China has one of the world's oldestcontinuouscivilizations—despite invasions andoccasionalforeign rule. A country asvastas China with so long-lasting acivilizationhas acomplexsocial andvisualhistory,withinwhichpotteryandporcelainplay amajorrole.

Thefunctionandstatusof ceramics in Chinavariedfrom dynasty to dynasty, so they may beutilitarian,burial, trade-collectors', orevenritualobjects, according to theirqualityand theerain which they were made. The ceramics fall into threebroadtypes—earthenware, stoneware, andporcelain—for vessels, architectural items such as roof tiles, and modeled objects and figures. Inaddition, there was an important group of sculptures made forreligioususe, themajorityof which were produced in earthenware.

The earliest ceramics were fired to earthenware temperatures, but as early as the fifteenthcenturyB.C., high-temperature stonewares were being made with glazed surfaces. During the Six Dynasties period (AD 265-589), kilns in north China were producing high-fired ceramics of goodquality. Whitewares produced in Hebei and Henan provinces from the seventh to the tenth centuries evolved into the highly prized porcelains of the Song dynasty (AD. 960-1279), long regarded as one of the high points in thehistoryof China'sceramicindustry. The tradition ofreligioussculptureextends over most historical periods but is less clearly delineated than that of stonewares or porcelains, for it embraces the oldcustomof earthenwareburialceramics with laterreligiousimages and architecturalornament. Ceramicproducts also include lead-glazed tomb models of the Han dynasty, three-color lead-glazed vessels and figures of the Tang dynasty, and Ming three-colortempleornaments, in which the motifs were outlined in a raisedtrailofslip—as well as the manyburialceramics produced inimitationof vessels made in materials of higherintrinsicvalue.

Tradebetween the West and the settled andprosperousChinese dynasties introduced new forms and different technologies. One of the most far-reaching examples is theimpactof the fine ninth-century AD. Chineseporcelainwares imported into the Arab world. So admired were these pieces that they encouraged thedevelopmentof earthenware made inimitationofporcelainand instigated research into themethodof theirmanufacture. From the Middle East the Chinese acquired a bluepigment—a purified form of cobaltoxideunobtainable at that time in China—that contained only a lowlevelof manganese. Cobalt ores found in China have a high manganesecontent, which produces a more muted blue-gray color. In the seventeenthcentury, the trading activities of the Dutch East IndiaCompanyresulted invastquantities of decorated Chineseporcelainbeing brought to Europe, whichstimulatedand influenced the work of a widevarietyof wares,notablyDelft. The Chinese themselves adapted manyspecificvesselforms from the West, such as bottles with long spouts, and designed a range ofdecorativepatterns especially for the Europeanmarket.

Just as painted designs on Greek pots mayseemtoday to be purelydecorative, whereas in fact they were carefully and precisely worked out so that at the time, their meaning wasclear, so it is with Chinese pots. To twentieth-century eyes, Chinesepotterymayappearmerelydecorative, yet to the Chinese the form of each object and itsadornmenthad meaning andsignificance. The dragon represented theemperor, and the phoenix, the empress; the pomegranate indicatedfertility, and a pair of fish, happiness; mandarin ducks stood for weddedbliss; thepinetree, peach, andcraneare emblems of long life; and fish leaping from waves indicated success in thecivilservice examinations. Only when Europeandecorativethemes were introduced did these meanings become obscured orevenlost.

From early times pots were used in bothreligiousandsecularcontexts. Theimperialcourtcommissioned work and in the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1279-1368) animperialceramicfactory was established at Jingdezhen. Pots played an important part in somereligiousceremonies. Long and often lyrical descriptions of the different types ofwareexist that assist in classifying pots, although these sometimes confuse an already large andcomplicatedpicture.

Questions:
question_stem: The word “status” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: origin

tag: B
text: importance

tag: C
text: quality

tag: D
text: design
answer_key: B
explanation: B status: 状态，地位，重要身份。A 是起源；B 是重要性；C 是质量；D 是设计。所以 B 的 importance 重要性，地位正确。
对应原文：The function and status of ceramics in China varied from dynasty to dynasty, so they may be utilitarian, burial, trade-collectors', or even ritual objects, according to their quality and the era in which they were made.原句说瓷器的作用和什么因朝代而不同，而且之后有解释可能是实用的，用于埋葬的，或者 blabla，所以 importance 能对上。origin 起源不可能因为朝代而变化；quality 后面有，不应该重复；design 与后文的例子对不上。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true of Chinese ceramics?
choices: tag: A
text: The function of ceramics remained the same from dynasty to dynasty.

tag: B
text: The use of ceramics as trade objects is better documented than the use of ceramics as ritual objects.

tag: C
text: There was little variation in quality for any type of ceramics over time.

tag: D
text: Some religious sculptures were made using the earthenware type of ceramics.
answer_key: D
explanation: D 问题中的关键词不能用，所以排除法最好。A 的 dynasty to dynasty 做关键词定位至第一句，说反，错；B 的 trade objects 和 ritual objects 做关键词定位至第一句，原文没有比较，错；C 的 quality 做关键词定位至第一句，说根据它们质量决定用来干嘛，所以质量是有变化的，C 错；D 的 religious 和 earthenware 做关键词定位至最后一句，正确。

question_stem: The word “evolved” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: divided

tag: B
text: extended

tag: C
text: developed

tag: D
text: vanished
answer_key: C
explanation: evolve: 进化，演化。A 是分裂；B 是延长；C 是发展；D 是是销声匿迹。所以 C 的 develop 正确。对应原文：Whitewares produced in Hebei and Henan provinces from the seventh to the tenth centuries evolved into the highly prized porcelains of the Song dynasty (AD. 960-1279), long regarded as one of the high points in the history of China's ceramic industry. 原文说七到十世纪的白瓷怎么样成了宋代的很好的瓷，无论从时间上还是后面说的 highly prized 都证明后面的比前面的好，所以应该是变好的意思，A 分开 B 延伸 D 消失都没有变好之意。

question_stem: Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: While stonewares and porcelains are found throughout most historical periods, religious sculpture is limited to the ancient period.

tag: B
text: Religious sculpture was created in most periods, but its history is less clear than that of stonewares or porcelains because some old forms continued to be used even when new ones were developed.

tag: C
text: While stonewares and porcelains changed throughout history, religious sculpture remained uniform in form and use.

tag: D
text: The historical development of religious sculpture is relatively unclear because religious sculptures sometimes resemble earthenware architectural ornaments.
answer_key: B
explanation: B 原文的主要关系是因果，因果的结果部分包含了一个转折，所以从结构上说只有 B 和 D 可能正确。B 正确，D 错原因陈述错误，原句说是因为既包含旧的，也包含新的图案。

question_stem: Paragraph 3 supports all of the following concerning the history of the ceramic industry in China EXCEPT:
choices: tag: A
text: The earliest high-fired ceramics were of poor quality.

tag: B
text: Ceramics produced during the Tang and Ming dynasties sometimes incorporated multiple colors.

tag: C
text: Earthenware ceramics were produced in China before stonewares were.

tag: D
text: The Song dynasty period was notable for the production of high quality porcelain ceramics.
answer_key: A
explanation: A  EXCEPT 题，排除法。A 的 high-fired ceramics 做关键词定位至第二句，原文说 good quality, 备选项说 poor，反了，错，选；B 的 Tang and Ming Dynasty 做关键词定位至最后一句，正确，不选；C 的 earthenware 和 stoneware 做关键词定位至第一句，原文说最早的是 earthenware，所以比 stoneware 早，所以 C 正确，不选；D 的 Song dynasty 做关键词定位至第三句，正确，不选。

question_stem: The word “instigated” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: improved

tag: B
text: investigated

tag: C
text: narrowed

tag: D
text: caused
answer_key: D
explanation: instigate: 教唆，鼓动，激起。A 是改进；B 是研究，调查；C 是缩窄；D 是引起，使…发生。所以 D 的 cause 引起正确，注意不要被 investigate 迷惑，只是长得像而已。对应原文：So admired were these pieces that they encouraged the development of earthenware made in imitation of porcelain and instigated research into the method of their manufacture. 原句说那些陶器非常惹人喜爱，促进了 earthenware 的发展，也 instigate 了制陶方法的研究，instigate 与原文的 encourage 并列，所以应该是鼓励之意。A 提升改善 B 调查 C 变窄均不正确。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, one consequence of the trade of Chinese ceramics was
choices: tag: A
text: the transfer of a distinctive blue pigment from China to the Middle East

tag: B
text: an immediate change from earthenware production to porcelain production in European countries

tag: C
text: Chinese production of wares made for the European market

tag: D
text: a decreased number of porcelain vessels available on the European market
answer_key: C
explanation: C 以 trade of Chinese ceramics 做关键词定位至倒数第二句，问结果，所以应该关注 result in 之后的内容，说大量的 Chinese porcelain 到了欧洲，影响了一系列 ware，接着又说会专门为欧洲市场做一些 ware，所以 C 正确；注意 B 尽管说到了 change，但 immediate 是原文没说的；A 没说；D 说反了，应该是增加。

question_stem: The word “whereas” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: while

tag: B
text: previously

tag: C
text: surprisingly

tag: D
text: because
answer_key: A
explanation: whereas: 然而。A 是然而，反之；B 是以前；C 是令人惊讶的；D 是因为。根据词意，正确答案是 A。对应原文：Just as painted designs on Greek pots may seem today to be purely decorative, whereas in fact they were carefully and precisely worked out so that at the time, their meaning was clear, so it is with Chinese pots. 注意句子中的 seem 和 in fact，seem 的意思是是“看上去”，也就是事实很可能不是这样；后面的 in fact 的意思是“事实上”，也就是说前面说的很可能不是事实，两者呼应，都说明两句话之间的关系是转折，所以 while 正确。

question_stem: In paragraph 5, the author compares the designs on Chinese pots to those on Greek pots in order to
choices: tag: A
text: emphasize that while Chinese pots were decorative, Greek pots were functional

tag: B
text: argue that the designs on Chinese pots had specific meanings and were not just decorative

tag: C
text: argue that twentieth-century scholars are better able to understand these designs than were ancient scholars

tag: D
text: explain how scholars have identified the meaning of specific images on Chinese pots
answer_key: B
explanation: B 先看本句，现代人认为希腊的 pots 上的 design 只是装饰，没有实际意义，但事实上是有意义的，中国的 pots 也这样，所以 B 正确。A 错，不是 pots decorative，而是 design；C 说反，D 没说方式，所以 how 错。

question_stem: Which of the following is mentioned in paragraph 5 as being symbolically represented on Chinese ceramics?
choices: tag: A
text: Chinese rulers

tag: B
text: love of homeland

tag: C
text: loyally to friends

tag: D
text: success in trade
answer_key: A
explanation: A 问下面哪个是 design 的替代意义，倒数第二句整个都在说 pots 上 design 的意义，提到了 emperor 和 empress，皇帝和皇后，所以 A 的 Chinese rulers 正确，统治者；其他都没说。

question_stem: Paragraph 5 suggests which of the following about the decorations on Chinese pottery?
choices: tag: A
text: They had more importance for aristocrats than for ordinary citizens.

tag: B
text: Their significance may have remained clear had the Chinese not come under foreign influence.

tag: C
text: They contain some of the same images that appear on Greek pots

tag: D
text: Their significance is now as clear to twentieth century observers as it was to the early Chinese.
answer_key: B
explanation: B 问题中关键词不明显，排除法。A 的 ordinary citizens 和 aristocrat 原文没说；B 的 foreign influence 做关键词定位至最后一句的 European，说直到引入欧洲 theme 之后中国原有的装饰的意思才被 obscure，对应 B，没有 foreign influence 那些意思不会改变，正确；C 没说；D 反了，应该是 ancient 更熟悉。

question_stem: The word “these” in the passage refers to
choices: tag: A
text: religious ceremonies

tag: B
text: descriptions

tag: C
text: types of ware

tag: D
text: pots
answer_key: B
explanation: B，these 往前找，找主语。注意从句子一开始到 exist 之前都是句子的主语，但 of 之前的东西是整个句子的核心，所以答案是 description，对于什么什么的描述，描述才是核心，不是 types of ware。