戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗題 6/10 - 英檢

戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗試題(6/10日)

THE ORIGINS OF THEATER

In seeking to describe the origins of theater, one must rely
primarily on speculation, since there is little concrete evidence on which
to draw. The most widely accepted theory, championed by
anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
envisions theater as emerging out of myth and ritual. The process
perceived by these anthropologists may be summarized briefly. During
the early stages of its development, a society becomes aware of forces
that appear to influence or control its food supply and well-being.
Having little understanding of natural causes, it attributes both desirable
and undesirable occurrences to supernatural or magical forces, and it
searches for means to win the favor of these forces. Perceiving an
apparent connection between certain actions performed by the group
and the result it desires, the group repeats, refines and formalizes those
actions into fixed ceremonies, or rituals.

Stories (myths) may then grow up around a ritual. Frequently the
myths include representatives of those supernatural forces that the rites
celebrate or hope to influence. Performers may wear costumes and masks
to represent the mythical characters or supernatural forces in the rituals
or in accompanying celebrations. As a people becomes more
sophisticated, its conceptions of supernatural forces and causal
relationships may change. As a result, it may abandon or modify some
rites. But the myths that have grown up around the rites may continue
as part of the group's oral tradition and may even come to be acted
out under conditions divorced from these rites. When this occurs, the
first step has been taken toward theater as an autonomous activity, and
thereafter entertainment and aesthetic values may gradually replace the
former mystical and socially efficacious concerns.

(A)■ Although origin in ritual has long been the most popular, it
is by no means the only theory about how the theater came into being.
(B)■ Storytelling has been proposed as one alternative. (C)■ Under this
theory, relating and listening to stories are seen as fundamental human
pleasures. (D)■ Thus, the recalling of an event (a hunt, battle, or other
feat) is elaborated through the narrator's pantomime and impersonation
and eventually through each role being assumed by a different person.

A closely related theory sees theater as evolving out of dances that
are primarily pantomimic, rhythmical or gymnastic, or from imitations
of animal noises and sounds. Admiration for the performer's skill,
virtuosity, and grace are seen as motivation for elaborating the activities
into fully realized theatrical performances.

In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater,
scholars have also theorized about the motives that led people to
develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after
it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the
theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth
by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative
-as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in
seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century,
suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek
to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in
daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits
people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill
their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby
people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant
realities.

But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy
by itself leads to an autonomous theater. Therefore, additional
explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a
somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign
of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy
requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms
as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire
group. Another condition that contributes to the development of
autonomous theater is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For
example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential
to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as
parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites
and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious
usefulness.


1.The word " championed " in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) castigated
(B) impelled
(C) innovated
(D) supported


2.According to paragraph 1, theories of the origins of theater
(A) Are mainly hypothetical
(B) Are well supported by factual evidence
(C) Have rarely been agreed upon by anthropologists
(D) Were expressed in the early stages of theater's development


3.According to paragraph 1, why did some societies develop and repeat
ceremonial actions?
(A) To establish a positive connection between the members of the
society
(B) To help society members better understand the forces controlling
their food supply
(C) To distinguish their beliefs from those of other societies
(D) To increase the society's prosperity



4. According to paragraph 2, what may cause societies to abandon
certain rites?
(A) Emphasizing theater as entertainment
(B) Developing a new understanding of why events occur.
(C) Finding a more sophisticated way of representing mythical characters
(D) Moving from a primarily oral tradition to a more written tradition



5. All of following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as possible reasons that
led societies to develop theater EXCEPT
(A) Theater allows people to face that they are afraid of.
(B) Theater gives an opportunity to imagine a better reality.
(C) Theater is a way to enjoy imitating other people.
(D) Theater provides people the opportunity to better understand the
human mind.


6. Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?
(A) The author presents two theories for a historical phenomenon.
(B) The author argues against theories expressed earlier in the passage.
(C) The author argues for replacing older theories with a new one.
(D) The author points out problems with two popular theories.


7. Why does the author mention " comedy "?
(A) To give an example of early types of theater
(B) To explain how theater helps a society respond to threats to its
welfare
(C) To help explain why detachment is needed for the development
of theater
(D) To show how theatrical performers become detached from other
members of society


8．Look at the four squares [ █ ] that indicate where the following
sentence could be added to the passage.

To enhance their listener's enjoyment, storytellers continually
make their stories more engaging and memorable.

Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the
sentence to the passage.





Answers:
1.championed --- The most widely accepted theory, championed by
anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
前面之敘述為, 最廣為大家接受之理論, 由人類學家所支持….
Champion 在此不可解釋為 " 冠軍" ; 由前之 widely accepted ,
可清楚判讀champion 意指為 " 支持" = support.
(A) castigated 處罰 (B) impelled 強迫 (C) innovated 獨創
答案為 D .


2.根據題幹- 搜索出key words 為 origins of theater ; 原文定位第一段,
In seeking to describe the origins of theater, one must rely primarily
on speculation, since there is little concrete evidence on which to draw.
關於戲劇之起源主要依賴 " speculation " 推測/ 臆測 .
答案為: A

3.Why did some societies develop and repeat ceremonial actions?
為何有些社會發展並重覆儀式典禮之行動?
根據題幹-During the early stages of its development, a society
becomes aware of forces that appear to influence or control its food
supply and well-being. Having little understanding of natural causes, it
attributes both desirable and undesirable occurrences to supernatural
or magical forces, and it searches for means to win the favor of these
forces. Perceiving an apparent connection between certain actions
performed by the group and the result it desires, the group repeats,
refines and formalizes those actions into fixed ceremonies, or rituals.
答案為: D


4.What may cause societies to abandon certain rites?
什麼因素導致社會揚棄某些之儀式典禮?
原文 --- As a people becomes more sophisticated, its conceptions
of supernatural forces and causal relationships may change. As a result,
it may abandon or modify some rites.
關鍵字詞 abandon rites , 前出現 As a result, 表示"因此" , 推論前為敘
述為"原因"
答案為: B


5.All of following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as possible reasons that
led societies to develop theater EXCEPT
此題考下列何者為非發展出戲劇之因素?
Except / Not ---- 可利用文中是否出現負向字詞(negative words) 或
列舉 (enumeration ) 之技巧進行解題.
Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill
the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the
human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the
fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative-as taking
pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such
imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that
humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape
reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life.
Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to
objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes
in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define
and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.
除D 之外; A / B / C 於原文皆有提及.
答案為: D


6.Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?
題幹為第五段之組織架構為何?
In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater, scholars
have also theorized about the motives that led people to develop theater.
Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to
fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories
about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by
Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative-
as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing
such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that
humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality
into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus,
fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to
objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes
in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define
and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.

答案為: A


7.Why does the author mention " comedy "?
此題主要測驗"修辭目的" (Rhetorical Purpose)
--- 首先定位 comedy ,
One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of
human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the
appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient
detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous
rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group.
該所在句出現 For example "舉例" ; 此時立即往前句進行判讀 One
necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human
problems.
答案為: C


8.插入句 ---
利用三個原則技巧解題 --- (1) succession 承接 (2) transition 轉折
(3) pronoun 代名詞
To enhance their listener's enjoyment, storytellers continually make
their stories more engaging and memorable.
--為了強化聽眾之樂趣, 故事之敘述者持續地使他們之故事更動人, 更令人難忘.
(A)■ Although origin in ritual has long been the most popular, it is by no
means the only theory about how the theater came into being.
(B)■ Storytelling has been proposed as one alternative. (C)■ Under this
theory, relating and listening to stories are seen as fundamental human
pleasures.(D)■ Thus, the recalling of an event (a hunt, battle, or other
feat) is elaborated through the narrator's pantomime and impersonation
and eventually through each role being assumed by a different person.

答案為: D




--