James Langston Hughes finally arrived in New York on September 4, 1921 to attend Colombia University. Langston felt frustrated at Colombia due to the discrimination of his white classmates. His grades began to suffer and finally he left and looked for a job.

Job were still hard to come by for most blacks. He longed to work on a ship that would sail abroad. After much persistence, he headed to Africa on a freighter ( 貨船 ). Hughes was disturbed by the African tribes’ lack of political and economical freedom. The Africans considered him white because of his brown skin and stranded dark hair. It was here that he met a mulatto （白黑混血 ）child who was ignored by the Africans and the whites. This was a sourced of inspiration for his play, “Mulatto”.

Hughes found work on another freighter and ended up in Pairs. While there he worked at a night club that featured southern cooking and jazz performers. While moving on to Italy, Hughed was robbed and left stranded ( helpless ) wanting to return to the United States. He tried to get a job on a ship heading for the U.S.A. but was told they only hired the white. In this depressed state of mind he wrote, “I, Too, Sing America.”

He returned to America and found the Harlem Renaissance was spreading across racial boundaries ( 種族界線 ). Many black poets and authors were now published in mainstream publications. Hughes was warmly welcomed by his peers （ 同輩 ）and recognized for the poetry he wrote while traveling.

1. What inspired James Hughes to white the play “Mulatto”?

A. Neither the African nor the whites took care of a mulatto child he met.

B. The African did not like white people.　

C. Blacks found it hard to find a decent job.

D. There was no political nor economical freedom in Africa.

2. How did Hughes pay for his trip from Africa to Paris?

A. He sold his poems.　　　　　　 B. He got a job on ship.

C. He worked for a night club.　　 D. His African friends gave him some money.

3. What happened to Hughes at Colombia University?

A. His white classmates were kind and helpful to him. B. He was recognized as a promising poet.

C. He graduated with honors.　　　　　　　　　　 D. He was very disappointed.

4. Why was Hughes recognized?

A. Because he was a black.　　　　　 　　B. Because of his poetry he wrote while traveling.

C. Because of the Harlem Renaissance.　 　　D. Because he was an America.

5. Why did he leave school?

A. Langston felt frustrated at Colombia

B. Because of the discrimination of his white classmates.

C. His grades began to suffer　　　　

D. All the above.