Question

    The term “graffiti” is an Italian word meaning scratching or scribbling(乱涂). It entered the English language in the 1850s, specifically to describe the casual wall writing that experts found in Pompeii and the Roman tombs. Originally a term used only in ancient scribbling, the word has undergone considerable expansion of meaning in the past 75 years so that it now refers to any written message on a wall. Graffiti are characterized by their casualness; if they were more formal, they would be known as inscriptions(铭文).

The first piece of graffiti was found on one of the walls of the city Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It was one of 1,600 pieces of graffiti uncovered in Pompeii during a dig in the 19^th century. Not surprisingly, there is much evidence of graffiti writing on the pyramid and temples of ancient Egypt. It is likely that ever since people have had walls and materials to scratch or paint with, they have been engaged in this simplest form of communication.

The writing of graffiti gives people a unique opportunity to achieve some kind of public audience. Thus short poems, declarations of love, pieces of political and revolutionary polemic(论战), and criticisms of institutions and people form a significant part of graffiti.

Apart from its usefulness in terms of self-expression, graffiti is also a valuable source for historians. There is always the possibility that historical events may be recorded by the presence of graffiti. Perhaps the most interesting example of this is the graffiti relating to the gladiatorial(角斗士) contests held in Pompeii. Graffiti can also give us a unique view into the daily life and customs of a people, for its casual expression encourages the recording of details that more formal writing would tend to ignore.

In the late 1970s, graffiti became popular. A thought written on a toilet wall in Wolverhampton can now be read in Chicago or Adelaide. In its own way, this is probably the most fascinating example of McLuhan’s concept of “the global village”. We now have a worldwide toilet wall.

1.According to the first paragraph, graffiti________.

A.is another name for “inscription”

B.got its name from the English language

C.was born in the 1850s

D.Mainly refers to casual writing or pictures on walls

2.What can be inferred from the second paragraph?

A.Graffiti has a long history.

B.Graffiti is an attractive form of art.

C.Graffiti made the ancient city Pompeii famous.

D.Graffiti was ancient Egyptian’s main way of communication.

3.What does the third and fourth paragraphs mainly tell us?

A.Graffiti’s great value.

B.Graffiti’s features.

C.Graffiti’s way of expression.

D.Graffiti’s connection with people’s daily life.

4.The graffiti relating to the gladiatorial contests is mentioned in the passage to prove that ______.

A.graffiti can show people’s customs

B.graffiti can provide valuable historical evidence

C.graffiti was mainly used to record important events

D.graffiti can provide more detailed information than formal writing

5.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that______.

A.the presence of graffiti makes the world closely connected

B.the concept of “the global village” is famous worldwide

C.graffiti has become very popular all over the world

D.people like using toilet walls to share their graffiti

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.A

4.B

5.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了“scribbling（涂鸦）”一词的来源，以及涂鸦的历史和价值，涂鸦已在世界各地变得流行。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中It entered the English language in the 1850s, specifically to describe the casual wall writing that experts found in Pompeii and the Roman tombs.Graffiti are characterized by their casualness（它在19世纪50年代进入英语，专门用来描述专家在庞贝和罗马坟墓中发现的随意性的壁画。涂鸦的特点是随意性）可知涂鸦主要是指随意的文字或墙上的图画。故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段第一句The first piece of graffiti was found on one of the walls of the city Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.（第一块涂鸦是在庞贝古城的一面墙上发现的，庞贝古城在公元79年的维苏威火山爆发中被摧毁）可推知涂鸦有很长的历史。故选A。

3.主旨大意题。根据第三段第一句The writing of graffiti gives people a unique opportunity to achieve some kind of public audience.（涂鸦的书写给了人们一个独特的机会去获得某种公共受众）以及第四段第一句Apart from its usefulness in terms of self-expression, graffiti is also a valuable source for historians.（除了它在自我表达方面的用途，涂鸦对历史学家来说也是一个有价值的来源）结合三、四段主要告诉我们涂鸦的巨大价值，故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段中There is always the possibility that historical events may be recorded by the presence of graffiti. Perhaps the most interesting example of this is the graffiti relating to the gladiatorial contests held in Pompeii.（历史事件总是有可能被涂鸦的存在所记录。也许最有趣的例子是关于庞贝角斗士比赛的涂鸦）可知与角斗相关的涂鸦在文章中被提及，是为了证明涂鸦可以提供有价值的历史证据。故选B。

5.推理判断题。根据最后一段中In its own way, this is probably the most fascinating example of McLuhan’s concept of “the global village.We now have a worldwide toilet wall.”.（这可能是麦克卢汉“地球村”概念中最引人入胜的例子.我们现在有一个全球性的厕所墙）可知最后一段加下划线的句子暗示涂鸦已在世界各地变得非常流行。故选C。