And now Carrie had attained that which in the beginning seemed life’s object, or, at least, such fraction of it as human beings ever attain of their original desires... Ap¬plause there was, and publicity — once far off, essential things, but now grown trivial and indifferent. Beauty also — her type of loveliness — and yet she was lonely. In her rocking-chair she sat, when not otherwise engaged — singing and dreaming. Questions: A. What is the title of the novel from which the excerpt is taken? Who is the author? B. What is the core of American values according to the author? C. What does the underlined sentence mean?
【正确答案】：A: THE TITLE OF THE NOVEL IS SISTER CARRIE, AND THE AUTHOR IS THEODORE DREISER.B: DREISER SET HIMSELF TO PROJECT THE AMERICAN VALUES FOR WHAT HE HAD FOUND THEM TO BE — MATERIALISTIC TO THE CORE. LIVING IN SUCH A SOCIETY WITH SUCH A VALUE SYSTEM, THE HUMAN INDIVIDUAL IS OBSESSED WITH A NEVER-ENDING, YET MEANINGLESS SEARCH FOR SATISFACTION OF HIS DESIRES. ONE OF THE DESIRES IS FOR MONEY AND SEX IS ANOTHER ONE.C: SHE WAS DREAMING OF THE BRIGHT FUTURE. ALTHOUGH SHE WAS OFTEN DISILLUSIONED, SHE WAS NOT AT ALL IN DESPAIR.
【题目解析】：教材527页选读，本节选段选自西奥多?德莱塞的《嘉丽妹妹》。《嘉丽妹妹》出版过后，德莱塞一直把美国的价值观推向彻底的物质享受主义，生活在这样一个社会中，每个人都在无休止的物质欲望中挣扎，其中之一是为了金钱。该选文是小说的最后一章，嘉丽抛弃赫斯特伍德后，赫斯特伍德陷入绝望，最后在一片沮丧和绝望中打开了煤气，结束了自己的一生，与此同时，嘉丽在她的豪华旅馆里得意地摇摆，梦想着那么些从未感受过的幸福。
