2004-1-2,6

Question 1-10

     After 1785, the production of children's books in the Untied States increased but

remained largely reprints of British books, often those published by John Newbery, the

first publisher to produce books aimed primarily at diverting a child audience. Ultimate]y,

Line  however, it was not the cheerful, commercial-minded Newhery, but Anglo-Irish author

5 Maria Edgeworth who had the strongest influence on this period of American children's

  literature. The eighteenth century had seen a gradual shift away from the spiritual intensity

  of earlier American religious writings for children, toward a more generalized moralism.

  Newbery notwithstanding, Americans still looked on children's books as vehicles for

  instruction, not amusement, though they would accept a moderate amount of fictional

10  entertainment for the sake of more successful instruction. As the children's book market

  expanded, then, what both public and publishers wanted was the kind of fiction Maria

  Edgeworth wrote: stories interesting enough to attract children and morally instructive

  enough to allay adult distrust of fiction,

       American reaction against imported books for children set in after the War of 1812

15  with the British. A wave of nationalism permeated everything,and the self-conscious new

  nation found foreign writings (particularly those from the British monarchy) unsuitable for

  the children of a democratic republic, a slate of self-governing, equal citizens. Publishers

  of children's books began to encourage American writers to write for American children.

  When they responded, the pattern established by Maria Edgeworth was at hand, attractive

20  to most of them for both its rationalism and its high moral tone. Early in the 1820's,

  stories of willful children learning to obey, of careless children learning to take care,

  of selfish children learning to "tire for others," started to flow from American presses,

  successfully achieving Edgeworth's tone, though rarely her lively style. Imitative as

  they were, these early American stories wee quite distinguishable from their British

25  counterparts. Few servants appeared in them, and if class distinctions had by no means

  disappeared, there was much democratic insistence on the worthiness of every level of

  birth and work. The characters of children in this fiction were serious, conscientious.

  self-reflective, and independent-testimony to the continuing influence of the earlier

  American moralistic tradition in children's books.

2. The publisher John Newbery is          6: It can be inferred from the passage

    principally known for which of the       that American children's books sold

    following reasons?                    before 1785 were almost always

    (A) He produced and sold books           (A) written by Maria Edgeworth

            written by Maria Edgeworth.      (B) attractive and interesting to

    (B)  He had more influence on                    children

            American children's             (C) written by American authors

            literature than any other          (D) intended only for religious and

            publisher,                             moral instruction

    (C) He published books aimed

            amusing children rather than

            instructing them.

    (D) He was commercially minded

            and cheerful.

2答案為c,可是我看到line4有明顯題到  (D) He was commercially minded and cheerful.

如果答案真的是c,現在toefl的題目是不是越來越向gmat的題目了….烏烏

6答案為d,不過我在line6-7中認為

he eighteenth century had seen a gradual shift away from the spiritual intensity

  of earlier American religious writings for children, toward a more generalized moralism.

是後期才轉為moral吧…….??答案D對嗎,我選B

2004-1-12,19

Question 11-21

     Lichens. probably the hardiest of all plants, live where virtually nothing else can---not

  just on rugged mountain peaks but also on sunbaked desert rocks. They are usually the

  first life to appear on a mountainside that has been scraped bare by an avalanche.

Line  Unlike other members of the plant kingdom, lichens are actually a partnership between

5 two plants. The framework of a lichen is usually a network of minute hairlike fungus that

  anchors the plant, The other component is an alga (similar to the green film of plant life

  that grows on stagnant pools) that is distributed throughout the fungus. Being green plants,

  algae are capable of photosynthesis--that is, using energy from the Sun to manufacture

  their own food. The fungi arc believed to supply water, minerals, and physical support to

10 the partnership.

Lichens are famous for their ability to survive ~ water shortage. When water is scarce

  (as is often the case on a mountain), lichens may become dormant and remain in that

  condition for prolonged periods of time. Some lichens can even grow where there is no

  rain at all, surviving on only occasional dew--the moisture that condenses on the surface

15 of the plants at night, And unlike most other plants, lichens are little affected by the strong

  ultraviolet rays in the mountains.

     Lichens use little energy, for they grow slowly. Some grow so slowly and are so old

  that they are called "time stains." You may find lichens that are centuries old; certain of

  these lichen colonies have been established for an estimated 2,000 years.

20   For decades, scientists wondered how the offspring of an alga and a fungus got together

  to form a new lichen, it seemed unlikely that they would just happen lo encounter one

  another. It was finally discovered that in many cases the two partners have never been

  separated. Stalklike "buds" that form on certain lichens are broken off by the wind or by

  animals; these toll or are blown to a new location

12. The word "hardiest" in line I is

closest in meaning to

(A) most unusual

(B) most basic

(C) most abundant

(D) most vigorous

有兩個版本答案a.d

19. What does the phrase "lichen

   colonies (line 19)suggest?

(A) Nothing but lichens live in

some locations.

(B) Many lichens live together in one area.

(C) Lichens displace the plants that surround them.

(D)Certain groups of lichens have never been separated.

有兩個版本答案b.d

2004-1-23,25

Question 22-31

    The languages spoken by early Europeans are still shrouded in mystery. There is no

  linguistic continuity between the languages of Old Europe (a term sometimes used for

  Europe between 7000 and 3000 B.C.) and the languages of the modem world, and we

Line cannot yet translate the Old European script, Scholars have deciphered other ancient

5     languages, such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian, which used the cuneiform

  script, because of the fortuitous discovery of bilingual inscriptions, When cuneiform

  tablets were first discovered in the eighteenth century, scholars could not decipher them.

  Then inscriptions found in baa at the end of the eighteenth century provided a link: these

  inscriptions were written in cuneiform and in two other ancient languages, Old Persian

10    and New Elamite--languages that had already been deciphered. It took several decades,

  but scholars eventually translated the ancient cuneiform script via the more familiar

  Old Persian language:

     Similarly, the hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians remained a mystery until French

  troops unearthed the famous Rosetta stone in the late eighteenth century. The stone carried

15    the same message written in ancient Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Egyptian hieratic,

  a simplified form of hieroglyphs. The Rosetta stone thwarted scholars' efforts for several

  decades until the early nineteenth century when several key hieroglyphic phrases were

  decoded using the Greek inscriptions. Unfortunately, we have no Old European Rosetta

  stone to chart correspondences between Old European script and the languages that

20    replaced it.

     Tim incursions of Indo-European tribes into Old Europe from the late fifth to the

  early third millennia B.C. caused a linguistic and cultural discontinuity. These incursions

  disrupted the Old European sedentary farming lifestyle that had existed for 3,000 years

  As the Indo-Europeans encroached on Old Europe from the east, the continent underwent

25    upheavals. These severely affected the Balkans, where the Old European cultures

  abundantly employed script. The Old European way of life deteriorated rapidly, although

  pockets of Old European culture remained for several millennia, ~ new peoples spoke

  completely different languages belonging to the Indo-European linguistic family. The

  Old European language or languages, and the script used to write them, declined and

  eventually vanished.

23. According to the passage, New

    Elamite is

    (A) a language that was written in the cuneiform script

    (B) a modem language that came from Old Persian

    (C) one of the languages spoken Babylonian by the Old Europeans

    (D) a language that was understood by the late 18 centurary.

不明白答案為何為D,我見line10

Then inscriptions found in baa at the end of the eighteenth century provided a link: these

  inscriptions were written in cuneiform and in two other ancient languages, Old Persian

10            and New Elamite--languages that had already been deciphered

這不是說明  and New Elamite--languages that had already been deciphered而非在18世紀嗎

28. According to the passage, which of  the following is true of the Rosetta stone?

    (A) It was found by scholars trying to decode ancient languages.

    (B) It contains two versions of hieroglyphic script.

    (C) Several of its inscriptions were decoded within a few months of its discovery.

    (D) Most of its inscriptions have still not been decoded.

兩個版本答案bd??

懇請高人指點^^

2004-1-23,25

Question 22-31

    The languages spoken by early Europeans are still shrouded in mystery. There is no

  linguistic continuity between the languages of Old Europe (a term sometimes used for

  Europe between 7000 and 3000 B.C.) and the languages of the modem world, and we

Line cannot yet translate the Old European script, Scholars have deciphered other ancient

5     languages, such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian, which used the cuneiform

  script, because of the fortuitous discovery of bilingual inscriptions, When cuneiform

  tablets were first discovered in the eighteenth century, scholars could not decipher them.

  Then inscriptions found in baa at the end of the eighteenth century provided a link: these

  inscriptions were written in cuneiform and in two other ancient languages, Old Persian

10    and New Elamite--languages that had already been deciphered. It took several decades,

  but scholars eventually translated the ancient cuneiform script via the more familiar

  Old Persian language:

     Similarly, the hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians remained a mystery until French

  troops unearthed the famous Rosetta stone in the late eighteenth century. The stone carried

15    the same message written in ancient Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Egyptian hieratic,

  a simplified form of hieroglyphs. The Rosetta stone thwarted scholars' efforts for several

  decades until the early nineteenth century when several key hieroglyphic phrases were

  decoded using the Greek inscriptions. Unfortunately, we have no Old European Rosetta

  stone to chart correspondences between Old European script and the languages that

20    replaced it.

     Tim incursions of Indo-European tribes into Old Europe from the late fifth to the

  early third millennia B.C. caused a linguistic and cultural discontinuity. These incursions

  disrupted the Old European sedentary farming lifestyle that had existed for 3,000 years

  As the Indo-Europeans encroached on Old Europe from the east, the continent underwent

25    upheavals. These severely affected the Balkans, where the Old European cultures

  abundantly employed script. The Old European way of life deteriorated rapidly, although

  pockets of Old European culture remained for several millennia, ~ new peoples spoke

  completely different languages belonging to the Indo-European linguistic family. The

  Old European language or languages, and the script used to write them, declined and

  eventually vanished.

28. According to the passage, which of  the following is true of the Rosetta stone?

    (A) It was found by scholars trying to decode ancient languages.

    (B) It contains two versions of hieroglyphic script.

    (C) Several of its inscriptions were decoded within a few months of its discovery.

    (D) Most of its inscriptions have still not been decoded.

兩個版本答案bd??

懇請高人指點^^

28.我覺得B會比D好,雖然內文並沒有說全部都被譯解了,只說several.

2. The publisher John Newbery is principally known for which of the that American children's books sold following reasons?  

key:" the first publisher to produce books aimed primarily at diverting a child audience."

divert:1 a : to turn from one course or use to another ;2 : to give pleasure to especially by distracting the attention from what burdens or distresses  (from  webster dictionary).Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
then we look your thinking answer:"He was commercially minded and cheerful". I guess you don't exactly understand those.

may this is the true reason why many people think they understand what auther said, but they don't true understand topic.

let us look number 6:

you think : "6答案為d,不過我在line6-7中認為 "he eighteenth century had seen a gradual shift away from the spiritual intensity

  of earlier American religious writings for children, toward a more generalized moralism. 是後期才轉為moral吧…….??答案D對嗎,我選B""

(B) attractive and interesting to  children

(D) intended only for religious and moral instruction

1"earlier American religious writings for children" mean before 18 centuary's case

2 "toward a more generalized moralism" you should pay attention to what is "generalized moralism"

3, in the fisrt paragraphy, auther mainly want to express the idea is after 1875, children book begin attractive and interesting to  children.  choose B means you make a misunderstand about topic.

closest in meaning to :(A) most unusual ;(D) most vigorous if you look webster dictionary, you must know which one is right

"The stone carried the same message written in ancient Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Egyptian hieratic, a simplified form of hieroglyphs. The Rosetta stone thwarted scholars' efforts for several decades until the early nineteenth century when several key hieroglyphic phrases were decoded using the Greek inscriptions"

1 answer B you can locate "Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Egyptian hieratic, a simplified form of hieroglyphs."

2 can I ask you where you locate it for answer D? If you locate "when several key hieroglyphic phrases were decoded using the Greek inscriptions" how do you decode this sentence?

look (D) Most of its inscriptions have still not been decoded. auther totally don't say any word about it.can you give me his location? so jih32's explain is not right too