托福阅读：TPO 1(The Origins of Theater)原文及答案

　　1. The word “championed” in the passage is closest in meaning to

　　○changed

　　○debated

　　○created

　　○supported

　　2. The word “attributes” in the passage is closest in meaning to

　　○ascribes

　　○leaves

　　○limits

　　○contrasts

　　3. According to paragraph 1, theories of the origins of theater

　　○are mainly hypothetical

　　○are well supported by factual evidence

　　○have rarely been agreed upon by anthropologists

　　○were expressed in the early stages of theater’s development

　　4. According to paragraph 1, why did some societies develop and repeat ceremonial actions?

　　○To establish a positive connection between the members of the society

　　○To help society members better understand the forces controlling their food supply

　　○To distinguish their beliefs from those of other societies

　　○To increase the society’s prosperity

　　Paragraph 2: 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 person 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.

　　5. The word “this” in the passage refers to

　　○the acting out of rites

　　○the divorce of ritual performers from the rest of society

　　○the separation of myths from rites

　　○the celebration of supernatural forces

　　6. The word “autonomous” in the passage is closest in meaning to

　　○artistic

　　○important

　　○independent

　　○established

　　7. According to paragraph 2, what may cause societies to abandon certain rites?

　　○Emphasizing theater as entertainment

　　○Developing a new understanding of why events occur

　　○Finding a more sophisticated way of representing mythical characters

　　○Moving from a primarily oral tradition to a more written tradition，来源：北京新航道托福培训

　　Paragraph 5: 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.

　　8. All of following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as possible reasons that led societies to develop theater EXCEPT:

　　○Theater allows people to face that they are afraid of.

　　○Theater gives an opportunity to imagine a better reality.

　　○Theater is a way to enjoy imitating other people.

　　○Theater provides people the opportunity to better understand the human mind.

　　9. Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?

　　○The author presents two theories for a historical phenomenon.

　　○The author argues against theories expressed earlier in the passage.

　　○The author argues for replacing older theories with a new one.

　　○The author points out problems with two popular theories.