英语(CET)真题.docVIP

Passage One： 文学评析 野性的呼唤 A gripping, fast-paced tale of adventure, The Call of the Wild focuses on Buck, a sheepdog stolen from a California farm and transported to the arctic. Buck’s struggle to survive on the arctic trail demonstrates the uncertain nature of life in the wild. Although it is an engaging animal story, the reader cannot help but draw parallels between Buck’s experience and that of humans. The book suggests that environment shapes character, and emphasizes that primitive character—often hidden beneath a layer of civilization—is never lost to the individual. Providing a fascinating glimpse of a way of life that has almost disappeared, the novel suggests that creatures survive best when they adapt to the natural world, rather than trying to impose changes on their environment. 　　The story begins in 1897, at the start of the Gold Rush. The discovery of gold in the Klondike—a region in northwestern Canada—prompted thousands of gold seekers to head for the far north, all of them desperately in need of dogs to pull sleds across the harsh arctic trails. Buck, a large dog who has enjoyed a leisurely life on a California farm, is stolen and shipped to the Yukon. Buck learns to survive in this cruel environment; he begins to discover the primitive knowledge of his ancestors, and in time he responds to the call of the wild. Because the book focuses upon Buck’s experience, the human characters are of secondary importance. Buck is a magnificent dog, part shepherd and part St. Bernard. His superior strength enables him to adapt readily to the northern climate and the harsh demands of his labors. But he possesses one additional quality—imagination. Buck fights with his head as well as his strength. Adaptability is a dominant theme in this novel. In order to survive in the arctic, Buck must learn “the law of club and fang(牙齿)”. Buck is first taught this law by the club wielding sled drivers, who show him that the strongest individuals are the ones who rul