2014年7月12日托福阅读真题P1+题目+答案：Understanding Ancient Mesoamerican Art

2014年7月12日托福阅读真题P1+题目+答案：Understanding Ancient Mesoamerican Art

Starting at the end of the eighteenth century and continuing up to the present, explorers have searched for the ruins of ancient Mesoamerica, a region that includes Central America and central and southern Mexico. With the progress of time, archaeologists have unearthed civilizations increasingly remote in age. It is as if with each new century in the modern era an earlier stratum of antiquity has been revealed. Nineteenth-century explorers, particularly John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, came upon Maya cities in the jungle, as well as evidence of other Classic cultures. Twentieth-century research revealed a much earlier high civilization, the Olmec. It now scarcely seems possible that the frontiers of early Mesoamerican civilization can be pushed back any further, although new work—such as in Oaxaca, southern Mexico—will continue to fill in details of the picture.

1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following best describes the progress made in the search for ruins of ancient Mesoamerica?

A.The oldest remains were discovered immediately after Columbus arrived, and later findings correspond to more recent ruins.

B.From the late eighteenth century through the twentieth century, increasingly older remains were found.

C.All of the archaeological work was completed in the twentieth century.

D.Technological developments made it progressively easier for explorers to discover Mayan cities in the jungle.

答案：B

2. Paragraph 1 supports which of the following statements about the revealing of early Mesoamerican civilization?

A.The Maya and Olmec civilizations were discovered by explorers at approximately the same time.

B.Most of our understanding of Mesoamerican civilization comes from discoveries made in the twentieth century.

C.The discoveries made at Oaxaca in southern Mexico show that the Olmec civilization had its origins there.

D.Evidence still to be found in Oaxaca, Mexico, is likely to provide additional information about the high civilization of early Mesoamerica.

答案：D

The process of discovery often shapes what we know about the history of Mesoamerican art. New finds are just as often made accidentally as intentionally. In 1971 workers installing sound and light equipment under the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan stumbled upon a remarkable cave that has since been interpreted by some scholars as a royal burial chamber. Archaeology has its own fashions too: the isolation of new sites may be the prime goal in one decade and the excavation of pyramids the focus in the next. In a third decade, outlying structures rather than principal buildings may absorb archaeologists’ energies. Nor should one forget that excavators are vulnerable to local interests. At one point, reconstruction of pyramids to attract tourism may be desired; at another, archaeologists may be precluded from working at what has already become a tourist attraction. Also, modern construction often determines which ancient sites can be excavated. In Mexico City, for example, the building of the subway initiated the excavations there and renewed interest in the old Aztec capital.

3. In paragraph 2, why does the author discuss the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan?

A。To introduce the discussion of a specific style of Mesoamerican art

B.To illustrate the importance of an accidental discovery

C.To emphasize the necessity of systematic study

D.To argue against the use of modern equipment in archaeology

答案:B

4. The word "outlying" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A.ceremonial

B.temporary

C.far from the center

D.simple

答案：C

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 as a factor affecting the process of discovery in archaeology?

A.Fashions that change over time

B.The popularity of archaeology as a field of study

C.The interests of local inhabitants

D.The building of modern structures

答案：B

6. The word "initiated" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A.destroyed

B.interferedwith

C.occurred at the same time as

D.started

答案：D

But the study of Mesoamerican art is not based exclusively on archaeology. Much useful information about the native populations was written down in the sixteenth century, particularly in central Mexico, and it can help us unravel the pre-Columbian past (the time prior to the arrival of Columbus in the Americas in 1492). Although many sources exist, the single most important one to the art historian is Bernardino de Sahagún’s General History of the Things of New Spain. A Franciscan friar (member of the Roman Catholic religious order), Sahagún recorded for posterity many aspects of pre-Hispanic life in his encyclopedia of twelve books, including history, ideology, and cosmogony (theories of the origin of the universe), as well as detailed information on the materials and methods of the skilled native craft workers. Furthermore, traditional ways of life survive among the native peoples of Mesoamerica, and scholars have increasingly found that modern practice and belief can decode the past. Remarkably, some scholars have been turned this process around, teaching ancient writing to modern peoples who may use it to articulate their identity in the twenty-first century.

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