TPO11 Reading 1

Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

In order to understand ancient Egyptian art, it is vital to know as much as possible of the elite Egyptians' view of the world and the functions and contexts of the art produced for them. Without this knowledge we can appreciate only the formalcontent of Egyptian art, and we will fail to understand why it was produced or the concepts that shaped it and caused it to adopt its distinctive forms. In fact, a lack of understanding concerning the purposes of Egyptian art has often led it to be compared unfavorably with the art of other cultures: Why did the Egyptians not develop sculpture in which the body turned and twisted throughspace like classical Greek statuary? Why do the artists seem to get left and right confused? And why did they not discover the geometric perspective as European artists did in the Renaissance? The answer to such questions has nothing to do with a lack of skill or imagination on the part of Egyptian artists and everything to do with the purposes for which they were producing their art.

The majority of three-dimensional representations, whether standing, seated, or kneeling, exhibit what is called frontality: they face straight ahead, neither twisting nor turning. When such statues are viewed in isolation, out of their originalcontext and without knowledge of their function, it is easy to criticize them for their rigid attitudes that remained unchanged for three thousand years. Frontality is, however, directly related to the functions of Egyptian statuary and the contexts in which the statues were set up. Statues were created not for their decorative effect but to play a primary role in the cults of the gods, the king, and the dead. They were designed to be put in places where these beings could manifest themselves in order to be the recipients of ritual actions. Thus it made sense to show the statue looking ahead at what was happening in front of it, so that the living performer of the ritual could interact with the divine or deceased recipient. Very often such statues were enclosed in rectangular shrines or wall niches whose only opening was at the front, making it natural for the statue to display frontality. Other statues were designed to be placed withinan architectural setting, for instance, in front of the monumentalentrance gateways to temples known as pylons, or in pillared courts, where they would be placed against or between pillars: their frontality worked perfectly within the architectural context.

Statues were normally made of stone, wood, or metal. Stone statues were worked from single rectangular blocks of material and retained the compactness of the originalshape. The stone between the arms and the body and between the legs in standing figures or the legs and the seat in seated ones was not normally cut away. From a practicalaspect this protected the figures against breakage and psychologically gives the images a sense of strength and power, usually enhanced by a supporting back pillar. By contrast, wooden statues were carved from several pieces of wood that were pegged together to form the finished work, and metal statues were either made by wrapping sheet metal around a wooden core or cast by the lost waxprocess. The arms could be held away from the body and carry separate items in their hands; there is no back pillar. The effect is altogether lighter and freer than that achieved in stone, but because both perform the same function, formal wooden and metal statues still display frontality.

Apart from statues representing deities, kings, and named members of the elite that can be called formal, there is another group of three-dimensional representations that depicts generic figures, frequently servants, from the nonelite population. The function of these is quite different. Many are made to be put in the tombs of the elite in order to serve the tomb owners in the afterlife. Unlike formal statues that are limited to static poses of standing, sitting, and kneeling, these figures depict a wide range of actions, such as grinding grain, baking bread, producing pots, and making music, and they are shown in appropriate poses, bending and squatting as they carry out their tasks.

The word "vital" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. attractive

B. essential

C. usual

D. practical

Vital: Vital, life and death. A is attractive; B is necessary; C is normal; D is practical and practical. So B's essential is correct, both can replace important. In order to understand ancient Egyptian art, it is vital to know as much as possible of the elite Egyptians' view of the world and the functions and contexts of the art produced for them.

Paragraph 1 suggests that one reason Egyptian art is viewed less favorably than other art is that Egyptian art lacks

A. a realistic sense of human body proportion

B. a focus on distinctive forms of varying sizes

C. the originality of European art

D. the capacity to show the human body in motion

Positioning the keyword to the third sentence with less favorably, and several consecutive question marks after the colon, listed several reasons for the unpopularity of Egyptian sculpture, and the answer must be one of them. The correct answer appears in the first question: In fact, a lack of understanding concerning the purposes of Egyptian art has often led it to be comparable unfavorably with the art of other cultures: Why did the Egyptians not develop sculpture in which the body turned And the twisted through space like classical Greek statuary? The colon says: Why is the body of the Egyptian sculpture not turned and twisted, that is, the body is not moving, so the answer is D. It is easy to choose the wrong one. The D-options are relatively large and difficult to understand. The body proportion of the A option was not mentioned in the original; the varing sizes of the B option were not mentioned; the originality of the C option was not mentioned.

In paragraph 1, the author mentions all of the following as necessary in appreciating Egyptian art EXCEPT an understanding of

A. the reasons why the art was made

B. the nature of aristocratic Egyptian beliefs

C. the influences of Egyptian art on later art such as classical Greek art

D. how the art was used

A's reason corresponds to the original third sentence: In fact, a lack of understanding concerning the purposes of Egyptian art has often led it to comparable unfavorably with the art of other cultures... Correct, not selected; B's aristocratoc Egyptian belief corresponds to the first sentence's elite Egyptian's view, D corresponds to the first sentence of functions:In order to understand ancient Egyptian art, it is vital to know as much as possible of the elite Egyptians' View of the world and the functions and contexts of the art produced for them.

BD is correct, not selected.

According to paragraph 2, why are Egyptian statues portrayed frontality?

A. To create a psychological effect of distance and isolation

B. To allow them to fulfill their important role in ceremonies of Egyptian life

C. To provide a contrast to statues with a decorative function

D. To suggest the rigid, unchanging Egyptian philosophical attitudes

With the double keywords of status and frontalty pointing to the third sentence, we say that frontality is related to the role of cherishing sculpture, and further in the latter sentence is not to decorate, but it does play some practical role, and in the fifth sentence directly Speaking of the role played: They were designed to be put in places where these being beings could manifest themselves in order to be the recipients of ritual actions. Here it is for ritual actions, so the answer is B,ceremonies and ritual agree to replace Now. A and D are all mentioned in the original text, but they are not related to the problem, so they are not selected. The comparison of C has never been said before, so it is not correct.

The word "context" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. connection

B. influence

C. environment

D. requirement

Context: background, environment. A is a contact; B is an influence; C is an environment; D is a requirement. So C's environment is correct. The original sentence says when such statues are viewed in isolation, out of their original context and without knowledge of their function, it is easy to criticize them for their rigid attitudes that has remained cheerful for three thousand years. At the time, the phrase is used immediately after the explanation of their original context. Since it is isolated, it is separated from other things, and it only says that it does not know their role, so the answer is separated from the background. . After the connection is replaced, there is obviously a problem with collocation. It should be said that the connection is cut off. It is not the connection, so connection is wrong. As for influence and requirement, it is not reliable.

The author mentions "an architectural setting" in the passage in order to

A. suggest that architecture was as important as sculpture to Egyptian artists

B. offer a further explanation for the frontal pose of Egyptian statues

C. explain how the display of statues replaced other forms of architectural decoration

D. illustrate the religious function of Egyptian statues

The purpose of the function, first look at the sentence, said that the other status is mainly placed in the context of the building, because with the emergence of other, indicating that this is just one of several examples, skip all the examples and details, Find the main sentence, that is, the third sentence of the full text: Frontality is, however, the direct related to the functions of Egyptian statuary and the contexts in which the statues were set up. This sentence emphasizes that the reason why the sculpture is frontality is its function and The environment used is relevant. The examples that follow illustrate the functions of sculpture in different environments. So the answer is B, the other explanation corresponds to the original text. Of course, this topic can also be used to draw on the whole theme. The whole paragraph aims at the first sentence and emphasizes frontality. Among these options, there are only B and C related to frontality, and C's replacement is obviously inconsistent with the original content.

The word "they" in the passage refers to

A. statues

B. gateways

C. temples

D. pillared courts

A refers to looking forward and looking for the subject. The subject of this sentence is statues, so the answer is A, substitute, and correct.

According to paragraph 3, why were certain areas of a stone statue left uncarved?

A. To prevent damage by providing physical stability

B. To emphasize that the material was as important as the figure itself

C. To emphasize that the figure was not meant to be a real human being

D. To provide another artist with the chance to finish the carving

A uncarved coincides with the not normally cut away in the second sentence of the original text. But this sentence only shows this phenomenon. Looking back, it has two roles. The practical angle can avoid damage. The psychological angle can give people a sense of strength. , A. The answer to prevent destruction is correct when it comes to the first aspect; nothing else is said.

The word "core" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. material

B. layer

C. center

D. frame

C core: The core, the center. A is material, raw material; B is layer, layer; C is center; D is frame, structure. So C's center is correct. The corresponding text of the By contrast, wooden statues were carved from several pieces of wood that were pegged together to form the finished work, and metal statues were are done by wrapping sheet metal around a wooden core or cast by the lost wax process. The sentence said that the metal statue was made of metal foil wrapped in what wood; since the bread is a metal, indicating that the wood is the inner core, so it is the center of the meaning. A material and B layer have no corresponding meaning inside and outside, wrong; D's frame should be outside, and does not match the meaning.

According to paragraph 3, which of the following statements about wooden statues is true?

A. Wooden statues were usually larger than stone statues.

B. Wooden statues were made from a single piece of wood.

C. Wooden statues contained pieces of metal or stone attached to the front.

D. Wooden statues had a different effect on the viewer than stone statues.

If you use the wooden statues as a key word, you may need to read a lot, so use the exclusion method. A's larger error, the original did not say who the big or small; according to the third to last sentence, prove that BC is wrong, By contrast, wooden statues were carved from several pieces of wood that were pegged together to form the finished workk, and metal The wooden statues were made of wrapping sheet metal around a wooden core or cast by the lost wax process. The original wooden sculpture was made up of pieces of splicing, which was inconsistent with B's single pieces. C was wrong. The original saying was that metal was made of wood. The nucleus of the nucleus was wrapped in the skin, and did not say that the metal was attached to the front, belonging to the concept of stealing; D was right, and the effect of the wooden was the last sentence: The effect is altogether lighter and freer than that achieved in stone, but because both This emphasizes that compared to stone carvings, woodcarvings are lighter and freer, so they are different, and by contrast also means that the two are contrasting.

The word |depicts|in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. imagines

B. classifies

C. elevates

D. portrays

D: depict: Description, de means downward, pict means draw, figure, dye, etc. So D's portray (painting, drawing) is correct. A is an imagination; B is a classification; C is a promotion. The original sentence represents the names of the representation of the entities, kings, and named members of the elite that can be called formal, there is another group of three-dimensional representations thatpresent the generic figures, diligent servants, from the nonelite population. Described outside the elite class, there is also how non-elite class, of course, corresponds to the above represent, is to describe the meaning of the representative, so portray is correct; A imagine the B class C lift lifts do not fly.

According to paragraph 4, what is the difference between statues that represent the Egyptian elite and statues that represent the nonelite classes?

A. Statues of the elite are included in tombs, but statues of the nonelite are not.

B. Statues of the elite are in motionless poses, while statues of the nonelite are in active poses.

C. Statues of the elite are shown standing, while statues of the nonelite are shown sitting or kneeling.

D. Statues of the elite serve an important function, while statues of the nonelite are decorative.

B, with the keywords elite and nonelite as the key words to the first sentence, but through the previous question, the first sentence is just to state a phenomenon. It does not say where the two are different, and the correct answer should be in the third sentence. Unlike this statement is the correct answer. People who say formal only have several positions, either sitting or standing, but others are doing all kinds of labor, so B is correct, C is slightly confused, and the difference between the two is mainly static or work.

In fact, it is the action and not the figure itself that is important..

D Three transition points, adverbs in fact that play transitional conjunctions, two noun actions and figure, according to nouns can determine C or D is correct; but insert C, then can not form in fact reflect the transition meaning, so D correct, The difference between elite and nonelite was stated before, and then the summary is given. The main thing is posture rather than the statue itself.

The distinctive look of ancient Egyptian sculpture was determined largely by its function.

A.The twisted forms of Egyptian statues indicate their importance in ritual actions.

B.The reason Egyptian statues are motionless is linked to their central role in cultural rituals.

C.Stone, wood, and metal statues all display the feature of frontality.

D.Statues were more often designed to be viewed in isolation rather than placed within buildings.

E.The contrasting poses used in statues of elite and nonelite Egyptians reveal their difference in social status.

F.Although the appearances of formal and generic statues differ, they share the same function

The B.C.E the twisted option is the opposite of the first sentence of the second paragraph of the original text. The reason option corresponds to the fourth sentence of the second paragraph of the original text, correct. The stone option corresponds to the first sentence and the last sentence of the third paragraph of the original text. The statues option did not say originally, do not choose. The contrasting option corresponds to the first sentence of the fourth paragraph of the original text, correct. Although the option is contrary to the second sentence of the fourth paragraph, it is not selected.