. Why do you think Crusoe is nervous about the footprint?
Crusoe is nervous about the footprint because he does not know who made it. He just thinks that
it’s someone unfriendly, though he doesn’t really know who. Since he hasn’t seen anyone in so
long, it startles and scares him to see evidence of another person.

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 10
1. What influences did the Industrial revolution in England and French Bourgeois
Revolution have on the writers in England?
The Industrial Revolution in England and the French Bourgeois(bơ rua wa) revolution had a
great influence on the cultural life of the country. In addition to the problems that their European
contemporaries(cơn tem p rơ ri) were facing, English writers of the period had to find answers to
those that arose in their own country, such as the growth of industry, the rising working class
movement and the final disappearance of the class of peasantry.pe rừn truy
2. Say briefly about the main events in the plot of “The Time Machine” by Wells.
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 - A man builds a time machine and travels to the future.
- He sees the 2 species: the Eloi living on the ground and the Morlocks living under ground. The
Morlocks eat the Eloi.
- The Eloi and the Morlocks alomost have lost their humanity.
- Next he goes forward millions of years when the sun is dying. There is no sign of civilization
and the only animals he sees are giant white butterflies and huge red crabs.
- He returns home and tells his friends but no one believes him. He disappears in the time
machine again any never comes back.
3. What are the Eloi like and where does the time traveller believe the Eloi came from
according to his second theory?
- The Eloi are beautiful, childlike, fragile, unintelligent and small. They eat fruit and wear
clothes. They came from the rich upper class.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 11
1. What did some critics say about American romanticism?
They explained the appearance of American romanticism as being closely attached to
disappointment with the results of the Revolution. The ideals of liberty, equality and pursuit of
happiness for all were realized but only as a privilege for few. Poets and writers being repulsed
by the dishonest practice of businessmen, turned to the “common men”, romanticized them or
sought beauty and happiness in the primitive life of American Indians.
2. Let’s talk about “The Time Machine”. What are the Morlocks like and where does the
time traveller believe they came from according to his second theory?

- The Morlocks are ape-like and intelligent. They go naked and eat meat. They are
compared to rats. They came from the working class.

3. What are some differences between the Eloi and the Morlocks and why are these
differences important?
- The Eloi are beautiful, childlike, fragile, unintelligent and small.
- The Morlocks are ape-like and intelligent. They go naked and eat meat. They are
compared to rats

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 - These differences are important because they represent a picture of life in the future.
Both are necessary in the world that has evolved. The situation between the two species raises
some interesting questions about what it means to be human.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 12

1. What were three themes stood out prominently in 20th century American literature?
“Get-rich-quick” theme, war theme and the Negro (ni g râu )theme (thim)
2. Explain why the theme of passivity is very important in the novel “The Time Machine”
by Wells.
- Passivity is the most important theme. The Eloi are not helpless and fragile
because they were passive. Their lives were so easy that they forgot how to do
everything. They did not have any challenges, so they did not do anything. This
eventually leads to their downfall in the hand of the Morlocks. This can be interpreted
that Wells is warning against passivity and encouraging people to stay active in some
way so as not to lose intellectual abilities.

3. Why was “The Time Machine” by Well hailed as a masterpiece from its first release?
The time machine was hailed a masterpiece from its first release because written 36 years
after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, it takes as law his theory of evolution
of the human race. Like many of other Wells’ works, it contains both predictions about the future
and critical commentary on the social and political structures that existed in Wells’ own time.

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 13

1. What were the three periods of English Enlightenment in literature?

Who were representatives of each period?

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 - Early Enlightenment (1688-1740): Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift.
- Mature Enlightenment (1740-1750): Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Tobias
Smollett.
- Late Enlightenment (1750-1780): Oliver Goldsmith, Lawrence Sterne, Richard
Sheridan.
2. Identify three similes and three metaphors in the passage from Romeo and Juliet
- 3 similes: the brightness of her cheek would shame those stars/ As daylight doth a lamp;
thou art as glorious to this night…/As is winged messenger of heaven; it is like an enemy to
thee
- 3 metaphors: Juliet as the sun; bright angel; the orchard and walls are high and hard to
climb/ and the place death.
3. Pick one simile and explain what you think it means. Do the same for one metaphor.
- Simile: “it is like an enemy to thee”. In this line. Romeo tells Juliet why he has come
and to hate his name; because it is Juliet’s “enemy”. Obviously, a name can’t literally be
an enemy, but his name indicates his family, whose members are enemies of Juliet’s
family, the Capulets.
- Metaphor: “Juliet is a sun”. Romeo says that Juliet is a sun, which we know is
impossible. However, he is emphasizing her brightness, her beauty, and, also, her life and
vibrancy. Unlike the moon, which is cold, the sun is warm- hot, even. By comparing Juliet
to the sun, Romeo comments both on her beauty and on her liveliness.

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 14

1. What were the peculiarities of Romanticism in England?

- The birth of a new class - the proletariat.
- The invention of the weaving machine.
- The job losses of weavers – misery.
- Weavers started to destroy machines.
- The introduction of more machines, the job losses of more people.

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 2. In the story “Robinson Crusoe”, how does Crusoe adapt to life on the desert island?
- He adapts well
- Build his own home, return to the ship several times to bring back supplies to the island
- Grow pants
- Raise animals
3. How does Robinson feel and react when he sees the footprint?
- At first, he feels surprised and then he feels threatened and scared
- He runs back to his home and can’t sleep because he worries about the presence of
someone else who can destroy and steal all his properties.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 15
1. What are the most prominent names in 20th century American literature? Name some of
their works.
- Jack London (1876-1916): The Son of the Wolf, Love of Live, The Call of the Wild,
Sea-wolf, The War of Classes, The Iron Heel….
- Earnest Hemingway (1899-1961): The Sun also Rises, A Farewell to Arm, For Whom
the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea…
2. Give some information about the time traveller as one of the important characters in
“The Time Machine”.
- Although the time traveller is the main character, we do not even find out his name. All
we do discover is that he is an inventor and a scientist. The time traveller can be a rich man who
lives in a pleasant house outburst London. He maybe has a lot of time and money. This is the
good condition for him to spend on building the time machine.

3. What is the true relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks? Give a brief description
of the two species.
- The Eloi are the Morlocks’ food.
- The Eloi are beautiful, childlike, fragile, unintelligent and small. They eat fruit and wear
clothes. They came from the rich upper class.
- The Morlocks are ape-like and intelligent. They go naked and eat meat. They are

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 compared to rats. They came from the working class.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 16
1. What was the belief of the good and the bad in American Romanticism?
The writers of American romanticism understood life as a struggle between the good and
the bad, and they insisted that virtue should defeat evil.
2. Give a brief description of the Over-world people in “The Time Machine” and explain
why the time traveller thinks people lost their intellectual abilities?
- The over world people has been assures of his wealth, the toiler assured of
his life and work. Very pleasant was their day as pleasant as the day of the cattle on the
field. Like cattle, they know no enemies and provided against no needs. Life in their
world is so easy in which there had been no unemployed problem, no social questions.
- Because their life was so easy in which they had no needs and did not have
to work as well as had no problems, they lost their intellectual abilities.
3. What life does the time traveller see in the time of the dying sun?
- He sees no sign of civilization. The only animals he sees are giant white butterflies and
huge red crabs.

ENGLISH
LITERATURE TEST 17
1. What were the two different types of writers in English Romanticism?
- Type 1: They were definitely revolutionary. They denied the existing orders called upon
the people to struggle for a better future, shared the people’s desire for liberty and objected to
colonial oppression. They supported the national liberation wars on the continent against feudal
reaction.
- Type 2: Though they first welcomed the French revolution and its slogan of liberty,
fraternity and equality, later abandoned revolutionary ideas. They turned attention to nature and

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 to the simple problems of life. They tried to avoid the contradictions that were becoming so great
in all the spheres of social life with the development of capitalism. They looked back to
patriarchal England and refused to accept the progress of industry, they even called the
government to forbid the building of new factories which they considered the cause of the
workers’ sufferings.
2. Give one example of an oxymoron and one example of olfactory imagery in “Romeo
and Juliet”.
- An example of an oxymoron is “she speaks yet she says nothing.” An example of
olfactory imagery is ”a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet”.
3. The poem that Shakespeare consulted had a longer title than his play. Why do you
think Shakespeare shortened it?
- I think that Shakespeare shortened the name of the play in order to emphasize the
characters and demonstrate that they are at the center of the action in the play.

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 18
1. What new tendencies were noticeable in the cultural life of England of the 14 th century
and where did they come from?
The scholastic Latin Church literature still ranked high, but a new spirit was noticeable in
the cultural life of the country. The new spirit was marked by an optimism unknown to
the Middle Ages. It was best reflected in the works by Geoffrey Chaucer, the last
poet(pâu ít) of the Middle Ages and the first poet who paved the way for English realistic
literature, free of the influence of the Church.
2. "O Romeo, O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name." In
these sentences, imperatives are used. What do these verbs tell us about Juliet’s idea about
love?
- Juliet says this in Act2, Scene 2 when Romeo overhears her as she speaks on her
balcony. Using imperative, otherwise known as commands, she tells Romeo, who she
thinks is absent, to forget about his father and to change his name. In doing so, Juliet
assumes control over Romeo’s future. She asks him to leave his family and reject his

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 entire heritage.
- By speaking this way ans using imperative verbs, Juliet signifies that she is demanding
and willing to embrace radical measures in order to be with Romeo. Later in the same
speech, she says that even if Romeo will not change his name, she will change hers if he
just promises to love her. Juliet’s ideas of love are all-consuming and black and white.
She assumes that Romeo cannot love her if he is still connected to his family or she to
hers. She is willing to embrace extreme measures to be with her love
3. What stands in the way Romeo and Juliet getting married?
- Their family’s feud

ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 19
1. What was the peculiarity of the Enlightenment in England as compared with that in
France?
In England, the period of Enlightenment followed by the bourgeois revolution while in
other countries it came before the revolution (the French bourgeois(bơ rua wa) revolution took
place at the end of the 18th century). Therefore, the aims of English Enlighteners were not so
revolutionary as those of French enlightenment.
2. Look at the following lines from the passage:
“…But soft, what light through your yonder window breaks?
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
I am too bold, ‘tis not to me she speaks…”
What is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables?
Most of the time, there’s one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable
3. Why is the setting less important in “Romeo and Juliet” than in other works?
- In Shakespeare’s time, setting was not as important as it later theater. This is because
they did not have elaborate sets and special effects. The stage was often bare, so setting
was unnecessary and the story is what stood out.

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 ENGLISH LITERATURE
TEST 20
1. What did the authors in revolutionary period in America in the 19 th century produce
their works for? What were the most prominent names?
- They produced their works as tools to awaken American enthusiasm for independence
and to make the revolution advance to success.
- The most prominent names: Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Phillip Freneau.
2. What are the main themes of “The Time Machine” by Wells? What theme do you think
is the most important and why?
- Three main themes: social class, technology and passivity.
- Passivity is the most important theme. The Eloi are not helpless and fragile because they
were passive. Their lives were so easy that they forgot how to do everything. They did not have
any challenges, so they did not do anything. This eventually leads to their downfall in the hand
of the Morlocks. This can be interpreted that Wells is warning against passivity and encouraging
people to stay active in some way so as not to lose intellectual abilities.
3. What role do flowers play as an important symbol in the novel “The Time Machine”?
- The flowers represent gratitude and tenderness, feelings of warmth between people that
make us human. That fact that the Eloi have it still, but the Morlocks do not have it, makes the
former more sympathetic than the latter.

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