2006年考试新辅导之托福写作题库新增试题十八(2)

Question 8-17

Beads² were probably the first durable³ ornaments⁴ humans possessed,and the intimate relationship they had with their owners is reflected in the fact that beads are among the most common items found in ancient archaeological sites.In the past,as today,men,women,and children adorned⁵ themselves with beads.In some cultures still,certain beads are often worn from birth until death,and then are buried with their owners for the afterlife.Abrasion⁶ due to daily wear alters the surface features of beads,and if they are buried for long,the effects of corrosion⁷ can further change their appearance.Thus,interest is imparted to the bead¹ both by use and the effects of time.

Besides their wearability,either as jewelry⁸ or incorporated into articles of attire,beads possess the desirable characteristics of every collectible,they are durable,portable,available in infinite variety,and often valuable in their original cultural context as well as in today's market.Pleasing to look at and touch,beads come in shapes,colors,and materials that almost compel one to handle them and to sort them.

Beads are miniature bundles of secrets waiting to be revealed:their history,manufacture,cultural context,economic role,and ornamental⁹ use are all points of information one hopes to unravel¹⁰.Even the most mundane¹¹ beads may have traveled great distances and been exposed to many human experiences.The bead researcher must gather information from many diverse fields.In addition to having to be a generalist while specializing in what may seem to be a narrow field,the researcher is faced with the problem of primary materials that have little or no documentation.Many ancient beads that are of ethnographic interest have often been separated from their original cultural context.

The special attractions of beads contribute to the uniqueness of bead research.While often regarded as the "small change of civilizations",beads are a part of every culture,and they can often be used to date archaeological sites and to designate the degree of mercantile,technological,and cultural sophistication.

8.What is the main subject of the passage?

(A)Materials used in making beads.

(B)How beads are made

(C)The reasons for studying beads

(D)Different types of beads

9.The word "adorned"in line 4is closest in meaning to

(A)protected

(B)decorated

(C)purchased

(D)enjoyed

10.The word "attire"in line 9is closest in meaning to

(A)ritual

(B)importance

(C)clothing

(D)history

11.All of the following are given as characteristics of collectible objects EXCEPT

(A)durability

(B)portability

(C)value

(D)scarcity.

12.According to the passage,all of the following are factors that make people want to touch beads EXCEPT the

(A)shape

(B)color

(C)material

(D)odor

13.The word "unravel"in line 16is closest in meaning to

(A)communicate

(B)transport

(C)improve

(D)discover

14.The word "mundane"in line 16is closest in meaning to

(A)carved

(B)beautiful

(C)ordinary

(D)heavy

15.It is difficult to trace the history of certain ancient beads because they

(A)are small in size

(B)have been buried underground

(C)have been moved from their original locations

(D)are frequently lost

16.Knowledge of the history of some beads may be useful in the studies done by which of the following?

(A)Anthropologists

(B)Agricultural experts

(C)Medical researchers

(D)Economists

17.Where in the passage does the author describe why the appearance of beads may change?

(A)Lines 3-4

(B)Lines 6-8

(C)Lines 12-13

(D)Lines 20-22