题目 1 · essay
25 分Read this passage, and then answer the question that follows it:
"I think everyone expected to see a man emerge—possibly something a little unlike us terrestrial men, but in all essentials a man. I know I did. But, looking, I presently saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks—like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle, and wriggled in the air towards me—and then another.
A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began to push my way back from the edge of the pit. I saw the astonishment giving place to horror on the faces of the people about me. I heard inarticulate exclamations on all sides. There was a general movement backwards. I found myself shoulder to shoulder with an ogling crowd, and we all retreated together, keeping our eyes upon the pit.
Then the thing itself emerged. A big grey rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather.
Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding me steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder, another swayed in the air.
Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth—above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes—were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous."
How does Wells make this first appearance of the Martians so tense and horrifying?
"I think everyone expected to see a man emerge—possibly something a little unlike us terrestrial men, but in all essentials a man. I know I did. But, looking, I presently saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks—like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle, and wriggled in the air towards me—and then another.
A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began to push my way back from the edge of the pit. I saw the astonishment giving place to horror on the faces of the people about me. I heard inarticulate exclamations on all sides. There was a general movement backwards. I found myself shoulder to shoulder with an ogling crowd, and we all retreated together, keeping our eyes upon the pit.
Then the thing itself emerged. A big grey rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather.
Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding me steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder, another swayed in the air.
Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth—above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes—were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous."
How does Wells make this first appearance of the Martians so tense and horrifying?
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解题
To answer this question effectively, candidates should analyze several key aspects of the passage:
1. **Subversion of Human Expectations:**
- The passage starts with the narrator admitting that 'everyone expected to see a man emerge'. This shared, comforting assumption is shattered immediately, intensifying the shock of the actual appearance.
2. **The Slow, Metaphorical Unveiling (Suspense):**
- Wells builds tension by introducing the creature in stages: first, 'greyish billowy movements' and 'two luminous disks', then 'something resembling a little grey snake' (tentacles), and finally the 'big grey rounded bulk'. This piecemeal description delays the full reveal, heightening the reader's anxiety.
3. **Grotesque and Dehumanizing Imagery:**
- The creature is compared to repulsive organic matter and animals ('size... of a bear', 'glistened like wet leather', 'Gorgon groups of tentacles').
- The description of the mouth is particularly visceral: 'lipless brim', 'quivered and panted, and dropped saliva'. The physiological mismatch with our atmosphere is highlighted by the 'tumultuous breathing of the lungs'.
4. **The Dramatic Reaction of the Onlookers:**
- The narrator's internal sensation ('A sudden chill') and the crowd's vocal panic ('loud shriek', 'inarticulate exclamations') reflect the immediate psychological impact of the horror.
- The physical collective movement ('general movement backwards', 'retreated together') mirrors the instinctual flight response, indicating a threat that is deeply felt.
5. **Inhumanity Combined with Malicious Vitality:**
- The creature is both 'crippled' by Earth's gravity and yet 'vital, intense, inhuman... and monstrous'. The focus on 'the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes' suggests an advanced, alien intelligence that is utterly devoid of human empathy.
1. **Subversion of Human Expectations:**
- The passage starts with the narrator admitting that 'everyone expected to see a man emerge'. This shared, comforting assumption is shattered immediately, intensifying the shock of the actual appearance.
2. **The Slow, Metaphorical Unveiling (Suspense):**
- Wells builds tension by introducing the creature in stages: first, 'greyish billowy movements' and 'two luminous disks', then 'something resembling a little grey snake' (tentacles), and finally the 'big grey rounded bulk'. This piecemeal description delays the full reveal, heightening the reader's anxiety.
3. **Grotesque and Dehumanizing Imagery:**
- The creature is compared to repulsive organic matter and animals ('size... of a bear', 'glistened like wet leather', 'Gorgon groups of tentacles').
- The description of the mouth is particularly visceral: 'lipless brim', 'quivered and panted, and dropped saliva'. The physiological mismatch with our atmosphere is highlighted by the 'tumultuous breathing of the lungs'.
4. **The Dramatic Reaction of the Onlookers:**
- The narrator's internal sensation ('A sudden chill') and the crowd's vocal panic ('loud shriek', 'inarticulate exclamations') reflect the immediate psychological impact of the horror.
- The physical collective movement ('general movement backwards', 'retreated together') mirrors the instinctual flight response, indicating a threat that is deeply felt.
5. **Inhumanity Combined with Malicious Vitality:**
- The creature is both 'crippled' by Earth's gravity and yet 'vital, intense, inhuman... and monstrous'. The focus on 'the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes' suggests an advanced, alien intelligence that is utterly devoid of human empathy.
评分标准
The assessment is based on the 8-band scale for IGCSE Literature (0475):
- **Band 8 (23–25 marks):** Sustains a perceptive, highly critical, and evaluative response. Explores Wells's linguistic choices in detail (e.g., the V-shaped mouth, the Gorgon reference, the comparison to wet leather). Demonstrates a sophisticated appreciation of how suspense is structurally engineered through the slow reveal.
- **Band 7 (20–22 marks):** Shows a clear critical understanding of the passage. Effectively analyzes language and structure, linking stylistic devices directly to the creation of horror and tension.
- **Band 6 (17–19 marks):** Provides a well-developed response with relevant textual references. Understands both the physical horror of the Martian and the psychological panic of the crowd.
- **Band 5 (14–16 marks):** Shows a secure understanding of the passage. Makes reasonable comments on Wells's descriptive language, though the analysis may be more straightforward.
- **Band 4 (11–13 marks):** Demonstrates some understanding of the plot and the horrifying nature of the scene, but with limited deep analysis of language or writer's craft.
- **Bands 1–3 (1–10 marks):** Offers basic, superficial, or narrative-focused responses with limited engagement with the writing style or structural tension.
- **Band 8 (23–25 marks):** Sustains a perceptive, highly critical, and evaluative response. Explores Wells's linguistic choices in detail (e.g., the V-shaped mouth, the Gorgon reference, the comparison to wet leather). Demonstrates a sophisticated appreciation of how suspense is structurally engineered through the slow reveal.
- **Band 7 (20–22 marks):** Shows a clear critical understanding of the passage. Effectively analyzes language and structure, linking stylistic devices directly to the creation of horror and tension.
- **Band 6 (17–19 marks):** Provides a well-developed response with relevant textual references. Understands both the physical horror of the Martian and the psychological panic of the crowd.
- **Band 5 (14–16 marks):** Shows a secure understanding of the passage. Makes reasonable comments on Wells's descriptive language, though the analysis may be more straightforward.
- **Band 4 (11–13 marks):** Demonstrates some understanding of the plot and the horrifying nature of the scene, but with limited deep analysis of language or writer's craft.
- **Bands 1–3 (1–10 marks):** Offers basic, superficial, or narrative-focused responses with limited engagement with the writing style or structural tension.