TOEFL阅读——魔鬼题专项训练1

Paragraph 3: Moreover, because buildings using the traditional construction of thatched roofs and wooden poles placed directly in the ground rotted away in two decades or so, periodic replacement of palaces, shrines, warehouses, gate towers, and fortress walls was essential. The custom of residential mobility was thus not especially wasteful of labor and material resources: when the time came, one simply erected a new building at a new site, reusing valuable timbers as appropriate and burned the rest. The practical necessity of replacement was given religious sanction because the regular replacement of buildings was regarded as necessary to provide spiritual cleansing of the site.

1. In paragraph 3, why does the author discuss the natural decay of the wooden structures built in eighth-century Japan?

A. To argue that the necessity of replacing buildings every two decades applied to all eighth-century structures, not just residences

B. To argue that the custom of residential mobility was not unreasonable given the building practices of the eighth century

C. To explain why the elite of the eighth century had to move periodically to new residences

D. To explain why in the sixth and seventh centuries Japanese architectural practice changed to the construction of more permanent structures

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Moreover, because buildings using the traditional construction of thatched roofs and wooden poles placed directly in the ground rotted away in two decades or so, periodic replacement of palaces, shrines, warehouses, gate towers, and fortress walls was essential. The custom of residential mobility was thus not especially wasteful of labor and material resources: when the time came, one simply erected a new building at a new site, reusing valuable timbers as appropriate and burned the rest. The practical necessity of replacement was given religious sanction because the regular replacement of buildings was regarded as necessary to provide spiritual cleansing of the site.

因此，搬家的这种习俗并不特别浪费劳动力和物质资源。

题目：作者为什么要提到18世纪日本的这种木制建筑的自然腐蚀？

A选项错误，犯了一个以偏概全的错误，原文没说to all eighth-century structures；同时，原文提到的是建筑20多年坏掉，而选项提到的是20多年换一次，属于错误改写。

B选项是对原文的抽象概括。

C选项说精英需要不断地移动到新的住宅，属于无中生有，错误。

D选项说“解释为什么在六、七世纪日本的建筑实践转变为建造更多的永久性建筑”，属于虚假事实，错误。

正确答案B。

TIPS:

decay 腐烂；腐朽；衰败

moreover 此外；而且

thatched 茅草的

roofs 屋顶

poles 柱子；地极，极点

rot 腐烂

periodic 周期性的

directly 直接地；立即

palaces 宫殿

shrines 神龛 [shén kān]；纪念之地，圣地；具有重要意义的地方

warehouses 仓库

fortress walls 堡垒墙

argue  证明；表明

residential 适合居住的;住宅的;需要在某地居住的;提供住宿的

mobility 流动能力；流动性

erected  建立;建造;竖立

permanent  永久的