托福阅读tpo29R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识.pdf

托福阅读tpo29R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识

原文1

译文4

题目6

答案15

背景知识16

原文

CharacteristicsofRomanPottery

①ThepotteryofancientRomansisremarkableinseveralways.Thehigh

qualityofRomanpotteryisveryeasytoappreciatewhenhandlingactual

piecesoftablewareorindeedkitchenwareandamphorae(thelargejars

usedthroughouttheMediterraneanforthetransportandstorageof

liquids,suchaswineandoil).However,itisimpossibletodojusticeto

Romanwaresonthepage,evenwhenwordscanbebackedupby

photographsanddrawing.MostRomanpotteryislightandsmoothto

touchandverytough,although,likeallpottery,itshattersifdroppedon

ahardsurface.Itisgenerallymadewithcarefullyselectedandpurified

clay,workedtothin-walledandstandardizedshapesonafastwheeland

firedinakiln(potteryoven)capableofensuringaconsistentfinish.With

handmadepottery,inevitablythereareslightdifferencesbetween

1

individualvesselsofthesamedesignandoccasionalminorblemishes

(flaws).Butwhatstrikestheeyeandthetouchmostimmediatelyand

mostpowerfullywithRomanpotteryisitsconsistenthighquality.

②Thisisnotjustanaestheticconsiderationbutalsoapracticalone.

Thesevesselsaresolid(brittle,butnotfragile),theyarepleasantand

easytohandle(beinglightandsmooth),and,withtheirhardand

sometimesglossy(smoothandshiny)surfaces,theyholdliquidswelland

areeasytowash.Furthermore,theirregularandstandardizedshapes

wouldhavemadethemsimpletostackandstore.Whenpeopletoday

areshownaveryordinaryRomanpotand,inparticular,areallowedto

handleit,theyoftencommentonhowmodernitlooksandfeels,and

theyneedtobeconvincedofitstrueage.

③AsimpressiveasthequalityofRomanpotteryisitssheermassive

quantity.Whenconsideringquantities,wewouldideallyliketohave

som