By the 1980s, according to international but admittedly inconsistent definitions of literacy, about seven out of ten adults in the world were considered literate. The increase in literacy from ancient times to the present has not been a story of unbroken progress. The ability of people within a given society to read and write has been influenced by a number of factors, including economic well-being, the availability of material to read, the amount of education available, and the basic matter of the usefulness of reading.
Of these factors, usefulness has probably been the most decisive. In ancient societies, as people settled into stable patterns of agriculture and trade, it became useful for some of them to read and write in order to keep records, to transact business, and to measure amounts of land, animals, goods, materials, and produce. Since all economic aspects of a society were closely tied to the operations of government, literary became useful and even necessary for the keeping of records by officials. The responsibilities of citizenship led to a fairly high level of literacy in ancient Greece and Rome, but in addition to that, there also grew an appreciation of good literature, poetry, drama, history, and philosophy.
During the early Middle Ages, with the general breakdown of society in Europe and the decrease of commerce, literary became largely confined to the church. But in the late Middle Ages, in the period of the Renaissance, the great expansion of commerce and banking led to a revival in literacy for the same reason that had caused it to increase in the ancient world usefulness.
With the invention of the printing press and inexpensive paper late in the 15th century there was for the first time a great availability of reading material for a much greater number of people. Religious reformers were among the first to utilize the situation, quickly getting translations of the Bible and educational tracts and booklets into the hands of many people.
The broadened religious enlightenment that resulted was followed in later centuries by a political one. Political theorists who favored doctrines promoting the natural rights of man called for an attack upon illiteracy. Political revolutions, particularly in the United States and France, helped inaugurate an era in which all classes were called upon to become informed on public policy for their own welfare. Against this political background there emerged the movement for universal popular education. Literacy came to be understood as a means whereby the individual could benefit and advance, and gradually whole societies began to acknowledge that universal literacy among their citizens was an avenue to greater economic well-being.
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
2. From the first paragraph we know ________.
3. According to the passage, what is the major driving force behind the progress toward more literacy?
4. In the Renaissance, it was ________ that greatly expand literacy.
5. The last paragraph is mainly about ________.
问题1选项
A.The progress of literacy was dominated successively by economy, religion and politics.
B.During the early Middle Ages, with the increase of commerce, literacy became largely confined to the church.
C.The economic aspect is the most related to the man’s reading ability.
D.In the period of the Renaissance, the great expansion of religion and business led to a revival in literacy.
问题2选项
A.it is fairly easy to determine literacy
B.there is no illiteracy in a rich family
C.history sees an even progress towards literacy
D.in history literacy suffers ups and downs
问题3选项
A.The amount of education.
B.The availability of reading materials.
C.The economic development.
D.The necessity to read.
问题4选项
A.the religious reforms
B.translation and popularization of the Bible
C.availability of printing technology and cheap paper
D.the renovations of the teaching methods
问题5选项
A.the religious movements that promoted the literacy of the public
B.the new progress towards literacy initiated by democratic society
C.modern political movement towards a democratic society
D.political movements at the end of the Middle Ages fighting illiteracy
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:D
第4题:C
第5题:B
1.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据第三段第二句the great expansion of commerce and banking led to a revival in literacy for the same reason that had caused it to increase in the ancient world usefulness.(商业和银行业的巨大发展导致了文化的复兴,出于同样的原因,使之在古代世界的效用增加。),结合第一段最后一句The ability of people within a given society to read and write has been influenced by a number of factors, including economic well-being, the availability of material to read…(在特定社会中,人们的读写能力受到若干因素的影响,其中包括经济状况、是否有可供阅读的材料……),可知在诸多影响文化发展的文化中,经济条件是最具有决定性的,C选项“经济水平与人的阅读能力关系最大”正确。A选项“文化的进步先后受到经济、宗教和政治的主导”:文化一直受到经济的影响,文章没有提到文化的进步由宗教和政治的主导,属于偷换概念。B选项“在中世纪早期,随着商业的发展,识字主要局限于教会”:根据第三段第一句During the early Middle Ages, with the general breakdown of society in Europe and the decrease of commerce, literary became largely confined to the church.(在中世纪早期,随着欧洲社会的全面崩溃和商业的衰落,文学在很大程度上局限于教会。),可知在中世纪早期,商业不是在发展,而是在衰落,属于偷换概念。D选项“在文艺复兴时期,宗教和商业的巨大扩张导致了文化的复兴”:根据第三段第二句the great expansion of commerce and banking led to a revival in literacy(商业和银行业的巨大发展导致了文化的复兴),可知是商业的发展让文化复兴,不包括宗教的发展,属于偷换概念。因此C选项正确。
2.【试题答案】D
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据第一段第二句The increase in literacy from ancient times to the present has not been a story of unbroken progress.(从古至今,文化水平的提高并不是持续不断的进步。),可知文化水平并不是持续向上提升的,D选项“在历史上,文化素养有起有落”正确。A选项“确定读写能力相当容易”和B选项“富裕的家庭没有文盲”:文中没有提到,属于无中生有。C选项“历史见证了文化的进步”:文中没有强调文化在历史发展中持续进步,反而是有起有落,属于偷换概念。因此D选项正确。
3.【试题答案】D
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据第二段第一句Of these factors, usefulness has probably been the most decisive.(在这些因素中,有用性可能最具决定性。),读写在实际生活中的作用,也就是实用性推动了读写能力的提高,D选项“阅读的必要性”正确。A选项“受教育者的数量”,B选项“阅读材料的可用性”和C选项“经济发展”:对应第一段最后一句The ability of people within a given society to read and write has been influenced by a number of factors, including economic well-being, the availability of material to read, the amount of education available, and the basic matter of the usefulness of reading.(在一个特定社会中,人们的读写能力受到若干因素的影响,包括经济状况、可供阅读的材料、有效的受教育者人数以及阅读的用处的基本情况。),但这些不是最主要的因素。因此D选项正确。
4.【试题答案】C
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据第四段第一句With the invention of the printing press and inexpensive paper late in the 15th century there was for the first time a great availability of reading material for a much greater number of people.(15世纪晚期,随着印刷机和廉价纸张的发明,第一次有了大量的阅读材料可供更多的人使用。),可知印刷机和廉价纸张让更多人可以阅读,提高阅读能力,C选项“印刷技术和廉价纸张的可用性”正确。A选项“宗教改革”和B选项“圣经的翻译和普及”:不是主要原因,属于偷换概念。D选项“教学方法的革新”文中没有提到,属于无中生有。因此C选项正确。
5.【试题答案】B
【试题解析】主旨大意题。这一段讲述了追求民主的政治运动推动全民教育的发展,B选项“民主社会在扫盲方面的新进展”正确。A选项“促进公众读写能力的宗教运动”:这里提到的不是宗教运动,而是政治运动,属于偷换概念。C选项“向民主社会迈进的现代政治运动”:除了政治运动,还讲到教育,属于以偏概全。D选项“中世纪末期与文盲作斗争的政治运动”:这里的政治运动旨在追求民主,而非扫除文盲,属于偷换概念。因此B选项正确。