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Learning how to cope with death has alwa...

    Learning how to cope with death has always been a central part of human existence. Even the Pixar movie Coco bases its story on the Mexican traditions of Dia de los Muertos. In this article, you will find out why and how Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead.

I once visited the Museum of Mummies in the Mexican city of Guanajuato with a Swedish friend. The mummies were displayed among fake cobwebs ( ), and other cheap adornments (装饰物). Confronted with this seeming lack of respect for the dead, I explained to my shocked companion that Mexicans have a peculiarly different relationship with death to other cultures. As the Nobel Prize-winning Mexican writer Octavio Paz explained in his work:

“The Mexican ... is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, and celebrates it. True, there is as much fear in his attitude as in that of others, but at least death is not hidden away: he looks at it face to face, with impatience, disdain (鄙视) or irony.”

The celebration of the Day of the Dead — a week of festivities from 28 October to 2 November — is an essential part of this embracement of death that is particular to Mexican national identity. The popular belief is that the dead have divine permission to visit friends and relatives on earth and enjoy once again the pleasures of life. Therefore, Mexicans visit the graves of families and friends and adorn them with colorful flowers and offerings of food. The period is a joyous celebration of life, rather than a sober mourning of its passing.

The origins of the festival lie in the 16th-century fusion of the Aztecs’ belief in death as merely one part in the wider cycle of existence, their ritual venerations (仪式崇拜) and offerings to  the goddess Mictecacihuatl  (“Lady of the Dead”) for  the deceased, and the Spanish conquerors’ desire to accommodate these festivities within the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

In a country as socially and geographically diverse as Mexico, there is significant regional variation in the nature of festivities: the southern state of Chiapas is far more likely to focus its efforts on processions ( ) and public commemorations( ) of death than the valley of

Mexico, where the decoration of altars ( ) in homes and tombs of the deceased is more popular. Urbanization, too, plays a large role in regional variations. For the south and rural areas the period holds far greater social and cultural significance than in the north and large cities; families and communities in rural areas will often spend large parts of the year preparing for the occasion.

1.Why does the author say “Mexicans have a peculiarly different relationship with death to other cultures?”

A.Because Mexicans always show their respect for death in the form of mummies.

B.Because Mexicans do not fear death or respect it.

C.Because adornments like flowers can be seen everywhere during the Day of the Dead.

D.Mexicans face death bravely rather than hide it away.

2.Which statement is NOT true according to the origins of the Day of the Dead?

A.It was the Aztecs who determined how to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

B.The Aztecs believed death was part of the wider cycle of existence.

C.The Aztecs would give offerings to the goddess of death for their lost loved ones.

D.The Spanish conquerors wanted to fit the festivities into some of their Catholic celebrations.

3.Why do Mexicans visit the graves of families and friends and offer colorful flowers and food?

A.Because they can ask God to permit the dead to visit them in this way.

B.To celebrate the joy of new life in spring.

C.Because the dead will be permitted to visit their families and enjoy the pleasure of life again.

D.Because this is an essential part of embracement of death.

4.Which of the following explains the role that urbanization plays in the regional variations of celebrating the Day of the Dead?

A.People in the south and rural areas put more emphasis on the occasion.

B.People in the valleys usually decorate the alters in homes and the tombs of the dead.

C.People in the north and big cities spend large part of the year preparing for the celebration.

D.The southern states do not care about the decoration of alters at home.

 

1.D 2.A 3.C 4.A 【解析】 这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了墨西哥著名的亡灵节,讲述了其历史文化背景,庆祝形式等。 1.细节理解题。根据第三段中“True, there is as much fear in his attitude as in that of others, but at least death is not hidden away: he looks at it face to face, with impatience, disdain (鄙视) or irony.”可知,墨西哥人的死亡观中,虽然也存在恐惧,但并不会逃避这个话题,是可以直面死亡、坦然讨论的,这正是相比其他民族和文化最特别的地方。故选D项。 2.细节理解题。根据第五段内容“The origins of the festival lie in the 16th-century fusion of the Aztecs’ belief in death…and the Spanish conquerors’ desire to accommodate these festivities within the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.”可知,亡灵节确实源于16世纪阿兹特克文明中的一些信仰和习俗,但后来是来自西班牙的天主教传入了“诸升节”和“万灵日”,最终才融合出了现有的亡灵节的庆祝形式,A选项的描述不符合事实。故选A项。 3.细节理解题。根据第四段第二句“The popular belief is that the dead have divine permission to visit friends and relatives on earth and enjoy once again the pleasures of life.”可知,墨西哥人普遍相信逝去的人们可以得到神圣的许可重返人间享受生者的欢乐,因此才做出拜访坟墓、敬献花果的行为。故选C项。 4.推理判断题。根据最后一段第二句“Urbanization, too, plays a large role in regional variations. For the south and rural areas the period holds far greater social and cultural significance than in the north and large cities.”families and communities in rural areas will often spend large parts of the year preparing for the occasion.可知,城市化在区域差异中也扮演着重要角色。对于南方和农村地区来说,这个时期的社会和文化意义远远大于北方和大城市,农村地区的家庭和社区通常会花一年中大部分时间来准备这一节日。由此判断出南方人和农村地区的人更重视这一节日。故选A项。
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