1 . People who argue that William Shakespeare isn’t responsible for the plays attributed to his name are known as anti-Stratfordians (from the name of Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon). They think that Shakespeare simply was not educated enough or from a high enough social class to have written plays with such a wide range of subjects like history and international culture. Shakespeare was the son of a glove-maker. He only had a basic grade school education, and he never set foot outside of England — so how could he have written in such detail about historical figures and events, or about different cultures and locations around Europe? But in fact, most anti-Stratfordian arguments can be refuted (反驳) with a little background about Shakespeare’s time and upbringing.

First of all, those who doubt Shakespeare’s authorship often point to his common birth and brief education as blocks to his writerly talents. Although it’s true that Shakespeare did not come from a noble class, his father was a very successful glove-maker and his mother was from a very wealthy land-owning family — so he would have been educated accordingly. Also grade school education in Shakespeare’s time was actually quite strict and exposed students to classic drama through writers like Seneca and Ovid. It’s not unreasonable to believe that Shakespeare received a very solid foundation in poetry and literature from the courses at school.

Next, anti-Stratfordians tend to question how Shakespeare could write so extensively about countries and cultures he had never visited before (for example, Romeo and Juliet was set in Italy). But again, this criticism doesn’t hold up to close scrutiny (推敲). For one thing, Shakespeare was living in London, a business, political and cultural center of Europe. Among the daily crowds of people, Shakespeare would certainly have been able to meet travelers from other countries and hear firsthand accounts of life in their home country. For another, it was also the age of the printing press. Such technology made it possible to print and circulate books much more easily than in the past. This allowed people to read about life and ideas throughout Europe. One needn’t travel the continent to learn and write about its culture.

1. What is the main purpose of this text?

A．To explain two sides of an argument.

B．To criticize a theory by presenting evidence.

C．To give some historical background about a literary figure.

D．To encourage readers to be skeptical about famous writers.

2. How does the author prove Shakespeare was well-educated?

A．By referring to Shakespeare’s educated parents.

B．By insisting upon Shakespeare’s natural talent.

C．By comparing Shakespeare with other writers of his time.

D．By explaining grade school education in Shakespeare’s time.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．International travel was extremely rare in Shakespeare’s time.

B．Until recently, classical drama was only taught in universities.

C．In Shakespeare’s time, glove-makers weren’t part of the upper class.

D．Some writers in Shakespeare’s time wanted to harm his reputation.

4. Why does the author mention Romeo and Juliet?

A．It’s Shakespeare’s most famous play.

B．It was inspired by Shakespeare’s trip to Italy.

C．It’s an example of a play set outside of England.

D．It was unpopular when Shakespeare first wrote it.