小托福大智慧--閱讀系列【文化馬賽克】—

小托福大智慧--閱讀系列【文化馬賽克】——朱彥琳

發布時間：2013-11-20

作者：

來源于：昂立外語網站

TOEFL Junior考試（初中托福）的閱讀理解部分一般由7篇文章組成，每篇文章長度約200-350個單詞，根據每篇文章的長度，對應4-9道題不等，考試時間為50分鐘。

閱讀文章大部分來自北美初高中學生的閱讀能力范圍之內的一些報紙，雜志等，體裁形式多樣，如邀請函，電子郵件，海報，表格，小冊子，時間表，新聞故事，說明文，議論文等。文章涉及的范圍也具有國際范，涵蓋藝術，人文，科學等，比如關于某種瀕危動物的介紹，關于大氣，宇宙的科普性說明，語言發展歷史的學術報告等。

對于小托福的考生們，或未來必將走出國門的中國學生們來說，提高閱讀能力是遲早的事，因為美國名校十分青睞閱讀能力強的中國學生，比如SAT考試（申請美國大學名校和獎學金的重要參考），同樣的總分，如果閱讀成績達到750分以上，那么申請名校和獎學金的成功率最大。而閱讀成績低于700分，那么申請美國綜合排名前10的大學幾率就較低。

閱讀能力的高低取決于：閱讀速度和閱讀范圍，建議多閱讀一些英文小說，報紙，雜志等，我們的博客專欄特別開設了小托福大智慧--閱讀系列，幫助中國學生們通過讀文章，讀出知識面，讀出詞匯量，讀出閱讀能力。

小托福大智慧--閱讀系列【Culture Mosaic】

Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 murals (壁畫) have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.　　The walls that were once ugly with graffiti (涂鴉) are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. “When people ask me what our program is about，” she says, “I answer them with one word: hope”. Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Sometimes graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.　　The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community (社區). When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been “Safe Streets”， “Love and Care”， and “Peace Walk”．
　　The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.　　 “The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history.” says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles.　　1．What can be the best title for the text?　　A．Love, from Graffiti Writers to Muralists　　B．MAP, a New Company in Philadelphia　　C．Jane, an Excellent Mural Artist　　D．Hope, One Wall at a Time　　2．What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at?　　A．Helping the young find jobs.　　B．Protecting the neighborhood.　　C．Fighting against graffiti.　　D．Attracting more visitors.　　3．How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural?　　A．By having discussions with people in the community.　　B．By seeking advice from the city government.　　C．By learning from the young graffiti writers.　　D．By studying the history of the city.　　4．Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP?　　A．Difficult.　　B．Dangerous.　　C．Experimental.　　D．Successful.
　　答案與解析
　　1.D　主旨大意題。根據第二段Jane Golden的話可知，當人們問及該項目是關于什么的時候，她用一個詞來概括，即Hope，故D項為最佳標題。
　　2.C　推理判斷題。根據第一、二段，昔日曾經被涂鴉的墻壁正被美麗的壁畫所覆蓋，以使社區更具魅力，因此對抗涂鴉應是該項目的目的。
　　3.A　細節理解題。根據第三段第二句可知，當社區的居民請求畫一張壁畫時，該項目的工作人員就和當地的人們一起工作來擬定出一個主題，故選A項。
　　4.D　推理判斷題。根據第一段及倒數第二段可知，該項目很成功，故選D項

【Modern-style. graffiti】

The first known example of "modern style" graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). Local guides say it is an advertisement for prostitution. Located near a mosaic and stone walkway, the graffiti shows a handprint that vaguely resembles a heart, along with a footprint and a number. This is believed to indicate that a brothel was nearby, with the handprint symbolizing payment.

【Vocabulary】

graffiti 涂鴉，在公共、私有設施或墻壁上的人為和有意圖的標記。涂鴉早于一些文明古國如古希臘和羅馬帝國便有存在。如果把涂鴉定義得再廣一些，史前時期的人們在洞穴中涂上的壁畫也可算是涂鴉。

時至今日，“涂鴉”在一定程度上為這種街頭藝術賦予一定認受性。不然，這些作品的稱呼將會是“亂畫”或“涂污”。

涂鴉在英語中是以復數 Graffiti 表示。其單數詞為 graffito。

Philadelphia 費城，費城是美國最老、最具歷史意義的城市之一，在美國城市排名第五，僅次于紐約、洛杉磯、芝加哥和休斯頓，居民共約六百二十萬人，費城是德拉瓦河谷都會區的中心城市，位于賓夕法尼亞州（Pennsylvania）東南部，市區東起德拉瓦河，向西延伸到斯庫基爾河以西，面積334平方公里。它在美國史上有非常重要的地位。同名電影《費城》則是一部反應艾滋病，同性戀，人權，自尊的經典影片。