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Dating irom the Ming and Qing dynasties, there are four great classical Chinese works of literature.The Water Margin, Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Dream of the Red Chamber They marked the emergence of this form of novels in China which then spread throughout East Asia. The books were written in everyday language, rather than classical Chinese, and included a mix of realistic and supernatural features. The novels allowed previously unheard voices within china to make themselves heard.
The Water Margin
The author of The Water Margin is unknown for sure, but most scholars attribute the work to Shi Nai'an, a writer from Jiangsu Province. Set during the Song Dynasty, the book centres on the stories of a group of outlaws. lt is based on the real-life story of the rebel Song Jiang, whose colourful life led to many folk tales being told about him. The popularity of The Water Margin during the Ming Dynasty was partly due to its representation of common people's unhappiness with their ill-treatment by the ruling;lasses. The novel has inspired numerous film and TV adaptations.
Journey to the West
Written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century, Journey to the West is the most well-known of the four great classical novels outside China. The book portrays the pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk named Xuanzang who travels from China to India, together with his three disciples - a monkey, a pig and a river ogre. Based on an eclectic mix of Buddhism, Taosim and Chinese folk tales and with a fantastic blot in which the heroes face various immortals and monsters on their journey, the book is an early example of the fantasy style of literature which has remained popular to this day.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
This epic tale by Luo Guanzhong is a novel of political intrigue set during the Three Kingdoms period, combining history, legend and myth. The novel skilfully dramatises a key message of Chinese history which warns of the disastrous dangers of the disintegration of the state, which will eventually be followed by reunification. The work is a uniquely powerful story that is central to the Chinese sense of self-identity even today.
Dream of the Red Chamber
Written in the middle of the Oing Dynasty, this novel is the latest of the four great classical novels .It is believed to be Cao Xueqin's semi-autobiographical work and deals with the moral and financial decay of the author's family, symbolising that of the Qing regime. The novel is more realistic than the other three works, with rich detail offering insights into the society and culture of the upper classes at that time. It is an extremely valuable document of a past way of life
4. What do we learn about the social concerns in The Water Margin?
A.The novel condemns all rebels and outlaws.
B. The novel displays the ill-treatment by the ruling classes
C.The novel shows foreign invaders disturbing the social order.
D.The novel reveals the Ming Dynasty to be a remarkably equal society.
5.What does the underlined word "eclectic" in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Diverse.
B.Exciting.
C.Original.
D.Amusing.
6.What is a key message of Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
A. Unity leads naturally to division.
B. Harmony and disharmony must be balanced
C.Disunity must be replaced with unity.
D.Self-identity has to be fought for.
7.According to the passage, Dream of the Red Chamber is "valuable" because______.
A.it is a semi-autobiographical work
B. it is realistic and symbolises the decay of the Qing Dynasty
C. it is the latest one of the four great classical novels
D. it provides detailed insights into the lives at that time
答案：DCDB
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