託福閱讀TPO16(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:TradeandtheAncientMiddleEast

TPO是我們常用的託福模考工具，對我們的備考很有價值，下面小編給大家帶來託福閱讀TPO16(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:Trade and the Ancient Middle East。

託福閱讀原文

Trade was the mainstay of the urban economy in the Middle East, as caravans negotiated the surrounding desert, restricted only by access to water and by mountain ranges. This has been so since ancient times, partly due to the geology of the area, which is mostly limestone and sandstone, with few deposits of metallic ore and other useful materials Ancient demands for obsidian (a black volcanic rock useful for making mirrors and tools) led to trade with Armenia to the north, while jade for cutting tools was brought from Turkistan, and the precious stone lapis lazuli was imported from Afghanistan. One can trace such expeditions back to ancient Sumeria, the earliest known Middle Eastern civilization. Records show merchant caravans and trading posts set up by the Sumerians in the surrounding mountains and deserts of Persia and Arabia, where they traded grain for raw materials, such as timber and stones, as well as for metals and gems.

Reliance on trade had several important consequences. Production was generally in the hands of skilled individual artisans doing piecework under the tutelage of a master who was also the shop owner. In these shops differences of rank were blurred as artisans and masters labored side by side in the same modest establishment, were usually members of the same guild and religious sect, lived in the same neighborhoods, and often had assumed (or real) kinship relationships. The worker was bound to the master by a mutual contract that either one could repudiate, and the relationship was conceptualized as one of partnership.

This mode of craft production favored the growth of self-governing and ideologically egalitarian craft guilds everywhere in the Middle Eastern city. These were essentially professional associations that provided for the mutual aid and protection of their members, and allowed for the maintenance of professional standards. The growth of independent guilds was furthered by the fact that surplus was not a result of domestic craft production but resulted primarily from international trading; the government left working people to govern themselves, much as shepherds of tribal confederacies were left alone by their leaders. In the multiplicity of small-scale local egalitarian or quasi-egalitarian organizations for fellowship, worship, and production that flourished in this laissez-faire environment, individuals could interact with one another within a community of harmony and ideological equality, following their own popularly elected leaders and governing themselves by shared consensus while minimizing distinctions of wealth and power.

The mercantile economy was also characterized by a peculiar moral stance that is typical of people who live by trade—an attitude that is individualistic, calculating, risk taking, and adaptive to circumstances. As among tribespeople, personal relationships and a careful weighing of character have always been crucial in a mercantile economy with little regulation, where one's word is one's bond and where informal ties of trust cement together an international trade network. Nor have merchants and artisans ever had much tolerance for aristocratic professions of moral superiority, favoring instead an egalitarian ethic of the open market, where steady hard work, the loyalty of one's fellows, and ntrepreneurial skill make all the difference. And, like the pastoralists, Middle Eastern merchants and artisans unhappy with their environment could simply pack up and leave for greener pastures—an act of self-assertion wholly impossible in most other civilizations throughout history.

Dependence on long-distance trade also meant that the great empires of the Middle East were built both literally and figuratively on shifting sand. The central state, though often very rich and very populous, was intrinsically fragile, since the development of new international trade routes could undermine the monetary base and erode state power, as occurred when European seafarers circumvented Middle Eastern merchants after Vasco da Gama's voyage around Africa in the late fifteenth century opened up a southern route. The ecology of the region also permitted armed predators to prowl the surrounding barrens, which were almost impossible for a state to control. Peripheral peoples therefore had a great advantage in their dealings with the center, making government authority insecure and anxious.

託福閱讀試題

1.According to paragraph 1, why has trade been so important throughout the history of the Middle East

A.The rare and valuable metals and stones found in Middle Eastern deserts have always been in high demand in surrounding areas.

B.Growing conditions throughout the Middle East are generally poor, forcing Middle Eastern people to depend on imported grain.

C.Many useful and decorative raw materials cannot be found naturally in the Middle East but are available from neighboring regions.

D.Frequent travel, due to limited water supplies in the Middle East, created many opportunities for trade with neighboring societies.

2.The word “repudiate” in the passage (paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to

A.respect

B.reject

C.review

D.revise

3.According to paragraph 2, how did Middle Eastern shop owners treat their workers?

A.Workers were ranked according to their skill level, with the most-experienced artisans becoming partial owners of the shop.

B.Shop owners treated different workers differently depending on how much the workers had in common with their masters.

C.Workers were bound to their masters by unbreakable contracts that strictly defined the terms of their partnership.

D.The shop owner worked alongside the workers and often considered them partner and members of the family.

4.The author includes the information that surplus was not a result of domestic craft production but resulted primarily from international trading (in passage 3) in order to

A.support the claim that the mode of production made possible by the craft guilds w very good for trade

B.contrast the economic base of the city government with that of the tribal confederacies

C.provide a reason why the government allowed the guilds to be self-controlled

D.suggest that the government was missing out on a valuable opportunity to tax the guilds

5.According to paragraph 3, all of the following are true of the Middle Eastern craft guilds EXCEPT:

A.The guilds were created to support workers and to uphold principles of high-quality craft production.

B.Each guild was very large and included members from a broad geographic area.

C.The leaders of the guilds were chosen by popular vote.

D.All guild members were treated as equals.

6.The word “consensus” in the passage (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to

A.authority

B.responsibility

C.custom

D.agreement

7.According to paragraph 4, which of the following was NOT necessary for success in themercantile economy?

A.Good business sense

B.Reliable associates

C.Family wealth

D.Constant effort

8.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.Tribes people were comfortable forming personal relationships with merchants, who, like them, were bound by their promises to one another.

B.Because trade was not formally regulated, merchants were careful about whom they trusted and often conducted business with people they knew personally.

C.While trade among merchants relied somewhat on regulation, among tribes people trade was based on personal relationships and careful character evaluation.

D.Because tribes people were bound only by their promises to one another, personal relationships were formed only after careful weighing of character.

9.The word “ethic” in the passage (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to

A.set of moral principles

B.division of labor

C.economic system

D.test of character

10.According to paragraph 4, what choice did Middle Eastern merchants and artisans have that many other people have not had?

A.If they were unhappy in the mercantile environment, they could draw on personal connections to find a different kind of work.

B.They were allowed to assert their opinions without having to listen to aristocratic professions of moral superiority.

C.Following the example of the pastoralists, they could demand, and receive, better working conditions.

D.If they didn't like their environment, they could move somewhere else.

11.The word “intrinsically” in the passage (paragraph 5) is closest in meaning to

A.fundamentally

B.surprisingly

C.consequently

D.particularly

12.In paragraph 5, why does the author mention the new trade route opened up by Vasco da Gama's fifteenth century voyage around Africa?

A.To provide evidence that European seafarers took every opportunity to bypass Middle Eastern merchants

B.To present an instance in which Middle Eastern states lost money and power because of their reliance on long-distance trade

C.To argue this new route became necessary when European seafarers wanted to avoid Middle Eastern states whose central power had begun to erode

D.To explain how da Gama helped European traders avoid the dangerous predators prowling the areas surrounding Middle Eastern cities

13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? For one thing, it created a demand for finished goods to be sold both locally and abroad.

Paragraph2: Reliance on trade had several important consequences. ■【A】Production was generally in the hands of skilled individual artisans doing piecework under the tutelage of a master who was also the shop owner. ■【B】In these shops differences of rank were blurred as artisans and masters labored side by side in the same modest establishment, were usually members of the same guild and religious sect, lived in the same neighborhoods, and often had assumed (or real) kinship relationships. ■【C】The worker was bound to the master by a mutual contract that either one could repudiate, and the relationship was conceptualized as one of partnership. ■【D】

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.

Since ancient times. reliance on trade has shaped the culture and organizational structure of Middle Eastern societies.

A.Persian and Arabian merchants traveled great distances to sell their finished goods at the marketplaces of ancient Sumeria.

B.Revenue from trade was unevenly distributed, causing Middle Eastern societies to be characterized by growing distinctions in wealth and power.

C.Qualities that were valued in the mercantile economy included individualism, hard work, loyalty, and the willingness to take risks.

D.As production increased, centralized control over production also increased, leading in turn to more-centralized control over fellowship and worship.

E.Crafts were produced by skilled artisans working in close, egalitarian relationships with their masters and other fellow guild members.

F.The stability of Middle Eastern governments was threatened by their lack of control over international trade patterns and over their own peripheral territories.

託福閱讀答案

1.問trade爲什麼主要，這段第一句就說是mainstay，第二句就給出了原因，說他們沒有這個沒有那個，所以答案是C。A說中東有material，明顯與原文說反;B的中東很窮和D的frequent travel原文都沒說。

2.repudiate與……斷絕關係，駁斥，所以reject正確。原句說師徒之間是一種契約關係，這個契約任意一方都可以怎麼樣，下一句又說是一種夥伴關係，也就是沒有強制性，所以答案是任何一方都可以撕毀，所以答案是reject。respect和review都不靠譜;revise單純的改變也不是作者的意思。

3.以shop owners做關鍵詞定位至第二句，但第二句沒有回答問題，所以往後看，後一句說老闆和工人之間的界限被blur模糊了，而且他們同吃同住一起工作，所以答案是D。A的workers rank原文沒說;B說對不同工人態度不同，與原文相反;C的unbreakable contract與最後一句相反。

4.修辭目的題，先看修辭點所在句子，只是一個例子，放棄;往前看，說有行業協會互助互惠，但這明顯也還是一個例子，所以看本段中心句，說這種生產方式傾向於促進自律平等的同業協會的發展，所以答案是C。

5.EXCEPT題，排除法。A的support workers和uphold principles做關鍵詞定位至第二句，原文的mutual aid and protection等於support workers，maintaneance of professional standards等於uphold principles，A正確，不選;B的geographic area原文沒有對應點，錯，選;C的vote做關鍵詞定位至最後一句，正確，不選;D的equals做關鍵詞定位至最後一句，正確，不選。

6.consensus合約，同意，協定，所以D的agreement正確。原句說人與人之間的關係非常和諧，他們聽他們領導的話，通過什麼實現自律並儘量減小貧富差距，減小差距就是爲了求得某種一致，所以答案是agreement。A權威，B責任，C習慣，都不靠譜。

7.EXCEPT題，排除法。A與倒數第二句的entrepreneurial skill同義替換，正確，不選;B與倒數第二句的loyalty of one’s fellow同義替換，正確，不選;C在原文中無對應點，錯，選;D與倒數第二句的steady hard work同義替換，正確，不選。

8.原句的結構是在什麼什麼人當中，什麼和什麼很重要，在什麼什麼環境下。所以B正確。A混淆原文概念，原文說在當時的環境下只能靠promise形成商業網絡，人們和認識的人做生意，不是人們靠promise做生意;C錯，原文說沒有regulation，C說反;D錯，因爲only原文從來沒說過。

9.ethic道德規範，倫理，所以A正確。原文說商人和工匠們不能忍受moral superiority，更喜歡open market的什麼，既然不喜歡moral superiority，那麼他們喜歡的東西也應該跟道德有關，所以答案是A，而B勞力分工C經濟體系和D性格測試完全不靠譜。

10.以many other people做關鍵詞定位至最後一句，說如果不滿意當地的商業環境，中東商人會像遊牧民族一樣遷移到其他地方，這是其他人做不到的，所以答案是D。

11.intrinsically本質的，內部的，固有的，所以答案A正確。原句說盡管中部的國家很富裕而且人口稠密，但他們是怎麼樣脆弱的，由於新的國際貿易路線可以決定金融資本所在的地方，並且能夠侵蝕國家的力量，都能侵蝕了，所以應該是脆弱的，但前文又說人口密集並且富裕，所以這些都是表象，所以答案是A的fundamentallly基礎;B吃驚C結果D特別都沒反應這種內外的差別，所以都不對。

12.修辭目的題，先把本句讀清楚，說新的國際貿易路線可以決定金融資本所在的地方，並且能夠侵蝕國家的力量，接着就說就像達伽馬發現了新航路之後歐洲人繞過了中東，所以說達伽馬的事兒是爲了證明航線的發現能夠削弱國家的力量，所以答案是B。

13.兩個過渡點，連詞for one thing和名詞finished goods，既然是for one thing，就應該放在比較靠前的位置上，所以A或者B有可能，而放在A正好對應之前的several important consequences;而且finished goods與原文當中的production對應，所以A正確。

14.Persian選項是原文第一段中的一個細節，不選;Revenue選項與原文第三段最後一句說反，是貧富差距縮小，不是擴大，不選;Qualities選項對應第四段，正確;As選項與原文第三段第一句相反，不選;Crafts選項對應原文第二段和第三段的最後一句，正確;The stability選項對應原文第五段第一句，正確。

託福閱讀譯文

自從中東地區的商旅們成功跨越周圍的戈壁，只有水路和山巒還是障礙時，貿易就成爲了中東地區城市經濟的主要支柱。這種情況(貿易是主要支柱)從古至今都是如此，一部分原因是中東地區的地質環境——多爲沙石和石灰岩，金屬礦藏和其它有用材料很少。古代對黑曜石(一種火山岩，可以用來製作鏡子和工具)的需求引發了(中東地區)與北方的亞美尼亞之間的貿易;用作切削工具的玉石從土耳其斯坦購買;而稀有貴重的琉璃青金石是從阿富汗地區進口。探險活動最早可以追溯至古蘇美爾——已知最早的中東文明。記錄顯示商隊和貿易站由古蘇美爾人在周圍山區及古波斯和阿拉伯的沙漠地區建立。

過於依賴貿易造成了一些重大影響。生產工作一般在師傅也是店主的監視下，由熟練的工匠計件完成。在這些店鋪中，階級差異並不明顯，因爲工匠和店主同在一個相對舒適的環境中共事，通常有着相同的宗教信仰，而且又是街坊鄰里，彼此之間還很有可能(沒準真的)是親戚關係。工人和店主雙方具有勞務關係，任一方都有權終止，這是合作關係中的一種。

這種生產模式有助於自主管理制度的發展，在中東城市裏意識形態上秉持人人平等的手工行會比比皆是。他們實質上是專門提供互助且保護組織成員的協會組織，同時注重維持行業標準。獨立行會不斷增加，是因爲剩餘價值的產生並非由於國內生產，而是主要來自於國際間的貿易活動。政府允許勞動人民自主管理，這和部落首領讓牧羊者們離羣索居一樣。在當地，團體、信仰以及生產方面的小型平等主義團體或類似平等主義的組織在這種自由放任的環境裏遍地開花，和諧平等的團體中，成員之間相互影響，追隨着他們自己選舉的領導人，在縮小財富和權力差距的同時通過分享意見進行自我管理。

商品經濟也通過靠貿易爲生的商人所秉持的特定道德立場表現出來。他們具有獨立自主、精於計算、敢於冒險和隨遇而安的優秀品質。在部落成員之間，人際關係和謹言慎行的品質在監管不嚴的商品經濟中至關重要,商品經濟里人們出口成契，誠信基礎上的非正式聯繫形成了一個國際貿易網絡。從沒有商人和工匠對貴族職業的道德優越感如此寬容，這很好地促進了開放市場中的平等主義，人們辛勤工作，忠誠跟隨，具備企業家精神非常重要。而且，這和畜牧文明類似，中東的商人和工匠們若對自己所處的環境不滿意，簡單收拾一下就可遷移到一個更加豐茂的牧場——縱觀歷史，如此隨性而爲的行爲在其他多數文明中是無法想象的。

對遠距離貿易的依賴也意味着偉大的中東帝國得以建立在這片飄忽不定卻又無比真實的沙土之中。帝國中部儘管非常富足繁盛，但本質上脆弱不堪，因爲新的國際貿易線路的出現會動搖經濟基礎並腐蝕國家權力。就在15世紀晚期達伽馬繞過非洲開闢南部航線以後，歐洲的水手們便繞過中東商人改走南部航線了。該地區的生態環境也允許武裝“捕食者”在周圍的荒漠潛行，幾乎很難被帝國控制。外圍的人藉此得到一個應對中央帝國的絕好機會，這讓政府惴惴不安。

蘇美爾人(也譯作蘇默)，是歷史上兩河流域(底格里斯河和幼發拉底河中下游)早期的定居民族，他們所建立的蘇美爾文明是整個美索不達米亞文明中最早，同時也是全世界最早產生的文明。

託福閱讀TPO16(試題+答案+譯文)第1篇:Trade and the Ancient Middle East