Pottery is one of the oldest crafts, which began to be practiced as soon as man learned to control fire, and long before the melting of metals. It enabled him from very early times to make vessels for storing and cooking food, for carrying water, and for burial purposes. Early vessels were shaped by hand and probably “fired” in a big bonfire by covering them over with dried grass and dead branches, which were then set alight.
A great advance in pottery followed the invention of the potter’s wheel and the kiln. It is not certainly known where the potter’s wheel was first used, but it is thought that by about 3,500 B.C potters in Central Asia were using some kind of wheel. From there its use spread west and east to Egypt, Crete, China—and then to Ancient Greece and Rome.
At first the wheel was nothing more than a small disc, turned on a pivot by hand, but later it was improved by raising it and providing it with a larger circular platform near the ground as well which could be rotated by the potter with his feet. Such a wheel was probably in use in Egypt by about 200 B.C., though this is only conjecture; but it was certainly still in use in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In the eighteenth century, however, the potter’s wheel was improved so that it could be worked by a treadle, or turned by an assistant. Modern potter’s wheels are power driven.
There are three principal ways articles may be made of pottery. They may be simply shaped by hand. They may be thrown on the potter’s wheel and shaped against the spin with the fingers or some scraping tool. Thirdly, the wet clay may be put in a pre-shaped “form” of plaster-of-Paris.
After the pots have been made, they are slowly baked in the kiln. This produces chemical changes in the clay which have a hardening effect. The time taken for firing pottery varies with the size of the kiln and the type of clay. It can take anything from 24 hours to as long as 2 weeks.
If pottery is to hold water, it must be “glazed”, since clay is porous by nature. Glaze consists of the raw materials of glass, ground together and mixed with water to a creamy consistency. The glaze is sprayed on to the pot which is then heated in the kiln again until it is, in effect, covered with a very thin layer of glass. This seals the pores in the clay and gives us the versatile table and oven dishes we know so well today.
1. The early making of pottery ________.
2. The first potter’s wheel was invented ________.
3. The ancient Greeks and Romans ________.
4. The three ways articles can be made of pottery are ________.
5. The time taken for firing pottery varies according to ________.
问题1选项
A.pre-dated the discovery of fire
B.post-dated the smelting of metals
C.was dependent on the control of fire
D.avoided the need for storing and treating food
问题2选项
A.in Central Asia
B.in Egypt
C.in Ancient Greece
D.probably before 3,500 B.C.
问题3选项
A.did not use the potter’s wheel
B.learned about the potter’s wheel form elsewhere
C.did not make pottery
D.carried the potter’s wheel to Egypt, Crete and China
问题4选项
A.spinning, molding and “throwing”
B.“throwing”, hand shaping and on a wheel
C.hand shaping, “throwing” on a wheel, and molding in a “form”
D.are becoming increasingly sophisticated
问题5选项
A.the type of clay the kiln is made of
B.the type of clay and the size of kiln it is baked in
C.the type of kiln the pottery is baked in
D.atmospheric conditions
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
The early making of pottery ________. 早期的陶器制作________。
A. pre-dated the discovery of fire A. 早于火的发现
B. post-dated the smelting of metals B. 在金属冶炼之后
C. was dependent on the control of fire C. 依赖于对火的控制
D. avoided the need for storing and treating food D. 避免了储存和处理食物的需要
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词early making of pottery可以定位到文章第一段最后一句“早期的器皿是手工制作的，可能是在一个大篝火中‘烧制’的（“fired” in a big bonfire）”，说明早期的陶器制作需要依赖火。因此C选项“依赖于对火的控制”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“早于火的发现”，由Pottery is one of the oldest crafts, which began to be practiced as soon as man learned to control fire（陶瓷是最古老的手工艺之一，它开始被实践是在人类学会控制火之后）可知，陶器制作晚于火的发现，属于反向干扰；
B选项“在金属冶炼之后”，由long before the melting of metals（远在冶炼金属之前）可知，陶器制作早于金属冶炼，属于反向干扰；
D选项“避免了储存和处理食物的需要”，由It enabled him from very early times to make vessels for storing and cooking food, for carrying water, and for burial purposes.（早期的人类就能制作出用于储存和烹饪食物、携带水以及用于葬礼的器皿。）可知，陶器的出现使人们能够制作用于储存和烹饪食物的容器，而不是避免了储存和处理食物的需要，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The first potter’s wheel was invented ________. 第一个陶瓷轮发明于________。
A. in Central Asia A. 中亚
B. in Egypt B. 埃及
C. in Ancient Greece C. 古希腊
D. probably before 3,500 B.C. D. 可能在公元前3500年之前
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词potter’s wheel可以定位到文章第二段第二句“陶瓷轮最早在哪里被使用并不清楚，但是人们认为在公元前3500年左右，中亚的陶艺家开始使用某种轮子（potters in Central Asia were using some kind of wheel）”，说明最早的陶瓷轮可能发明于中亚。因此A选项“中亚”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“埃及”和C选项“古希腊”，由From there its use spread west and east to Egypt, Crete, China—and then to Ancient Greece and Rome.（从那里开始，它的使用从西向东传播到埃及、克里特岛、中国，然后传播到古希腊和罗马。）可知，埃及和古希腊的陶瓷轮是后来传播过去的，不是最早发明的，属于反向干扰；
D选项“可能在公元前3500年之前”，由but it is thought that by about 3,500 B.C potters in Central Asia were using some kind of wheel（但是人们认为在公元前3500年左右，中亚的陶艺家开始使用某种轮子）可知，文章指出陶瓷轮可能在公元前3500年左右在中亚开始使用，而不是在公元前3500年之前，属于偷换概念。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The ancient Greeks and Romans ________. 古希腊和古罗马人________。
A. did not use the potter’s wheel A. 没有使用陶瓷轮
B. learned about the potter’s wheel form elsewhere B. 从别处了解到陶瓷轮的形式
C. did not make pottery C. 没有制作陶器
D. carried the potter’s wheel to Egypt, Crete and China D. 将陶瓷轮带到了埃及、克里特岛和中国
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词ancient Greeks and Romans可以定位到文章第二段第三句“从那里开始，它的使用从西向东传播到埃及、克里特岛、中国，然后传播到古希腊和罗马（then to Ancient Greece and Rome）”，说明古希腊和罗马是从其他地方学习到陶瓷轮的使用的。因此B选项“从别处了解到陶瓷轮的形式”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“没有使用陶瓷轮”和C选项“没有制作陶器”，由原文可知，古希腊和古罗马人制作陶器，使用陶瓷轮，属于反向干扰；
D选项“将陶瓷轮带到了埃及、克里特岛和中国”，由From there its use spread west and east to Egypt, Crete, China—and then to Ancient Greece and Rome.（从那里开始，它的使用从西向东传播到埃及、克里特岛、中国，然后传播到古希腊和罗马。）可知，陶瓷轮是从中亚传到埃及、克里特岛和中国的，属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The three ways articles can be made of pottery are ________. 陶瓷制品制作的三种方法是________。
A. spinning, molding and “throwing” A. 旋转、成型和“扔”
B. “throwing”, hand shaping and on a wheel B. “扔”、手工塑形和轮制
C. hand shaping, “throwing” on a wheel, and molding in a “form” C. 手工塑形、“扔”在轮子上和在“模型”中成型
D. are becoming increasingly sophisticated D. 越来越复杂
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词The three ways可以定位到文章第四段第一句“陶瓷制品的制作主要有三种方式（There are three principal ways）”，接下来介绍了这三种方法：“它们可以简单地用手塑形（shaped by hand）。它们可以在陶瓷轮上（on the potter’s wheel）塑造，用手指或一些刮刀工具对着旋转的陶瓷轮塑形。第三，湿黏土可以放在预先塑造的石膏‘模型’中（in a pre-shaped “form” of plaster-of-Paris）”，说明陶瓷制品制作的三种方法包括用手塑形、在陶瓷轮上制作和放在预先塑造的石膏“模型”中。因此C选项“手工塑形、‘扔’在轮子上和在‘模型’中成型”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“旋转、成型和‘扔’”，由shaped against the spin with the fingers or some scraping tool（用手指或一些刮刀工具对着旋转的陶瓷轮塑形）可知，文章说的是在旋转的陶瓷轮上塑性，并非旋转是制作方法的一种，属于曲解原文；
B选项“‘扔’、手工塑形和轮制”，“on a wheel”本身并不是制作陶器的一种方法，它只是“throwing”的一部分，属于曲解原文；
D选项“越来越复杂”在文中没有提及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
The time taken for firing pottery varies according to ________. 烧制陶器所需的时间因________而异。
A. the type of clay the kiln is made of A. 窑炉的陶土类型
B. the type of clay and the size of kiln it is baked in B. 陶土的类型和窑炉的大小
C. the type of kiln the pottery is baked in C. 烧制陶器的窑炉类型
D. atmospheric conditions D. 大气条件
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The time taken for firing pottery可以定位到文章第五段第三句“陶瓷的烧制时间根据窑炉的大小和陶土的类型而异（varies with the size of the kiln and the type of clay）”，说明烧制陶器所需的时间会随着窑炉的大小和陶土的类型而变化。因此B选项“陶土的类型和窑炉的大小”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“窑炉的陶土类型”，文章说的是陶器的陶土类型，而不是窑炉的陶土类型，属于偷换概念；
C选项“烧制陶器的窑炉类型”，文章说的是窑炉的大小，而不是窑炉的类型，属于曲解原文；
D选项“大气条件”在文中没有提及，属于无中生有。
