小托福大智慧--阅读系列【文化马赛克】—

小托福大智慧--阅读系列【文化马赛克】——朱彦琳

发布时间：2013-11-20

作者：

来源于：昂立外语网站

TOEFL Junior考试（初中托福）的阅读理解部分一般由7篇文章组成，每篇文章长度约200-350个单词，根据每篇文章的长度，对应4-9道题不等，考试时间为50分钟。

阅读文章大部分来自北美初高中学生的阅读能力范围之内的一些报纸，杂志等，体裁形式多样，如邀请函，电子邮件，海报，表格，小册子，时间表，新闻故事，说明文，议论文等。文章涉及的范围也具有国际范，涵盖艺术，人文，科学等，比如关于某种濒危动物的介绍，关于大气，宇宙的科普性说明，语言发展历史的学术报告等。

对于小托福的考生们，或未来必将走出国门的中国学生们来说，提高阅读能力是迟早的事，因为美国名校十分青睐阅读能力强的中国学生，比如SAT考试（申请美国大学名校和奖学金的重要参考），同样的总分，如果阅读成绩达到750分以上，那么申请名校和奖学金的成功率最大。而阅读成绩低于700分，那么申请美国综合排名前10的大学几率就较低。

阅读能力的高低取决于：阅读速度和阅读范围，建议多阅读一些英文小说，报纸，杂志等，我们的博客专栏特别开设了小托福大智慧--阅读系列，帮助中国学生们通过读文章，读出知识面，读出词汇量，读出阅读能力。

小托福大智慧--阅读系列【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 (壁画) have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.　　The walls that were once ugly with graffiti (涂鸦) 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 (社区). 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.
　　答案与解析
　　1.D　主旨大意题。根据第二段Jane Golden的话可知，当人们问及该项目是关于什么的时候，她用一个词来概括，即Hope，故D项为最佳标题。
　　2.C　推理判断题。根据第一、二段，昔日曾经被涂鸦的墙壁正被美丽的壁画所覆盖，以使社区更具魅力，因此对抗涂鸦应是该项目的目的。
　　3.A　细节理解题。根据第三段第二句可知，当社区的居民请求画一张壁画时，该项目的工作人员就和当地的人们一起工作来拟定出一个主题，故选A项。
　　4.D　推理判断题。根据第一段及倒数第二段可知，该项目很成功，故选D项

【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 涂鸦，在公共、私有设施或墙壁上的人为和有意图的标记。涂鸦早于一些文明古国如古希腊和罗马帝国便有存在。如果把涂鸦定义得再广一些，史前时期的人们在洞穴中涂上的壁画也可算是涂鸦。

时至今日，“涂鸦”在一定程度上为这种街头艺术赋予一定认受性。不然，这些作品的称呼将会是“乱画”或“涂污”。

涂鸦在英语中是以复数 Graffiti 表示。其单数词为 graffito。

Philadelphia 费城，费城是美国最老、最具历史意义的城市之一，在美国城市排名第五，仅次于纽约、洛杉矶、芝加哥和休斯顿，居民共约六百二十万人，费城是德拉瓦河谷都会区的中心城市，位于宾夕法尼亚州（Pennsylvania）东南部，市区东起德拉瓦河，向西延伸到斯库基尔河以西，面积334平方公里。它在美国史上有非常重要的地位。同名电影《费城》则是一部反应艾滋病，同性恋，人权，自尊的经典影片。