tpo51托福阅读passage1：originsofthemegaliths原文文本+真题答案

tpo51托福阅读passage1：originsofthemegaliths原文文
本+真题答案
TPO51托福阅读passage1：Origins of the Megaliths原文文本+真题答案
第一篇：考古类
Origins of the Megaliths
Since the days of the earliest antiquarians, scholars have been puzzled by the many Neolithic (~4000 .~2200 .) communal tombs known as megaliths along
Europe's Atlantic seaboard. Although considerable variations are found in the architectural form of these impressive monuments, there is a general overriding similarity in design and, particularly, in the use of massive stones.
The construction of such large and architecturally complex tombs by European barbarians struck early prehistorians as unlikely. The Bronze Age seafaring civilizations that lived in the region of the Aegean Sea (~ 3000 .~ 1000 .), among whom collective burial and a diversity of stone-built tombs were known, seemed a probable source of inspiration. It was suggested that Aegean people had visited Iberia in southwestern Europe in search of metal ores and had introduced the idea of collective burial in massive tombs, which then spread northward to Brittany, Britain, North Germany, and Scandinavia.
Radiocarbon dates for a fortified settlement of megalith builders at Los Millares in Spain appeared to confirm this picture, though dates for megaliths in Brittany seemed too early. When calibrated, however, it became clear that radiocarbon dates were universally too early to support a Bronze Age Aegean origin. It is now clear that the megaliths are a western and northern
European invention, not an introduced idea. Even so, they are still a subject of speculation and inquiry. What induced their builders to invest massive efforts in erecting such monumental tombs How was the necessary labor force assembled What underlies their striking
similarities
One answer to the last question was proposed by Professor Grahame Clark, one of
Britain's greatest prehistorians. Investigating the megaliths of southern Sweden, he noted that one group was concentrated in coastal locations from which deep-sea fish such as cod, haddock, and ling could have been caught in winter. Historically, much of the Atlantic was linked by the travels of people who fished, and this could well have provided a mechanism by which the megalith idea and fashions in the style of tomb architecture spread between coastal Iberia, Brittany, Ireland, western England and Scotland, and Scandinavia. The high concentrations of megaliths on coasts and the surprising number of megaliths found on small islands may support a connection with fishing.
Professor Colin Renfrew of the University of Cambridge, England, however, views the similarities as similar responses to similar needs. At the structural level, the passage that forms a major element of many graves could have been devised independently in different areas to meet the need for repeated access to the interior of these communal tombs. Other structural resemblances could be due to similarities in the raw materials available. In answer to the question of why the idea of building monumental tombs should arise independently in a number of areas, he cites the similarities in their backgrounds.
Most megaliths occur in areas inhabited in the postglacial
period by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (~20000 . ~ 18000 . ). Their adoption of agriculture through contact with Neolithic farmers, Renfrew argues, led to a population explosion in the region and consequent competition for farmland between neighboring groups. In
the face of potential conflict, the groups may have found it desirable to define their territories and emphasize their boundaries. The construction of megaliths could have arisen in response to this need.
Renfrew has studied two circumscribed areas, the Scottish islands of Arran and Rousay, to examine this hypothesis more closely. He found that a division of the arable land into territories, each containing one
megalith, results in units that correspond in size to the individual farming communities of recent times in the same area. 【】Each unit supported between 10 and 50 people. 【】The labor needed to put up a megalith would probably be beyond the capabilities of a community this size. 【】 But Renfrew argues that the cooperation of other communities could be secured by some form of recognized social incentive perhaps a period of feasting at which communal building was one of several activities. 【】
Most megaliths contain collective burials. Different tombs used different arrangements, but there seems to have been an underlying theme: people placed in these tombs were representative of their society, but their identity as individuals was not important. The tombs belonged to the ancestors, through whom the living society laid claim to their land. This interpretation reinforces Renfrew’s view of the megaliths a s territorial markers.
题目
word "collective"in the passage is closest in meaning to
ground
to paragraph 2, early prehistorians thought the Aegean people of the Bronze Age might have influenced megalith building along the Atlantic seaboard because they
established commercial routes along the Atlantic seaboard been in Iberia, where they introduced the idea of burial in very large tombs
thought to have found megaliths in Iberia when searching for metals thought to have passed along the concept of burial in monumental tombs as they explored Brittany, Britain, North Germany, and Scandinavia
Paragraph 2 is marked with
paragraph 3, why does the author discuss the results of radiocarbon dates
support the idea that megaliths spread rapidly during the Bronze Age question the idea that megaliths have a religious origin
provide evidence against the theory that Bronze Age Aegean inspired the megaliths
argue that the megaliths in Brittany are older than the megaliths in Los Millares
Paragraph 3 is marked with
word "erecting" in the passage is closest in meaning to
to paragraph 4, what did Professor Clark propose as a result of studying the megaliths of southern Sweden
megaliths are nearly identical to megaliths elsewhere.
who traveled for fishing may have been responsible for the spread of megaliths in Europe.
megaliths were probably built after other European megaliths were built.
in Europe were usually located near sites for deep-sea fishing in winter.
Paragraph 4 is marked with
is the purpose of discussing the passage that forms a major element of many graves
provide an example of a commonly occurring feature of megaliths that might be related to a similar need
argue that similarities in raw materials were responsible for the
similarity of passages
explain how repeated access to the interior of the communal tombs was possible
provide evidence that the builders of the megaliths had similar backgrounds Paragraph 5 is marked with
word "consequent" in the passage is closest in meaning to to paragraph 6, Professor Renfrew has argued that one factor leading to the rise of megaliths in Europe was
adoption of farming by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers
transition from a glacial to a postglacial climate
relocation of Mesolithic populations from one region to another
conflict over whether areas inhabited by Mesolithic peoples would be used for farming
Paragraph 6 is marked with
phrase style "this hypothesis" in the passage refers to the idea that was competition for territory between Mesolithic hunter-gathers and invading Neolithic farmers
population explosion brought about a division of the
region's Neolithic
farmers into neighboring groups
need of neighboring groups to define their territories led to the construction of megaliths
construction of megaliths was a way of competing for farmland
to paragraph 7, what did Renfrew conclude about the megaliths of
Arran and Rousay
megalith was associated with a specific agricultural community.
megalith was built by between 10 and 50 people.
megaliths were built using stones quarried at other places.
megaliths were built gradually over time rather than all at once. Paragraph 7 is marked with
word "reinforces" in the passage is closest in meaning to
from
on
to the passage, all of the following were true of the megaliths along the Atlantic seaboard EXCEPT
often had a main passageway.
identified the individuals buried within them.
were built before the Aegean Bronze Age.
differed somewhat in style from region to region. Paragraph 8 is marked with
at the four squares 【】that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
So it might seem that megaliths could not have been used by an individual community to mark its land.
Where would be the sentence best fit Click on a square to
add the sentence to the passage.
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 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 answer choices to the spaces where they belong. To remove an answer choice, click on it.
To review the passage, click VIEW TEXT.
Answer Choices
Bronze Age Aegeans most probably built some of the tombs in Iberia.
evidence supports the idea that the megaliths were a western and northern European invention.
megaliths are found in coastal regions, suggesting that people fishing may
have used them to guide their travels.
have found enough indicators to believe that the layout of tombs in the landscape reflects each community's social organization.
high proportion of coastal megaliths has given rise to the idea that megalith building was related to fishing.
has been suggested that megaliths arose in response to the spread of agriculture and competition for farmland.
参考答案
1-5 DBCBB 6-10 ACACA 11-13 DBC 14 BEF
文章来源：雷哥托福。