Two divergent definitions have dominated sociologists’ discussions of the nature of ethnicity. The first emphasizes the primordial and unchanging character of ethnicity. In this view, people have an essential need for belonging that is satisfied by membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture. A different conception of ethnicity de-emphasizes the cultural component and defines ethnic groups as interest groups. In this view, ethnicity serves as a way of mobilizing a certain population behind issues relating to its economic position. While both of these definitions are useful, neither fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the United States.
Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations.
One example of this process is the rise of participation by Native American people in the broader United States political system since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. Besides leading Native Americans to participate more actively in politics (the number of Native American legislative officeholders more than doubled), this movement also evoked increased interest in tribal history and traditional culture. Cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another.
The Civil Rights movement also brought changes in the uses to which ethnicity was put by Mexican American people. In the 1960’s, Mexican Americans formed community-based political groups that emphasized ancestral heritage as a way of mobilizing constituents. Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic solidarity. Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with contemporary civic symbols. In 1968 Henry Censors, then mayor of San Antonio, Texas, cited Mexican leader Benito Juarez as a model for Mexican Americans in their fight for contemporary civil rights. And every year, Mexican Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo as fervently as many Irish American people embrace St. Patrick’s Day (both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States.
46. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
47. Which is the following statements about the first two definitions of ethnicity discussed in the first paragraph is supported by the passage?
48. The author of the passage refers to Native American people in the second paragraph in order to provide an example of ____.
49. The passage supports which of the following statements about the Mexican American community?
50. Which of the following types of ethnic cultural expression is discussed in the passage?
问题1选项
A.In their definitions of the nature of ethnicity, sociologists have underestimated the power of the primordial human need to belong.
B.Ethnicity is best defined as a dynamic process that combines cultural components with shared political and economic interests.
C.In the United States in the twentieth century, ethnic groups have begun to organize in order to further their political and economic interests.
D.Ethnicity in the United States has been significantly changed by the Civil Rights movement.
问题2选项
A.One is supported primarily by sociologists, and the other is favored by members of ethnic groups.
B.One emphasizes the political aspects of ethnicity, and the other focuses on the economic aspects.
C.One is the result of analysis of United States populations, and the other is the result of analysis of European populations.
D.One focuses more on the ancestral components of ethnicity than does the other.
问题3选项
A.the ability of membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture to satisfy an essential human need.
B.how ethnic feelings have both motivated and been strengthened by political activity.
C.how the Civil Rights movement can help promote solidarity among United States ethnic groups.
D.how participation in the political system has helped to improve a group’s economic situation.
问题4选项
A.In the 1960’s the Mexican American community began to incorporate the customs of another ethnic group in the United States into the observation of its own ethnic holidays.
B.In the 1960’s Mexican American community groups promoted ethnic solidarity primarily in order to effect economic change.
C.In the 1960’s leader of the Mexican American community concentrated their efforts on promoting a renaissance of ethnic history and culture
D.In the 1960’s members of the Mexican American community were becoming increasingly concerned about the issue of voting rights.
问题5选项
A.The retelling of traditional narratives
B.The wearing of traditional clothing
C.The playing of traditional music
D.The celebration of traditional holidays
第1题:B
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:D
第5题:D
46. 【试题答案】B
【试题解析】主旨大意题。第一段最后一句While both of these definitions are useful, neither fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the United States.（虽然这两种定义都是有用的，但都不能完全抓住美国种族的动态和变化的方面）引出两种定义的不足之处，第二段Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations.（相反，种族更令人满意地被设想为一个过程，在这个过程中，根据不断变化的现实生活情况，将先前存在的社区纽带和共同的文化属性调整为工具性目的）作者给出更完善的定义，第三段第四段都在举例说明该定义，选B选项“族裔最好定义为将文化成分与共同的政治和经济利益结合起来的动态过程”；A选项“在他们对种族本质的定义中，社会学家低估了原始人类需要归属感的力量”和原文不符；C选项“在20世纪的美国，少数民族开始团结起来，以促进他们的政治和经济利益”和D选项“民权运动显著改变了美国的种族”仅是第三段的内容，以偏概全。因此B选项正确。
47. 【试题答案】D
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干定位到原文第一段The first emphasizes the primordial and unchanging character of ethnicity. In this view, people have an essential need for belonging that is satisfied by membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture. A different conception of ethnicity de-emphasizes the cultural component…（第一种观点强调了种族的原始和不变的特性。按照这种观点，人们对归属感有一种基本的需求，这种需求由基于共同祖先和文化的群体成员身份来满足。一种不同的种族概念淡化了文化成分……）可知选D选项“更注重种族的祖先组成部分”；A选项“一种观点主要得到社会学家的支持，另一种观点则受到少数民族成员的青睐”，B选项“一个强调种族的政治方面，另一个强调经济方面”以及C选项“一个是美国人口分析的结果，另一个是欧洲人口分析的结果”都和第一段不符。因此D选项正确。
48. 【试题答案】B
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干定位到第三段One example of this process is the rise of participation by Native American people in the broader United States political system since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s…Cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another.（关于这一进程的一个例子是，自20世纪60年代民权运动以来，美国原住民对更广泛的美国政治体系的参与有所增加……族裔的文化和工具因素不是相互排斥的，而是相互加强的），根据上下文可知这里提到的“工具因素”包括前文所说的“美国原住民对更广泛的美国政治体系的参与有所增加”这一政治活动，选B选项“种族情感是如何被政治活动激发和加强的”；A选项“基于共同祖先和文化的群体成员满足人类基本需求的能力”，C选项“民权运动如何有助于促进美国少数民族的团结”以及D选项“政治体制的参与如何帮助改善了一个群体的经济状况”第三段未涉及，排除。因此B选项正确。
49. 【试题答案】D
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干关键字“Mexican American community”定位到原文最后一段In the 1960’s, Mexican Americans formed community-based political groups that emphasized ancestral heritage as a way of mobilizing constituents. Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic solidarity.（20世纪60年代，墨西哥裔美国人成立了以社区为基础的政治团体，强调祖先遗产是动员选民的一种方式。移民和投票权等新出现的问题为墨西哥裔美国维权团体提供了促进种族团结的手段）可知墨西哥裔美国人越来越关心投票权，选D选项“20世纪60年代，墨西哥裔美国人越来越关心投票权问题”；原文最后一段最后一句And every year, Mexican Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo as fervently as many Irish American people embrace St. Patrick’s Day (both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States.（每年，墨西哥裔美国人都会像许多爱尔兰裔美国人一样热烈庆祝圣帕特里克节（这两个节日都是原籍国的重要节日），因为这两个节日都是在美国的背景下重新创造的，与美国的理想、象征和英雄联系在一起）可知墨西哥裔美国人并不是开始将美国另一个族裔的风俗纳入到庆祝自己民族节日的活动中，而是开始庆祝在美国的背景下重新创造的，与美国的理想、象征和英雄联系在一起的节日，所以A选项“20世纪60年代，墨西哥裔美国人开始将美国另一个族裔的风俗纳入到庆祝自己民族节日的活动中”不符合原文，排除；B选项“20世纪60年代，墨西哥裔美国人社区组织促进种族团结，主要是为了实现经济变革”和C选项“20世纪60年代，墨西哥裔美国人社区的领导人集中精力推动种族历史和文化的复兴”原文未涉及，排除。因此D选项符合题意。
50. 【试题答案】D
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干“本文讨论了下列哪一种民族文化表达？”可知要在原文中找和民族文化表达相对应的内容，文章中最后一段提到And every year, Mexican Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo as fervently as many Irish American people embrace St. Patrick’s Day (both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States.（每年，墨西哥裔美国人都会像许多爱尔兰裔美国人一样热烈庆祝圣帕特里克节（这两个节日都是原籍国的重要节日），因为这两个节日都是在美国的背景下重新创造的，与美国的理想、象征和英雄联系在一起）墨西哥裔美国人庆祝庆祝圣帕特里克节的内容，属于庆祝传统节日，选D选项“庆祝传统节日”；A选项“传统叙事的复述”，B选项“传统服装的穿着”以及C选项“传统音乐的演奏”原文未涉及，排除。因此D选项符合题意。
