James Joyce was an Irish novelist who revolutionized the methods of depicting characters and developing a plot in modern fiction. his astonishing way of constructing a novel, his frank portrayal（描画, 描写）of human nature in his books, and his complete command of English have made him one of the outstanding influences on literature in the 20th century. Many critics judge that he is second only to Shakespeare in his mastery of the English language. Joyce was deeply influenced by Ireland and wrote all his books about Dublin.
When he was in Dublin College, he studied languages and spent his spare time reading books. He refused to take part in the nationalist movement like his fellow students, but he became passionately（热情地, 热烈地）interested in literature. He wrote outspoken articles of literary criticism that shocked his teachers and even taught himself norwegian（挪威语）so that he could read Ibsen’s（挪威剧作家及诗人）works in the original.
When he graduated in 1902, he knew he would become a writer and an exile（流犯, 被放逐者）, because he felt he could not be one without the other. In order to preserve his ideal of writing truthfully, fully, and as objectively as he knew how, about the people and places he knew best, he had to escape from all temptations to become involved in popular opinion or public life. He went to France, Italy and Switzerland, where he lived in poverty and obscurity for the first 20 years, only returning to Ireland when his mother was dying. Except for a couple of brief trips, he stayed abroad all his life.
小题1:James Joyce was famous for many reasons except _______.
A．his way of constructing a novel
B．his frank portrayal of human nature
C．his complete command of English
D．his passion in literature小题2:“he is second only to Shakespeare” is a comment on his ________.
A．achievement in literature
B．achievement in the nationalist movement
C．achievement in his study of languages
D．mastery of the English language小题3:How many examples are used to show his passion in literature?
A．2.
B．3.
C．1.
D．4.小题4:Why did James Joyce stay abroad almost all his life?
A．Because he wanted to live in poverty and obscurity.
B．Because he wanted to write the people and places he knew best.
C．Because he wanted to escape from all temptations to become involved in popular opinion or public life.
D．Because he wanted to preserve his ideal of writing truthfully, fully and objectively about the people and the places he knew best.
