2013届（2012学年）上海市高三英语一模强化训练21.docVIP

2013届（2012学年）上海市高三英语一模强化训练21 2013届（2012学年）上海市高三英语一模——简答13 （黄浦） The first explorers who saw totem poles called them “monstrous figures.” Missionaries(传教士) thought that the Native Americans worshipped the totem poles, and they encouraged their destruction. But the missionaries were wrong. Even today, when people refer to the “low man on the totem pole, ” they do not realize that the largest figure was usually on the bottom and was the most important. The origin of the first totem pole is uncertain. It is known that totem poles told stories about rich and important Native American families. An artist carved the pole to represent a family’s traits and personal strengths and even to have hidden meanings. Poles were carved from cedar（雪松木）, using handmade tools. The chisel（凿子）used for carving was made from an animal horn. The adze, which was like an ax, had a hard stone blade. Once finished carving, the artist used animal-hair brushes to paint the poles. Some poles stood as high as 60 feet(180m). Native Americans celebrated important life events—such as births or marriages—with huge feasts called potlatches. One of the highlights of the party was the raising of a new totem pole. As trade expanded along the Northwest Coast, more Native American families had totem poles. However, in 1884 the Canadian government outlawed the potlatch. Not long after, the United States followed suit. As children grew up and left the tribe, the art of carving totem poles began to die out. Many years later, totem poles that had been bought or stolen from Native American villages began showing up in museums. People started to realize the significance of totem poles, and the art of carving them was resurrected. Old poles were restored, and new poles were created. Today, the craft is alive and well again, and totem poles can be seen around the Northwest United States and Canada. (Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.) 81. What did missionaries want t