roadman大学英语六级阅读冲刺练习(二)

2021年1月19日发(作者：pada)


心之所向，所向披靡



Art is considered by many people to be little more than a decorative means of
giving pleasure. This is not always the case, however; at times, art may be seen
to have a purely functional side as well. Such could be said of the sandpaintings
of the Navaho Indians of the American Southwest; these have a medicinal as well as
an artistic purpose.


According to Navaho traditions, one who suffers from either a mental or a
physical
illness
has
in
come
way
disturbed
or
come
in
contact
with
the
supernatural
—
perhaps a
certain animal, a ghost,
or the dead. To counteract this evil contact,
the
ill
person
or
one
of
his
relatives
will
employ
a
medicine
man
called
a
“
singer
”

to perform a healing ceremony which will attract a powerful supernatural being.


During
the
ceremony,
which
may
last
from
2
to
9
days,
the
“
singer
”
will
produce
a sandpainting on the floor of the Navaho hogan. On the last day of the ceremony,
the patient will sit on this sandpainting and the
“
singer
”
will rub the ailing
parts of the
patient
’
s
body with sand from a specific
figure in
the sandpainting.
In
this
way
the
patient
absorbs
the
power
of
that
particular
supernatural
being
and
becomes
strong
like
it.
After
the
ceremony,
the
sandpainting
is
then
destroyed
and
disposed of so its power will not harm anyone.


The art of sandpainting is handed down from old
“
singer
”
to their students.
The
material
used
are
easily
found
in
the
areas
the
Navaho
inhabit;
brown,
red,
yellow,
and white sandstone,
which is pulverized
by being crushed between 2 stones much
as
corns
is
ground
into
flour.
The
“
singer
”
holds
a
small
amount
of
this
sand
in
his
hand and lets it flow between his thumb and fore-finger onto a clean, flat surface
on
the
floor.
With
a
steady
hand
and
great
patience,
he
is
thus
able
to
create
designs
of
stylized
people,
snakes
and
other
creatures
that
have
power
in
the
Navaho
belief
system.
The
traditional
Navaho
does
not
allow
reproduction
of
sandpaintings,
since
he
believes
the
supernatural
powers
that
taught
him
the
craft
have
forbidden
this;
however, such reproductions can in fact be purchased today in tourist shops in
Arizona and New Mexico. These are done by either Navaho Indians or by other people
who wish to preserve this craft.


1. The purpose of the passage is to ___.


A. discuss the medical uses of sandpaintings in medieval Europe.


B. study the ways Navaho Indians handed down their painting art.


C. consider how Navaho
“
singer
”
treat their ailments with sandpaintings.


D. tell how Navaho Indians apply sandpainting for medical purposes.


2. The purpose of a healing ceremony lies in ___.


A. pleasing the ghosts


B. attracting supernatural powers


C. attracting the ghosts


D. creating a sandpainting


3. The
“
singer
”
rubs sand on the patient because ___.


A. the patient receives strength from the sand


B. it has pharmaceutical value






























C. it decorates the patient
D. none of the above
4. What is used to produce a sandpainting?
A. Paint
B. Beach sand
C. Crushed sandstone
D. Flour
5. Which of the following titles will be best suit the passage?
A. A New Direction for Medical Research
B. The Navaho Indians
’
Sandpainting
C. The Process of Sandpainting Creation
D. The Navaho Indians
’
Medical History
参考答案：




DBACB













人过四十，已 然不惑。我们听过别人的歌，也唱过自己的曲，但谁也逃不过岁月的审视，逃不过现实的残酷。如若，把心中的杂 念抛开，苟且的日子里，其实也能无比诗意。