冲刺09年12月六级考试大作战-模拟题2

2009-11-06 00:00:00来源:新东方

Passage Two

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

The importance of symbols as a source of cultural diversity can be seen in the dress codes and hairstyles of different societies. In most situations, the symbolism of clothing and hairstyles communicates different messages ranging from political beliefs to identification with specific ethnic or religious groups. The tartan(格子呢) of a Scottish clan, the black leather jacket and long hair of a motorcycle gang member in the United States, and the veil of an Islamic woman in Saudi Arabia provide a symbolic vocabulary that creates cultural diversity.

Many examples of clothing styles could be used to illustrate how symbols are used to produce cultural diversity. Consider, for instance, changing dress codes in the United States. During the 1960s, many young people wore jeans, sandals, and beads to symbolize their rebellion against what they conceived as the conformist inclinations of American society. By the 1980s, many of the same people were wearing “power suits” as they sought to advance up the corporate ladder.

An example of how hairstyles can create meaningful symbolic codes can be seen in a group known as the Rastafarians(sometimes known as Rastas or Rastaman) of Jamaica. The majority of the people of Jamaica are of African descent. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they were brought to Jamaica by European slave traders to work on plantations. The Rastafarians are a specific religious group within Jamaica who believe that Haile Selassie(1892-1975), the former emperor of Ethiopia, whose original name was Ras Tafari, was the black Messiah who appeared in the flesh for the redemption of all blacks exiled in the world of white oppression. Rastafarian religion fuses Old Testament teachings, Christian mysticism, and Afro-Jamaican religious beliefs. The Rastafarian movement originated as a consequence of harsh economic, political, and living conditions in the slums of Jamaica.

In the 1950s, during the early phase of the Rastafarian movement, some male members began to grow their hair in “locks” or “dreadlocks” to symbolize their religious and political commitments. This hairstyle became well known in Western society through reggae(强节奏黑人音乐) music and Rasta musicians such as the late Bob Marley. Rastafarians derive the symbolism of the dreadlock hairstyle of the Rastafarians from the Bible. They view the unshaven man as the natural man and invoke Samson as one of the most important figures in the Bible. Dreadlocks also reflect a dominant symbol within the Rastafarian movement, the lion, which is associated with Haile Selassie, one of whose titles was the “Conquering Lion of Judah(犹大).”To simulate the spirit of the lion, some Rastas do not cut their hair, sometimes growing their locks 20 inches or more.

Thus, to a great extent, culture consists of a network of symbolic codes that enhance values, beliefs, worldviews, and ideologies within a society, Humans go to a great length to create symbols that provide meaning for individuals and groups. These symbolic meanings are a powerful source of cultural diversity.

52.What is the main idea of this selection?

AHairstyles and dress codes identify political beliefs in diverse societies.

BThe Rastafarian movement symbolized a religious and political commitment.

CSymbols provide meaning and a satisfaction of biological needs in society.

DHairstyles and dress codes can be important symbols of cultural diversity in different societies.

53.The author uses the examples of the Scottish tartan, the motorcycle jacket, and the Islamic veil to show .

Athe political power of dress codes in different societies

Bthe diversity of clothing styles throughout the world

Cdress codes that symbolize different ethnic and religious groups

Dthe resistance to change of culturally different groups

54.The author suggests that the young people wearing jeans in the 1960s wore “power suits” in the 1980s because .

Astyles changed Bthe American government changed

Ctheir attitudes and goals changed Dboth outfits symbolized rebellion

55.All of the following are true of the Rastafarians EXCEPT .

Athey believe that Emperor Haile Selassie was the black Messiah

Bthey are the original natives of Jamaica

Cthey are a religious group with political commitments

Dthey formed as a result of harsh living conditions in Jamaica

55.The Rastafarian movement began .

Aat the beginning of the nineteenth century

Baround the middle of the twentieth century

Cbefore European slave traders arrived

Din the early eighteenth century

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