Though nearly all novelists report what at least some of the characters in their works are thinking about, few writers attempt to recreate all of the thoughts and half thoughts that race constantly through any individual’s mind. Those writers who do rely on a technique called stream of consciousness.

Consider for a moment what goes on in your own mind at any given moment. You may be consciously thinking, for example, of what you are reading on this page. Below this conscious level, however, hundreds of other impressions might be floating about --- a concert you attended last night, a sudden noise outside, a sight in the room as you glance up that makes you think of something related. Most of these images or ideas are half-formed and fleeting, and usually you are barely aware of them. Yet a writer using stream of consciousness attempts to put this jumble of concepts onto the printed page.

Many novels include short snatches of stream of consciousness, usually characterized by long or half-formed sentences and free association from one idea to the next. Few writers attempt to sustain the technique for long stretches, though there are some notable exceptions. James Joyce uses the technique extensively throughout his novel Ulysses, the story of one character’s experiences --- and reflections --- as he wanders through Dublin on a single day. William Faulkner uses it in The Sound and the Fury to probe（调查）the thoughts of three characters, including one of limited mental ability. Virginia Woolf uses it in The Waves, as she allows the reader to inhabit the minds of six friends as they pass through the stages of their lives. These works are some of the most challenging yet critically acclaimed novels of the 20^th century.

36. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. the genius of Joyce and Faulkner

B. a history of stream of consciousness

C. stream of consciousness novels

D. great novelists of stream of consciousness

37. Ulysses is a novel that _______.

A. traces the stages of its characters’ lives

B. includes short snatches of stream of consciousness

C. is set in England

D. takes place in one day

38. Stream of consciousness is a _______.

A. technique that most readers enjoy

B. difficult technique to pull off successfully

C. technique used by most writers today

D. way of analyzing historical events

39. The writer explains “stream of consciousness” by _______.

A. asking the reader to consider his or her own thought processes

B. giving examples from novels

C. explaining who originated the term

D. giving a dictionary definition

40. The underlined word “acclaimed” in the last sentence means _______.

A. criticized    B. praised    C. sold     D. copied