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Section C 
 The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English, is the earliest existing Germanic epic andone of four surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. Although Beowulf was written by ananonymous Englishman in Old English, the tale takes place in that part of Scandinavia fromwhich Germanic tribes emigrated to England. Beowulf comes from Geatland, the southeasternpart of what is now Sweden. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, lives near what is now Leire, onZealand, Denmark’s largest island. 
The Beowulf epic contains three major tales about Beowulfand several minor tales that reflect a rich Germanic oral tradition of myths, legends, and folklore.The Beowulf warriors have a foot in both the Bronze and Iron Ages. Their mead-hallsreflect the wealthy living of the Bronze Age Northmen, and their wooden shields, wood-shaftedspears, and bronze-hilted swords are those of the Bronze Age warrior. However, they carry irontipped spears, and their best swords have iron or iron-edged blades. Beowulf also orders an ironshield for his fight with a dragon. Iron replaced bronze because it produced a blade with acutting edge that was stronger and sharper. The Northmen learned how to forge iron in about  500 B.C. Although they had been superior to the European Celts in bronze work, it was theCelts who taught them how to make and design iron work. Iron was accessible everywhere inScandinavia, usually in the form of “bog-iron” found in the layers of peat in peat bogs.The Beowulf epic also reveals interesting aspects of the lives of the Anglo-Saxons wholived in England at the time of the anonymous Beowulf poet. The Germanic tribes, includingthe Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, invaded England from about 450 to 600 A.D. By the timeof the Beowulf poet, Anglo-Saxon society in England was neither primitive nor uncultured. 
 Although the Beowulf manuscript was written in about 1000 A.D., it was not discovereduntil the seventeenth century. Scholars do not know whether Beowulf is the sole surviving epicfrom a flourishing Anglo-Saxon literary period that produced other great epics or whether itwas unique even in its own time. Moreover, they disagree as to whether this Beowulf is a copyof an earlier manuscript. Many scholars think that the epic was probably written sometimebetween the late seventh century and the early ninth century. If they are correct, the originalmanuscript was probably lost during the ninth-century Viking invasions of Anglia, in which theDanes destroyed the Anglo-Saxon monasteries and their great libraries. However, other scholarsthink that the poet’s favorable attitude toward the Danes must place the epic’s composition afterthe Viking invasions and at the start of the eleventh century, when this Beowulf manuscript waswritten.The identity of the Beowulf poet is also uncertain. He apparently was a Christian wholoved the pagan heroic tradition of his ancestors and blended the values of the pagan hero withthe Christian values of his own country and time. Because he wrote in the Anglian dialect, heprobably was either a monk in a monastery or a poet in an Anglo-Saxon court located north ofthe Thames River.Beowulf interests contemporary readers for many reasons. First, it is an outstandingadventure story. Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are marvelous characters, and eachfight is unique, action-packed, and exciting. Second, Beowulf is a very appealing hero. He isthe perfect warrior, combining extraordinary strength, skill, courage, and loyalty. Like Hercules,he devotes his life to making the world a safer place. He chooses to risk death in order to helpother people, and he faces his inevitable death with heroism and dignity. Third, the Beowulfpoet is interested in the psychological aspects of human behavior. For example, the Danishhero’s welcoming speech illustrates his jealousy of Beowulf. The behavior of Beowulf’swarriors in the dragon fight reveals their cowardice. Beowulf’s attitudes toward heroism reflecthis maturity and experience, while King Hrothgar’s attitudes toward life show the experiencesof an aged nobleman.Finally, the Beowulf poet exhibits a mature appreciation of the transitory nature of humanlife and achievement. In Beowulf, as in the major epics of other cultures, the hero must create ameaningful life in a world that is often dangerous and uncaring. He must accept the inevitabilityof death. He chooses to reject despair; instead, he takes pride in himself and in hisaccomplishments, and he values human relationships.
46. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true about Beowulf?
(A)The original story was written in a German dialect.
(B) The author did not sign his name to the poem.
(C) It is one of several epics from the first century.
(D)It is the only manuscript from the Anglo-Saxon period.

參考答案

答案：B
難度：簡單0.75
統計：A(0),B(3),C(1),D(0),E(0)

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