2017年7月8日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Cave and Rock Art

2017年7月8日托福阅读真题+题目+答案：Cave and Rock Art

Some of the earliest human art to survive consists of engraved or painted works on open-air rocks or on the floors, walls, and ceilings of caves, some of them in deep crannies. They were created during the Upper Paleolithic period (40,000 to 10,000B.C.), and the best were done by what we call the Magdalenians (from the name of a site), peoples who flourished in Europe from 18,000 to 10,000 B.C. Such works have a unity and can be described as the Magdalenian art system, the first in human history. It was also the longest, lasting for much of the total time humans have produced art.

1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the artwork of the Magdalenians

A. Its best features were later made part of a unified art system by other people after the end of the Paleolithic period.

B. It includes the finest examples of paintings done on rocks

C. Compared to the artwork of later groups, it was produced for only a short time.

D. Its earliest forms were on open-air rocks, while its later forms were in caves.

In any history of art, then, the Magdalenian system must occupy a place of importance. Also, of all the forms of art practiced on the planet, it is the one about which we know the least. But we do possess a reasonable amount of knowledge, bearing in mind that the first cave art was only discovered in the 1860s, and it was not until 1902 that it was accepted as a fact by anthropologists and art historians. By the end of the twentieth century, there were 277 agreed examples in Europe. Unfortunately, most cave art works are extremely fragile. When a cave is opened and the conditions that enable the paintings to survive are altered, deterioration can be rapid. Thus except in places where expensive air-conditioning has been installed, caves are no longer open to the public. Even the Altamira cave in Spain, finest of them all, is now open only to small parties for brief periods. Scholars themselves find it difficult to gain admission. Some of these works are photographed, but the camera gives a poor idea of their nature and quality. Some are difficult to see anyway: the best part of Altamira has to be studied lying down. Hence inaccessibility is a real and growing obstacle to unlocking the secrets of the Magdalenian art system.

2. 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. Because cave art was not discovered until the 1860s and anthropologists and art historians did not begin studying it until 1902, we still have little knowledge of it.

B. Cave art was first discovered in the 1860s, but it was not until 1902 that anthropologists and art historians first began to understand it.

C. We know quite a bit about cave art, given that it was not discovered until the 1860s and not accepted as authentic until 1902.

D. We know a reasonable amount about cave art as a result of the efforts of anthropologists and art historians since the first discoveries in the 1860s.

3. Why does the author include the information that some cave art has been “photographed, but the camera gives a poor idea of their nature and quality”?

A. To help explain why lack of access to caves is an obstacle to understanding the Magdalenian art system.

B. To suggest that these artworks have suffered less deterioration than has sometimes been claimed

C. To argue that air-conditioning should be installed in the Altamira cave in Spain

D. To emphasize the need to view these artworks while lying down

4. According to paragraph 2, why has the public been prevented from visiting most caves that contain prehistoric art?

A. Space within caves is usually limited, so priority is given to scholars and art experts.

B. Cave containing artworks are often located in difficult-to-reach places.

C. Artworks can be damaged by environmental changes that result from opening a cave.

D. Many caves containing artworks are unsafe for the general public to enter and wander through.

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