Passage(1)

Ancient AthensOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.Entering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.The first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C.，when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was furtherweakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens’ first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.Cleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and me courts,which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.Th e effect of Cleisthenes’ reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes’ reforms were fully exploited.During the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior "people," the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.1. Paragraph 1 supports which of the following statements about the Greek city- states?A. Most city-states followed the model provided by Athens.B. Most city-states were based on aristocratic rule.C. Different types of government and organization were used by different city- states.D. By 500 B C. the city-states were no longer powerful.2. According to paragraph 2, Athens had all of the following before becoming a city- state EXCEPTA. a council made up of aristocratsB. an assembly made up of menC. a constitution that was fully democraticD. officials who were elected yearly3. According to paragraph 3, an important effect of making wealth the basis of office holding was toA. make fewer people qualified to be members of the assemblyB. make it possible for non-aristocrats to hold officeC. help the aristocrats maintain powerD. Increase economic opportunities for all Athenian citizens4. The word “abolishing” in the pass age is closest in meaning toB. eliminatingC. revisingD. supervising5. In paragraph 3, the author's explanation of the word “tyranny” indicates thatA. most Athenians were opposed to rule by the PeisistratidsB. the word had a somewhat different meaning for the Athenians than it does for people todayC. the tyrants were supported by the aristocracyD. the word can be applied only to ruthless dictators6. According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the Peisistratids' rule EXCEPT:A. A national system of coins was created.B. Judges were appointed across the region.C. New festivals were added.D. Increased attention was focused on local villages.7.The word “embellishing” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. making more attractiveB. providing support forD. controlling8. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. Cleisthenes, a reformer who recognized that aristocratic control had been decreasing since the end of the previous century, finally drove the tyrants out of Athens in 508B.C.B. The tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B.C. Cleisthenes put in place the structures that completed the weakening of the aristocracy.C. By driving out the tyrants, Cleisthenes enabled the reforms that had been under way since the end of the century to reach their final form in 508 B. C.D. Toward the end of the century, the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B. C. Cleisthenes saw that it was time to change the structures that had reduced aristocratic control9. According to paragraph 4, one effect of making the demes the point of entry for civic life was toA. ensure that every region had the same number of commissionersB. distribute the population more equally throughout the Athens regionC. limit the number of aristocratic clansD. reduce the importance of family connections10.According to paragraph 4, one role of the new council was toA. determine what issues came before the assemblyB. prepare the agenda for the courtsC. carry out the assembly’s policiesD. oversee the distribution of food and water11.The word “exploited” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. separatedB. understoodC. utilizedD. exported12.The word “stunning” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. popularB. universalC. impressiveD. continuing13. Look at the four squares [■] that ind icate where the following sentencecould be added to the passage.Indeed, at the height of Athenian democracy there was no government separate from its citizenry.Where would the sentence best fit? Click on square [■] to add the sentence to the passageDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. [■] In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. [■] By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior "people," the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. [■] It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.[■]14. Directions:An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selected THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.This question is worth 2 points.Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To review the passage, click on View TextBetween 600 B.C. and 450 B.C., Athens changed the distribution of political power between the aristocracy and ordinary citizens.Answer ChoicesA. The rise of the city-state put enormous pressure on the aristocracy to change its traditional way of life to make it appear more in harmony with the values of classical Athenian culture.B. The aristocrats staged elaborate festivals that focused attention on Athens instead of the surrounding villages.C. Cleisthenes' reforms reduced aristocratic power by reorganizing the citizen body and changing the entry points to civic life so that political power did not rely on traditional family and clan structures.D. The aristo cracy’s monopoly on political power ended with Solon’s reforms, and its political influence was further eroded by the centralization of administration under the tyrants.E. Cleisthenes gave each tribe an equal number of council members, jurors, generals, and commissioners.F. Over time, as the all-citizen assembly took on more and more of the actual exercise of political power, ordinary citizens participated in public life more fully than ever before.。

官方真题Official4托福阅读Passage1原文文本+题目+答案解析(原TPO)现在大家在进行托福备考时官方真题Official托福模考软件相信是大家用的最多的工具了，对于托福成绩的提升是非常有帮助的。

托福听力可以说是整个托福考试当中比较重要的一个部分，如何利用现有资料官方真题Official模考软件来提升大家的托福成绩呢?今天小编在这里整理了官方真题Official4托福阅读Passage1原文文本+题目+答案解析来分享给大家，希望对大家托福听力备考有帮助。

官方真题Official4托福阅读Passage1原文文本Deer Populations of the Puget SoundTwo species of deer have been prevalent in the Puget Sound area of Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The black-tailed deer, a lowland, west-side cousin of the mule deer of eastern Washington, is now the most common. The other species, the Columbian white-tailed deer, in earlier times was common in the open prairie country; it is now restricted to the low, marshy islands and flood plains along the lower Columbia River.Nearly any kind of plant of the forest understory can be part of a deer's diet. Where the forest inhibits the growth of grass and other meadow plants, the black-tailed deer browses on huckleberry, salal, dogwood, and almost any other shrub or herb. But this is fair-weather feeding. What keeps the black-tailed deer alive in the harsher seasons of plant decay and dormancy? One compensationfor not hibernating is the built-in urge to migrate. Deer may move from high-elevation browse areas in summer down to the lowland areas in late fall. Even with snow on the ground, the high bushy understory is exposed; also snow and wind bring down leafy branches of cedar, hemlock, red alder, andother arboreal fodder.The numbers of deer have fluctuated markedly since the entry of Europeans into Puget Sound country. The early explorers and settlers told of abundant deer in the early 1800s and yet almost in the same breath bemoaned the lack of this succulent game animal. Famous explorers of the north American frontier, Lewis and Clark arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River on November 14, 1805, in nearly starved circumstances. They had experienced great difficulty finding game west of the Rockies and not until the second of December did they kill their first elk. T o keep 40 people alive that winter, they consumed approximately 150 elk and 20 deer. And when game moved out of the lowlands in early spring, the expedition decided to return east rather than face possible starvation. Later on in the early years of the nineteenth century, when Fort Vancouver became the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company, deer populations continued to fluctuate. David Douglas, Scottish botanical explorer of the 1830s, found a disturbing change in the animal life around the fort during the period between his first visit in 1825 and his final contact with the fort in 1832. A recent Douglas biographer states:" The deer which once picturesquely dotted the meadows around the fort were gone [in 1832], hunted to extermination in order to protect the crops.Reduction in numbers of game should have boded ill for their survival in later times. A worsening of the plight of deer was to be expected as settlers encroached on the land, logging, burning, and clearing, eventually replacing a wilderness landscape with roads, cities, towns, and factories. No doubt the numbers of deer declined still further. Recall the fate of the Columbian white-tailed deer, now in a protected status. But forthe black-tailed deer, human pressure has had just the opposite effect. Wildlife zoologist Helmut Buechner(1953), in reviewing the nature of biotic changes in Washington through recorded time, says that "since the early 1940s, the state has had more deer than at any other time in its history, the winter population fluctuating around approximately 320,000 deer (mule and black-tailed deer), which will yield about 65,000 of either sex and any age annually for an indefinite period."The causes of this population rebound are consequences of other human actions. First, the major predators of deer—wolves, cougar, and lynx—have been greatly reduced in numbers. Second, conservation has been insured by limiting times for and types of hunting. But the most profoundreason for the restoration of high population numbers has been the fate of the forests. Great tracts of lowland country deforested by logging, fire, or both have become ideal feeding grounds of deer.In addition to finding an increase of suitable browse, like huckleberry and vine maple, Arthur Einarsen, longtime game biologist in the Pacific Northwest, found quality of browse in the open areas to be substantially more nutritive. The protein content of shade-grown vegetation, for example, was much lower than that for plants grown in clearings.官方真题Official4托福阅读Passage1题目Question 1 of 14According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the white-tailed deer of Puget Sound?A. It is native to lowlands and marshes.B. It is more closely related to the mule deer of eastern Washington than to other types of deer.C. It has replaced the black-tailed deer in the open prairie.D. It no longer lives in a particular type of habitat that it once occupied.Question 2 of 14It can be inferred from the discussion in paragraph 2 that winter conditionsA. cause some deer to hibernateB. make food unavailable in the highlands for deerC. make it easier for deer to locate understory plantsD. prevent deer from migrating during the winterQuestion 3 of 14The word "inhibits " in the passage is closest in meaning toA. consists ofB. combinesC. restrictsD. establishesQuestion 4 of 14The phrase "in the same breath " in the passage is closest in meaning toA. impatientlyB. humorouslyC. continuouslyD. immediatelyQuestion 5 of 14The author tells the story of the explorers Lewis and Clark in paragraph 3 in order to illustrate which of the following points?A. The number of deer within the Puget Sound region has varied over time.B. Most of the explorers who came to the Puget Sound area were primarily interested in hunting game.C. There was more game for hunting in the East of the UnitedStates than in the West.D. Individual explorers were not as successful at locating games as were the trading companies.Question 6 of 14According to paragraph 3, how had Fort Vancouver changed by the time David Douglas returned in 1832?A. The fort had become the headquarters for the Hudson's Bay Company.B. Deer had begun populating the meadows around the fort.C. Deer populations near the fort had been destroyed.D. Crop yields in the area around the fort had decreased.Question 7 of 14Why does the author ask readers to recall “the fate of the Columbian white-tailed deer ” in the discussion of changes in the wilderness landscape?A. To provide support for the idea that habitat destruction would lead to population declineB. To compare how two species of deer caused biotic changes in the wilderness environmentC. To provide an example of a species of deer that has successfully adapted to human settlementD. To argue that some deer species must be given a protected statusQuestion 8 of 14The phrase “indefinite period ” in the passage is closest in meaning to periodA. whose end has not been determinedB. that does not begin when expectedC. that lasts only brieflyD. whose importance remains unknownQuestion 9 of 14Which of the following statements about deer populations is supported by the information in paragraph 4?A. Deer populations reached their highest point during the 1940s and then began to decline.B. The activities of settlers contributed in unexpected ways to the growth of some deer populations in later times.C. The cleaning of wilderness land for construction caused biotic changes from which the black-tailed deer population has never recovered.D. Since the 1940s the winter populations of deer have fluctuated more than the summer populations have.Question 10 of 14The word “rebound ” in the passage is closest in meaning toA. declineB. recoveryC. exchangeD. movementQuestion 11 of 14Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.A. Arthur Einarsen’s longtime family with the Pacif ic Northwest helped him discover areas where deer had an increase in suitable browse.B. Arthur Einarsen found that deforested feeding grounds provided deer with more and better food.C. Biologist like Einarsen believe it is important to findadditional open areas with suitable browse for deer to inhabit.D. According to Einarsen, huckleberry and vine maple are examples of vegetation that may someday improve the nutrition of deer in the open areas of the Pacific Northwest.Question 12 of 14Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 5 as a factor that has increased deer populations?A. A reduction in the number of predatorsB. Restrictions on huntingC. The effects of logging and fireD. Laws that protected feeding grounds of deerQuestion 13 of 14Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?There food is available and accessible throughout the winter..Question 14 of 14Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Deer in the Puget Sound area eat a wide variety of foods and migrate seasonally to find food.A.The balance of deer species in the Puget Sound region has changed over time, with the Columbian white-tailed deer now outnumbering other types of deer.B.Deer populations naturally fluctuate, but early settlers in the Puget Sound environment caused an overall decline in thedeer populations of the areas at that time.C.In the long term, black-tailed deer in the Puget Sound area have benefitted from human activities through the elimination of their natural predators, and more and better food in deforested areas.D.Because Puget Sound deer migrate, it was and still remains difficult to determine accurately how many deer are living at any one time in the western United States.E.Although it was believed that human settlement of the American West would cause the total number of deer to decrease permanently, the opposite has occurred for certain types of deer.F.Wildlife biologists have long been concerned that the loss of forests may create nutritional deficiencies for deer.官方真题Official4托福阅读Passage1解析Question 1 of 14正确答案：D题目解析：以White-tailed deer做关键词定位至最后一句：The other species, the Columbian white-tailed deer, in earlier times was common in the open prairie country; it is now restricted to the low, marshy islands and flood plains along the lower Columbia River.说白尾鹿过去是什么什么地方的，现在是什么什么地方的，也就是它们的生活环境发生了变化，所以D不再在原来的地方生活正确。

Passage 1includes chatty personal narratives, talking mainly colloquially(口语中/化) about the writer’s and her friend’s bad experiences of using credit cards.Part I Additional new words1.collect –v. come to take back 领取；接走eg He ~ed the children from school. She ~ed her skirt form the cleaner’s.2.status-free – a. not showing one’s status 不显示身份地位的3.mortgage – n/v. 抵押（贷款）eg take out/repay a ~4.but then =but then again =but5.pay off – pay the whole of (a debt) 还清；付清工资解雇；成功6.technically – ad. strictly; according to the facts or exact meaning of sth 严格/准确地7.target (on, at) – v. cause to have an effect on a particular group 以…为目标/对象eg Welfare spending is being cut, so it should be ~ed on the people who need it most.8. repayment – n. paying back; sth paid back偿还；回报eg I t’s a small ~ for all you have done. the ~ of the loan8.allowance – n. 生活费；零用钱；津贴9.go out –leave the house for amusement; spend time regularly with someone of theopposite sex 出门（消遣）；与异性交往10.guarantee – n. 担保；保证；保证书11.haul – v. pull with effort or difficulty （用力）拖；拉eg ~ up the fishing nets12.access – v. obtain, examine, or retrieve 访问；存取13.current/checking account –活期存款账户14.sort sth out – deal with; make clear 处理；澄清eg It was just a silly quarrel that’s now been ~ed out.15.balance –n. an amount that remains or is left over 余数/额；结余16.cover – v. be enough money for 够支付eg Will $100 ~ the cost of the damage?17.tempt – v. persuade or attract someone to or sth hat seems pleasant or advantageous butmay be unwise or immoral 引诱；怂恿eg. A rival company is trying to ~ her away from her present job with an offer of more money. ~ people into stealing The fine weather ~s us to go outside.~ing a. ~ation n.Part II Questions for discussion1.What are the advantages of having a credit card?2. What sort of customers do the credit card companies hate?3. What are good customers for credit card companies?4. How do credit card companies make profits?5. What are the dangers of having a credit card?6. How have credit cards changed people’s attitude to money?(Do you have a credit card? If not, do you plan to apply for one? Why do/don’t you changed your attitude to money or ways of spending money? Are you encouraged to spend more than you have? Do credit cards encourage overspending? Do you know anyone who falls into a credit card trap?)7. What’s the main idea of the article?8. What’s the solution to the problem?DebatingForm groups to debate the topic: Is it necessary to get a student credit card?Part IV Language points1.I have a confession. (Para 1)Has the writer done something seriously wrong? No. It makes an interesting and ironic beginning. The confession is actually about something small and quite trivial. But the writer uses the story of this experience to raise serious issues about credit cards and banks.2.My credit card was fairly pathetic, status-free dark blue, whereas hers was a veryexclusive gold one. (Para 1)Paraphrasing: My credit card was quite useless in an annoying way. It was dark blue and ordinary, and it did not have any particular status. Hers was gold and was limited toa particular group. So the writer felt inferior and wanted a gold credit card too. 我的信用卡太寒酸了，是不显示身份地位的深蓝色卡，而她的信用卡则是高级的金卡。

Passage 1学生上大学的目的各不相同：探索知识，充实自己；改变自身处境，谋求好的社会地位；满足父母的期望…还有人从未认真想过…The Purpose of SchoolHave you ever asked yourself why children go to school? Y ou will probably say that they go to learn their own language and other languages, arithmetic, geography, geometry, history, science and all the other subjects. That is quite true, but why do they learn these things? And are these things all that they learn at school?We send our children to school to prepare them for the time when they will be big and will have to work for themselves. They learn their own language so that they will be able to tell others clearly what they want and what they know, and understand what others tell them. They learn foreign languages in order to be able to benefit from what people in other countries have written and said, and in order to make people from other countries understand what they themselves mean. They learn arithmetic in order to be able to measure and count things in their daily life, geography in order to know something about the , and history to know something about human beings they meet every day. Nearly everything they study at school has some practical use in their life, but is that the only reason why they go to school?No. There is more in education than just learning facts. We go to school, above all①, to learn how to learn, so that, when we have left school, we can continue to learn. A man who really knows how to learn will always be successful, because whenever he has to do something new which he has never had to do before, he will rapidly teach himself how to do it in the best way. The uneducated person, on the other hand②, is either unable to do something new, or does it badly．The purpose of schools, therefore, is not just to teach languages, arithmetic, geography, etc．, but teach pupils the way to learn．［330 words］全文结构清晰、脉络分明。

托福阅读真题及答案 PASSAGE 1在整个阅读的过程中，每篇文章的阅读时间规定为是20分钟。

当然，除了文章外还有答题，对于很多人来说，这个时间还是非常紧张的。

以下是网的关于托福阅读真题及答案：PASSAGE 1，供大家备考。

By the mid-nieenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns, and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use.This had bee possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern refrigerator, hadbeen invented.Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nieenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary. The monsense notion thatthe best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the icethat performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nieenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for anefficient icebox.But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up therapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his petitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The influence of ice on the diet(B) The development of refrigeration(C) The transportation of goods to market(D) Sources of ice in the nieenth century2. Aording to the passage , when did the word "icebox" bee part of the language of the United States?(A) in 1803(B) sometime before 1850(C) during the civil war(D) near the end of the nieenth century3. The phrase "forward-looking" in line 4 is closest in meaning to(A) progressive(B) popular(C) thrifty(D) well-established4. The author mentions fish in line 4 because(A) many fish dealers also sold ice(B) fish was shipped in refrigerated freight cars(C) fish dealers were among the early mercial users of ice(D) fish was not part of the ordinary person's diet before the invention of the icebox5. The word "it" in line 5 refers to(A) fresh meat(B) the Civil War(C) ice(D) a refrigerator6. Aording to the passage , which of the following was an obstacle to the development of the icebox?(A) Competition among the owners of refrigeratedfreight cars(B) The lack of a work for the distribution of ice(C) The use of insufficient insulation(D) Inadequate understanding of physics7. The word "rudimentary" in line 12 is closest in meaning to(A) growing(B) undeveloped(C) necessary(D) uninteresting8. Aording to the information in the second paragraph, an ideal icebox would(A) pletely prevent ice from melting(B) stop air from circulating(C) allow ice to melt slowly(D) use blankets to conserve ice9. The author describes Thomas Moore as having been "on the right track" (lines 18-19) to indicate that(A) the road to the market passed close to Moore's farm(B) Moore was an honest merchant(C) Moore was a prosperous farmer(D) Moore's design was fairly suessful10. Aording to the passage , Moore's icebox allowed him to(A) charge more for his butter(B) travel to market at night(C) manufacture butter more quickly(D) produce ice all year round11. The "produce" mentioned in line 25 could include(A) iceboxes(B) butter(C) ice(D) markets。

READING PASSAGE 1Question 1-5Do the following statements agree with the information in passage 1?In box 1-5 on your answer sheet writeYes if the statement agrees with the informationNo if the statement contradicts the informationNot given if there is no information about the statementworking is not a modern idea.working is worn like a badge excusively in the business world.3.People fall into two basic categories.4. A person whose shares knowledge and friends makes a better networker than onewho does not.5.The classic networker is physically strong and generally in good health. Question 6-10Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage, complete the sentenses below.6.Making new acquaintances…………………………, but also has itsdisadvantages.7.At work, problem can be caused if the manager is ……………………………8. A manager can suppress, or even totally …………………………….., the careerof an employee.9.In the business today, working together is necessary in orderfor …………………………… to grow.10.Business that specialize will not last for long withow …………………………Question 11- 15Using NO MORE THREE WORDS from the passage, complete the sentences below.11.In which sphere of life have ideas been protected jealously? ……………………12.Which type of individual does not easily become a modernnetworker? …………………………13.Where one of the greatest concentrations of high tech is companies aEurope? ………………………………14.Who replaced the Neanderthals? …………………………………….15.What, as well as understanding and thought abstraction, sets up apart from otheranimals? ………………………………….FUTHER PRACTICE FOR READING PASSAGE1The questions below will help you to make sure that you have chosen the correct answers for questions 1- 5 on reading passege1.Question 1.look at the fist sentence of paragraph one and answer the following questions1. Which adjective qualities the phrase …air of modernity‟?………………………………………………………….2. What is the meaning of the word …unjustified‟?a. not validb. not realc. without justificed. without truth3. What does the word …acquired‟ mean?……………………………………….4. Does the sentence below agree with the text?The witer states that networking is an old concept.………………………………………Question 2.Look at the last sentence of paragraph one and answer the following questions.1.What does the word …concept‟ refer to?……………………………2.Does the text restrict the wearing of the badge to the business world? Or is ittaking generally?………………………………………………………………….3.Which phase in the last sentence tells you this?………………………………………………..Question 3. Look at the fist sentence paragraph two and answer the following questions.1.How many types does the writer say people can be divided into?………………………………………………………………2.Does the text mention a number?………………………………………………………………...3.Therefore, do you know how many types of people there are? Is the informationgiven?………………………………………………………………Question 4. Look at the fist sentence of second paragraph and answer the following questions.1.Who share things with other?……………………………………2.Who does not share?…………………………………3.Does the text make a direct comparison between the two types?………………………………………………………4.Is it clear from the text which type of person is better at networking?………………………………………………………………Question 5. Look at the second paragraph and answer the following questions.1.What does the word …strong‟ mean in the text?……………………………………………………2.Does the text mention physical weakness or not being physically strong?……………………………………………………3.Does the text mention anything about general health?………………………………………………….Question 16-22Reading passage 2 has eight paragraphs labelled A – HChoose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-xii) in boxes 16-22 on your answer sheet.One of the headings has been done for your as an example. Any heading may be used more than one.Note: there are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use all of them.16. paragraph A17. paragraph B18. paragraph C19. paragraph D20. paragraph E21. paragraph F22. paragraph GQuestion 23- 27Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading passage 2?In box 23- 27 on your answer sheet writeYes if the statement agrees with the informationNo if the statement contradicts the informationNot given if there is no information about the statement23. European countries have been satisfied with past achivenments for too long and have allowed other countries to overtake them in certain areas.24.Reading is an economic force25.the literacy rate in less developed nations is considerably higher than in allEuropean countries.26.If you encourage children to read when thay are young the negative attitude toreading that grows in some subcultures will be eliminated.27.People should be discourage from reading comics and magazines.FUTHER PRACTICE FOR READING PASSAGE 2The questions below will help you to make sure that you have chosen the correct options for question 16- 22 on reading passege1.Question 16 Look at paragraph A and answer the questions.1.Does the paragraph describe the development of reading from one point of timeanother?…………………………………………………………….2.Is the paragraph only about reading as it was in St Augustin e‟s day?…………………………………………………………….3.Is the theme of paragraph how reading became a mark of civilization?…………………………………………………………….Question 17 Look at paragraph B and answer the questions.1.Does the paragraph talk about modern nations?…………………………………………………………….2.Are educate workers in India mentioned as an example of something in paragraph?…………………………………………………………….3.Is the first ssentence of the paragraph the topic sentence, and the rest of theparagraph exemplification?…………………………………………………………….Question 18 Look at paragraph C and answer the questions.1.Is the importance of reading in an economic sense the theme of paragraph?……………………………………………………………2.Does the paragraph show how reading as a skill is now an economic force?……………………………………………………………3.Is the amount of money that reading has contributed to the economy the centralidea of the paragraph?…………………………………………………………...Question 19 Look at paragraph D and answer the questions.1.Is the problem described in this paragraph?…………………………………………………………..2.Does the paragraph only mention the fact that reading is taken for granted indeveloped societues?…………………………………………………………….3.Are both a reason and a result discussed in this paragraph?…………………………………………………………….Question 20 Look at paragraph E and answer the questions.1.Does the paragraph say that young people today are attacted to reading?……………………………………………………….2.Does the paragraph describe the various ways young people regard reading?……………………………………………………….3.Is the writer‟s attitude to reading discussed?……………………………………………………….Question 21 Look at paragraph F and answer the questions.1.Is the question about the attitude of modern Western society to the decline inreading?……………………………………………………….2.According to the text, can this decline be controlled?……………………………………………………….3.Does the writer answer a question by giving his or her own opinion?……………………………………………………….Question 22 Look at paragraph G and answer the questions.1.Does the paragraph describe how to encourage reading?………………………………………………………...2.Does the paragraph talk about young people and their attitude to reading?…………………………………………………………3.Do the instructions for the exercise specify that each of the headings can beused only once?…………………………………………………………READING PASSAGE 3Variations on a theme: the sonneet form in English poetryA The form of lyric poetry known as “the sonnet”, or “little song”, was introducedinto the English poetic corpus by Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder and hiscontemporary Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, during the first half of the sixteenth century. It originated, however, in Italy three centuries earlier, with the earliestexamples known being those of Giacomo de lentino, … The Notary‟ in the Sicilian court of the Emperor Prederick II, dating from the third decade of the thirteenthcentury. The sicilian sonneteers are relatively obscure, but the form was teken up by the two most famous poets of the Italian Renaissance, Dante and Petrarch, and indeed the latter is regared as the master of the form.B The Petrarchan sonnet form, the first to be introduced into English poetry, is acomplex poetic structure. It comprises fourteen lines written in a rhyming metrical pattern of iambic pentameter, that is to say each line is ten syllables long, divided into five …feet‟ or pairs of syllables ( hence …pentameter‟), with a stress patternwhere the first syllable of each foot is unstressed and the second stressed ( aniambic foot). This can be seen if we look at the first line of one of Wordsworth‟ssonnets, …After- Thought‟:… I thought of thee my partner and my guide‟.If we break down this line into its constituent syllabic parts, we can see the fivefeet and the stress partern ( in this example each stressed syllable is underlined),thus:… I thought/ of thee/ my part/ner and/ my guide‟.C The rhyme scheme for the Petrarchan sonnet is equally as rigid. The poem isgenerally divided into two parts, the octave (8 lines) and the sestet (6 lines), which is demonstrated through rhyme rather than an actual space between each section.The octave is usually rhymed abbaabba with the first, fourth, fifth and eighthlines rhyming with each other, and the second, third, sixth and seventh alsorhyming. The sestet is more varied: it can followthe patterns cdecde, cdccdc,orcdedce. Perhaps the best interpretation of this division in the Petrarchan sonnet is by Charles Gayley, who wrote: “ The octave bears the burden; a doubt, a problem,a reflection, a query, an historical statement, a cry of indignation or desire, avision of the ideal. The sestet eases the load, resolves the problem or doubt,answers the query or doubt, solaces the yearning, realizes the vision. “ Thus, wecan see that the rhyme scheme demonstrates a twofold division in the poem,providing a structure for development of themes and ideas.D Early on, however, English poets began to vaty and experiment with this structure.The first major development was made by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey,altogether an indifferent poet, but was taken up and perfected by WilliamShakespeare, and is named after him. The Shakespearean sonnet also has forteenlines in iambic pentameter, but rather than the division into four parts: threequatrains and a final rhyming couplet. Each quatrain has its own internal rhymescheme, thus a typical Shakespearean sonnet would rhyme abab cdcd efef gg.Such a structure naturally allows greater flexiblity for the author and it would behard, if not impossible, to enumerate the different ways in which it has beenimployed, by Shakespeare and others. For example, an idea mingt be introducedin the first quatrain, complicated in the second, futher complicated in the third,and resolved in the final couplet – indeed, the couplet is almost always used as aresolution to the poem, though often in a surprising way.E These, then, are the two standard forms of the sonnet in English poetry, but itshould be recognized that poets rarely follow rules precisely and a number ofother sonnet types have been developed, playing with the structural elements.Edmund Spenser, for example, more famou s for his verse epic … The FaerieQueene‟, invented a variation on the Shakespearean form by interlocking therhyme scheme between the quatrains, thus: abab bcbc cdcd ee, while in thetwentieth century Rupert Brooke resered his sonnet, beginning with the couplet.John Milton, the seventeenth – century poet, was unsatisfied with the fourteen –line format and wrote a number of … Caudate‟ sonnet, or sonnets with the regularfourteen lines ( on the Petrarchan model) with a “coda” or “tail” of the further six l ines. A similar notion informs George Meredith‟s sonnet sequence “ ModernLove”, where most sonnets in the cycle have sixteen lines.F Perhaps the most radical of innovators, however, has been Gerard ManleyHopkins, who developed what he called the … Curtal‟ sonnet. This form varies the length of the poem, reducing it in effect to eleven and s half lines the rhymescheme and the number of feet per line. Modulating the Petrarchan form, insteadof two quatrains in the octave, he has two tercets rhyming abc abc, and in placeof the sestet he has four and a half lines, with a rhyme scheme dcbdc. As if this is not enough, the tercets are no longer in iambic pentameter, but have six stressesinstead of five, as does the final quatrain, with the exception of the last line, which has three. Many critics, however, are sceptical as to whether such a majorvariation can indeed be classified as a sonnet, but as verse forms and structuresbecome freer, and poets less satisfied with convention, it is likely that even moreexperimental forms will out.……………………………………………………Question 28- 32Reading passage 3 has six paragraphs labelled A – F.Reading passage 2 has eight paragraphs labelled A – HChoose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.Write the appropriate numbers (i-xiii) in boxes 28 – 32 on your answer sheet.One of the headings has been done for youNote: there are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use all of them.28. paragraph B29. paragraph C30. paragraph D31. paragraph E32. paragraph F Question 33 - 37Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORD from the passage, complete the sentences below.33 Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder and Henry Howard were…………………………34 It was in the third decade of the thirteenth century that the ………………... was introduced.35 Among poets of the Italian Renaissanse…………………….. was considered to be the better sonneteer.36 The Petrarchan sonnet form consists of …………………………………..37 In comparison with the octave, the rhyme scheme of the sestetis ………………………..varied.Question 38 – 40Choosse the correct letters A – D and write them in boxes 38- 40 on your answer sheet.38According to Charles Gayley,A the octave is longer than the sestetB the octave develops themes and ideas.C the sestet provides answers and solutionsD the sestet demonstsrates a twofold division.39The Shakespearean sonnet isA an indifferent developmentB more developed than the Petrarchan sonnet.C more flexible than the Petrarchan sonnet.D enumerated in different ways.40According to the passage, whose sonnet types are similar?A Spenser and BrookerB Brooker and MiltonC Hopkins and SpenserD Milton and Meredith…………………………………………………………………….。

英语阅读一参考答案本参考答案旨在帮助学生更好地理解英语阅读材料，并提供可能的答案。

请注意，阅读材料的理解和答案可能因人而异，以下答案仅供参考。

Passage 1: The Benefits of Reading1. What is the main idea of the passage?- The main idea is that reading has numerous benefits for both mental and physical health.2. According to the passage, how does reading improve mental health?- Reading can reduce stress, improve empathy, and stimulate the brain, thereby improving mental health.3. What are the physical health benefits mentioned in the passage?- Reading can help improve sleep quality, slow down cognitive decline, and even reduce the risk of certain diseases.4. How does the passage suggest reading can be a form of escapism?- Reading allows individuals to immerse themselves in different worlds and experiences, providing a temporary escape from reality.5. What is the final point made by the author regarding the importance of reading?- The author emphasizes that reading should be a lifelong habit, as it offers continuous benefits regardless of age.Passage 2: The Impact of Technology on Education1. What is the primary focus of this passage?- The passage discusses the positive and negative impacts of technology on the education system.2. How does technology enhance the learning experience?- Technology provides access to a wealth of information, facilitates interactive learning, and personalizes education to suit individual needs.3. What are some of the concerns raised about the use of technology in classrooms?- Concerns include the potential for distraction, the digital divide, and the risk of students becoming overly reliant on technology.4. How does the passage suggest schools can address the challenges of integrating technology?- By providing training for teachers, ensuring equitable access to technology, and setting clear guidelines for its use.5. What is the conclusion of the passage regarding the role of technology in education?- The passage concludes that while technology has itschallenges, when used responsibly, it can significantly enhance the educational experience.Passage 3: The Importance of Cultural Diversity1. What is the central theme of this passage?- The central theme is the importance of culturaldiversity and its contribution to a richer and more inclusive society.2. How does the passage describe the benefits of cultural diversity?- The passage highlights benefits such as increased creativity, broader perspectives, and enhanced problem-solving abilities.3. What are some of the challenges associated with cultural diversity?- Challenges include potential misunderstandings, communication barriers, and the need for greater tolerance and acceptance.4. How can societies promote cultural diversity?- Societies can promote cultural diversity through education, cultural exchange programs, and by fostering an environment of respect and openness.5. What is the author's final message regarding cultural diversity?- The author's final message is that embracing cultural diversity is essential for the growth and development ofsocieties.Passage 4: Environmental Protection and Individual Responsibility1. What is the main argument presented in this passage?- The main argument is that environmental protection is a collective responsibility that requires individual actions.2. How does the passage illustrate the impact of individual actions on the environment?- The passage provides examples such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and supporting sustainable practices.3. What are some of the barriers to individual environmental responsibility?- Barriers include lack of awareness, convenience of unsustainable practices, and the perception that individual actions are insignificant.4. How can communities and governments support individual environmental responsibility?- By providing education, incentives for sustainable practices, and implementing policies that promote environmental protection.5. What is the conclusion of the passage regarding individual responsibility for the environment?- The conclusion is that every individual has a part to play in environmental protection, and collective efforts can lead to significant positive change.Passage 5: The Role of Sports in Personal Development1. What is the central message of this passage?- The central message is that sports play a crucial rolein personal development, teaching valuable life skills and promoting physical well-being.2. How does the passage discuss the physical benefits of sports?- The passage mentions improved physical fitness, enhanced cardiovascular health, and the prevention of obesity as physical benefits.3. What are some of the psychological benefits of sports participation?- The passage highlights improved self-esteem, stress reduction, and the development of resilience as psychological benefits.4. How does the passage suggest sports can contribute to social development?- By fostering teamwork, leadership skills, and social interaction, sports can contribute to social development.5. What is the final point made by the author about the importance of sports in personal development?- The author concludes that sports are an integral part of personal development, offering a holistic approach to health and well-being.Please note that these answers are intended to provide a general guide and may not cover all possible interpretations of the passages. Students are encouraged to engage with the texts critically and form their own insights and conclusions.。

Passage 1Anger is a negative emotion. But, like being happy or excited, feeling angry makes people want to seek rewards, accordi ng to a new study of emotion and visual attention. The researchers found that people who are angry pay more attention to rewards than to threats -- the opposite of people feeling other negative emotions like fear.Previous research has shown that emotion affects what someone pays attention to. If a fearful or anxious person is given a choice of a rewarding picture, like a sexy couple, or a threatening picture, like a person waving a knife threateningly, they'll spend more time looking at the threat than at the rewarding picture. People feeling excitement, however, are the other way -- they'll go for the reward.But nobody knows whether those reactions occur because the emotions are positive or negative, or because of something else, says Brett Q. Ford of Boston College, who wrote the study with Maya Tamir, also of Boston College, and four other authors. For example, she says, "emotions can vary in what they make you want to do. Fear is associated with a motivation to avoid, whereas excitement is associated with a motivation to approach. It can make you want to seek out certain things, like rewards." The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.For her study, Ford focused on anger. Like fear, anger is a negative emotion. But, like excitement, anger motivates someone to go out and get rewards. First, participants in the study were assigned to write for 15 minutes about one of four memories in their past: a time when they were angry, afraid, excited and happy, or felt little or no emotion. A five-minute piece of music reinforced whichever emotion the participant had been assigned. Then they completed a task in which they had to examine two side-by-side pictures. An eye-tracking device monitored how much time they spent looking at each picture. Angry people spent more time looking at the rewarding pictures. Looking at something is the first step before the thoughts and actions that follow, says Ford. "Attention kicks off an entire string of events that can end up influencing behavior." The people who felt happy and excited also looked more at the rewarding photos, but the two groups might act differently -- an angry person might be motivated approach something in a confrontational or aggressive way, while a happy person might go for something they want in a nicer way -- by collaborating, being sociable and friendly.Passage 3University of Washington experts have warned that the way modern technology has been breaking people’s connections with the natural world may give rise to a major psychological problem. We are a technological species, but we also need a deep connection with nature in our lives, said Peter Kahn, a UW developmental psychologist.Kahn and two of his UW graduate students, Rachel Severson and Jolina Ruckert, explored how humans connect with nature and technological nature. Writing in the current issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, the researchers revealed that they looked at the psychological effects of interacting with various forms of technological nature and explore humanity’s growing estrangement（疏远）from nature. They even cited an earlier experiment that showed that people recovered better from low level stress by looking at an actual view of nature rather than seeing the same real-time high-definition television scene displayed on a plasma（等离子）window.“What do we compare technology to? If we compare it to no nature, technological nature works pretty well. But if we compar e it to actual nature, it doesn’t seem to provide as many psychological benefits,” Kahn said.They have also talked about a study that showed that compared to interacting with a real dog, children s interactions with robots were not as social or deep. Robot and virtual pets are beginning to replace children s interactions with biologically live pets.The larger concern is that technological nature will shift the baseline of what people perceive as the full human experience of nature, and that it will contribute to what we call environmental generational amnesia,（环境失忆症）Ruckert said.Kahn added poor air quality is a good example of physical degradation. We can choke on the air, and some people suffer asthma,（哮喘）but we tend to think that s a pretty normal part of the human condition.Passage 4When large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody, mystery writer Agatha Christie once said. But what if there is a biological reason for why we would trust others with our cash? Scientists have discovered that the hormone oxytocin, when sniffed, makes people more prone to trust others to look after their money.To test the trusting effect of oxytocin, the researchers studied people who played an investment game. In the game, participants would choose how much money to hand over to a trustee. Investors were far more trusting after inhaling thehormone, researchers found.The findings have important implications for the study of conditions in which trust is diminished or augmented. Ongoing research suggests that inhaling oxytocin may help reduce anxiety in people with social phobia, for example, and help them to interact better with others.Almost all human interactions—from love and friendship to leadership and economic transactions—require an element of trust. Y et little is known about the biological underpinnings of the feeling."We know a lot about institutional factors that foster trust—information, repeated interaction, and so on—but nothi ng about why we trust when there is basically no objective reason to do so," said Michael Kosfeld, an economist at the University of Zurich. Kosfeld is a co-author of the study.That oxytocin would promote trust is not entirely surprising. Humans release the hormone during everything from labor to sexual orgasm. But in many animals the molecule is also known to promote social interactions, including pair bonding.In the trust game participants played either the role of investor or trustee. Investors chose how much money to hand over to the trustee. The trustee, in turn, would then decide how much money to hand back after the financial stake quadrupled in size.Notably, the effect was not seen when the trustee was replaced with a computer. This suggests that oxytocin makes people more willing to engage in social interaction and not just more likely to take risks.Scientists believe oxytocin could work as a kind of neurotransmitter in brain regions associated with emotional and social behaviors. A person's appraisal of a situation could trigger a chain of neural events, including the release of oxytocin. "Particular social mechanisms and social cues that foster trust, like a smiling face of the other person, may perhaps lead to increases in oxytocin levels and therefore to higher probabilities of trust," said Kosfeld, the economist.The findings may have direct clinical implications. Heinrichs, the psychologist, has been conducting several studies on the use of oxytocin in treating anxiety disorders, such as social phobia.The role of oxytocin could also help scientists to better understand disorders that cause some people to display too much trust. Children with a rare genetic disorder known as Williams syndrome, for example, approach strangers indiscriminately. The children's high level of trust could be due to excessive oxytocin release, scientists speculate."This is the beginning of understanding human trust and positive social interaction from a biological point of view," Heinrichs said.Of course, one could also imagine more dubious uses for the "trust potion"—say, if car dealers or investment bankers sprayed their offices with oxytocin.。

剑桥雅思12test1passage1阅读原文翻译
伦敦塔桥是英格兰首都伦敦的一座标志性建筑，也是被公认为世界上最为著名的桥梁之一。

这座桥梁横跨泰晤士河，连接着伦敦市区的市中心与南岸地区，自19世纪以来一直是伦敦的
重要地标。

塔桥的设计非常独特，它拥有两座塔楼，桥面通过两座桥塔连接。

这座桥的设计灵感来自于古代罗马式桥梁，石制的塔楼和拱门为塔桥增添了一种古老而庄严的氛围。

塔桥的历史可以追溯到19世纪初，当时伦敦市区的交通问题
日益严重，市政府决定修建一座横跨泰晤士河的桥梁来解决这个问题。

塔桥的建设开始于1886年，历时8年才完工。

它是
当时世界上最大的悬索桥，因此被誉为工程奇迹。

在过去的一个多世纪里，塔桥成为伦敦的标志之一，也吸引了大量的游客。

每年游客们都会来此参观桥梁的独特设计和壮丽景色，同时还能参观桥塔内的博物馆，了解桥梁的建设历史和伦敦的交通发展。

然而，塔桥的受欢迎也带来了一些问题。

随着车辆和行人的不断增加，桥梁的通行能力变得有限，并且不适应现代交通需求。

因此，政府决定在塔桥附近修建一座新的桥梁，以分流交通。

总体而言，伦敦塔桥是一座历史悠久且富有特色的桥梁，代表着伦敦的文化与历史。

它不仅是一座交通枢纽，同时也是伦敦人民的骄傲与象征。

为了帮助大家高效备考托福，为大家带来托福TPO41阅读Passage1原文文本+题目+答案解析，希望对大家备考有所帮助。

Navajo Art The Navajo,a Native American people living in the southwestern United States,live in small scattered settlements.In many respects,such as education,occupation,and leisure activities,their life is like that of other groups that contribute to the diverse social fabric of North American culture in the twenty-first century.At the same time,they have retained some traditional cultural practices that are associated with particular art forms.For example,the most important traditional Navajo rituals include the production of large floor paintings.These are actually made by pouring thin,finely controlled streams of colored sands or pulverized vegetable and mineral substances,pollen,and flowers in precise patterns on the ground.The largest of these paintings may be up to 5.5 meters in diameter and cover the entire floor of a room.Working from the inside of the design outward,the Navajo artist and his assistants will sift the black,white,bluish-gray,orange,and red materials through their fingers to create the finely detailed imagery.The paintings and chants used in the ceremonies are directed by well-trained artists and singers who enlist the aid of spirits who are impersonated by masked performers.The twenty-four known Navajo chants can be represented by up to 500 sand paintings.These complex paintings serve as memory aids to guide the singers during the performance of the ritual songs,which can last up to nine days. The purpose and meaning of the sand paintings can be explained by examining one of the most basic ideals of Navajo society,embodied in their word hozho(beauty or harmony,goodness,and happiness).It coexists with hochxo("ugliness,"or"evil,"and"disorder")in a world where opposing forces of dynamism and stability create constant change.When the world,which was created in beauty,becomes ugly and disorderly,the Navajo gather to perform rituals with songs and make sand paintings to restore beauty and harmony to the world.Some illness is itself regarded as a type of disharmony.Thus,the restoration of harmony through a ceremony can be part of a curing process. Men make sand paintings that are accurate copies of paintings from the past.The songs sung over the paintings are also faithful renditions of songs from the past.By recreating these arts,which reflect the original beauty of creation,the Navajo bring beauty to the present world.As relative newcomers to the Southwest,a place where their climate,neighbors,and rulers could be equally inhospitable,the Navajo created these art forms to affect the world around them,not just through the recounting of the actions symbolized,but through the beauty and harmony of the artworks themselves.The paintings generally illustrate ideas and events from the life of a mythical hero,who,after being healed by the gods,gave gifts of songs and paintings.Working from memory,the artists re-create the traditional form of the image as accuratelyas possible. The Navajo are also world-famous for the designs on their woven blankets.Navajo women own the family flocks,control the shearing of the sheep,the carding,the spinning,and dying of the thread,and the weaving of the fabrics.While the men who make faithful copies of sand paintings from the past represent the principle of stability in Navajo thought,women embody dynamism and create new designs for every weaving they make.Weaving is a paradigm of the creativity of a mythic ancestor named Spider Woman who wove the universe as a cosmic web that united earth and sky.It was she who，according to legend,taught Navajo women how to weave.As they prepare their materials and weave.Navajo women imitate the transformations that originally created the world.Working on their looms,Navajo weavers create images through which they experience harmony with nature.It is their means of creating beauty and thereby contributing to the beauty,harmony,and healing of the world.Thus,weaving is a way of seeing the world and being part of it. Paragraph 1 The Navajo,a Native American people living in the southwestern United States,live in small scattered settlements.In many respects,such as education,occupation,and leisure activities,their life is like that of other groups that contribute to the diverse social fabric of North American culture in the twenty-first century.At the same time,they have retained some traditional cultural practices that are associated with particular art forms.For example,the most important traditional Navajo rituals include the production of large floor paintings.These are actually made by pouring thin,finely controlled streams of colored sands or pulverized vegetable and mineral substances,pollen,and flowers in precise patterns on the ground.The largest of these paintings may be up to 5.5 meters in diameter and cover the entire floor of a room.Working from the inside of the design outward,the Navajo artist and his assistants will sift the black,white,bluish-gray,orange,and red materials through their fingers to create the finely detailed imagery.The paintings and chants used in the ceremonies are directed by well-trained artists and singers who enlist the aid of spirits who are impersonated by masked performers.The twenty-four known Navajo chants can be represented by up to 500 sand paintings.These complex paintings serve as memory aids to guide the singers during the performance of the ritual songs,which can last up to nine days. 1.The word“precise”is closest in meaning to A.colorful B.exact C.delicate。