3. Washington Irving wasAmerica's first man of letters toBe known internationally. His works were received enthusiasticallyBoth in EnglandAnd in the United States. He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in eitherCountry,DelightingA large general publicAndAt the same time winning theAdmiration of fellow writers like Scott inBritainAnd PoeAnd Hawthorne in the United States. The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his urbanity (温文有礼), his gay spirits, hisArtistic integrity (诚笃), his love ofBoth the Old WorldAnd the New. ThackerayDescribed IrvingAs "a gentleman, who, though himselfBorn in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans." In England he was grantedAn honoraryDegree from Oxford -An unusual honor forACitizen ofA young, uncultured nation --And he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature;America made himAmbassador to Spain.
Irving'sBackground provides little to explain his literaryAchievements.A giftedButDelicateChild, he had little schooling. He studied law,But without zeal,And neverDid practice seriously. He was immune to his strict Presbyterian home environment, frequentingBoth social gatheringsAnd the theater.
31. The passage mainly tells us____.
A. why Washington IrvingAchieved literary success
B. how IrvingBecame successful
C. why Irving moved from literature to politics
D. that IrvingAchieved great successAnd enjoyed international fame