The Minoan culture on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea flourished from about 3000 to 1100 B.C. In what is known as the Palace Period (ca. 2000-1450 B.C.), power was centralized in places and, later, in villas. According to one authority, the five primary economic functions of Minoan palaces during much of the Palace era were (1) production of manufactured goods, (2) consumption of food and manufactured goods, (3) regulation of local and internal exchange, (4) regulation of international and external exchange, and (5) use as depositories (storage facilities).

The production and storage of manufactured goods are evident from the archaeological digs at Phaistos and Mallia, important place sites. Excavations of the earliest phases at Phaistos (those from the so-called First Palace Period, which ended about 1700 B.C. ) revealed two areas dedicated to economic activity. Unit A contained several large storage vessels originally filled with foodstuffs, including liquids such as win and oil. Nearby Unit B was the palace workshop. Here, excavators found tools used for stoneworking (a lapidary workshop), several loom weights (a weaving workshop), and two potter’s wheels (a ceramics workshop). Clay sealings from a smaller room in Unit B may indicate where finished products were processed for storage or export. By the Second Palace Period (roughly 1700-1450 B.C.), there were even more food storage vessels present and an archiev room (a room for storing documents).

Similar finds appeared at Mallia. In the northwest quarter of the palace, excavators discovered obsidian, soapstone, and a reddish marble called rosso antico, all evidently part of the lapidary (stonecutting) workshop. A potter’s workshop was also present within the palace walls. During part of this period, the workshop of a bronze smithy was located just outside the palace walls. It is actually surprising that such an industry would be so close to any residential quarters, considering the unpleasant fumes given off by the work and the rather high potential for fires. Nevertheless, at a somewhat later date, the palace walls were extended so that the smithy was located within the place itself. Clearly, this was an industry over which the palace wanted to keep very close control.

The role of Minoan palaces as depositories and regulators of local distribution and trade may be seen in the koulouras --- large, stone-lined pits located at Knossos, Phaistos, and in a lightly altered guise, at Mallia. There is continued debate as to the purpose of these huge storage bins. It was originally suggested that they were rubbish pits. Some modern scholars believe that they were grain tree planters. But the usual interpretation is that they were for grain storage, with the koulouras at Knossos being able to hold enough grain to feed 1,000 people and the koulouras at Phaistos being able to hold enough for 300 people. In such a case, the palace would have received a substantial portion of the agricultural produce of the surrounding farms, stored it, and then distributed it to the more specialized, nonagricultural populace of the palace region.

Palatial control over foreign trade is more difficult to prove archaeologically, as there is often no way to determine where on Crete any specific item found abroad was made. One argument often brought to the fore is that only the palaces would have the capital (to use a modern term) to finance the goods and shipping for long trade journeys, not to mention to handle the risks of possible sea wrecks. Another argument, however, lies in the nature of the Minoan goods found abroad. For example, Kamares ware pottery from Minoan Crete has come to light on the coasts of Cyprus and in areas of the Near East such as Egypt and Syria. This Kamares ware is clearly a product of palatial manufacture. The ceramics from before and after the classical Kamares wares are clearly local creations --- Knossian ware being distinct from Mallian ware. By contrast, the Kamares ware made in the palaces in similar from palace to palace but is utterly distinct from the provincial wares. The number of foreign goods stored in the palaces especially Zakro, also gives evidence for the palatial control of international exchange.

Questions:
question_stem: All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 1 as possible functions of Minoan palaces EXCEPT
choices: tag: A
text: providing a market for agricultural and other products

tag: B
text: providing protection against internal and external threats

tag: C
text: producing finished goods from raw materials

tag: D
text: controlling trade
answer_key: B
explanation: 段落1提到了关于克里特岛的米诺斯文化和宫殿时期的一些经济功能，以下哪个功能没有被提到？
解析：段落1提到了米诺斯宫殿的各种经济功能，包括生产制成品对应 C；食物和制成品的消费对应 A 选项；调节本地和内部、调贸易；调节节国际和外部贸易对应 D；以及最后用作储存设施，但没有提到提供保护。因此答案 B. 提供内外部威胁的保护

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, what change had taken place at Phaistos by the Second Palace Period?
choices: tag: A
text: The vessels used for storing food were larger.

tag: B
text: More types of food were being stored.

tag: C
text: New kinds of tools were being used in the workshops.

tag: D
text: A room for storing written records had been added.
answer_key: D
explanation: 根据段落2，第二宫殿时期（大约公元前1700-1450年）时在 Phaistos 发生了什么变化？
解析：段落2提到了在第二宫殿时期，Phaistos 宫殿内出现了更多的食物储存容器和一个存档室。By the Second Palace Period (roughly 1700- 1450 B.c.), there were even more food storage vessels present and an archive room (a room for storing documents) 答案：D. 增加了一个存档室（存放文件的房间）

question_stem: The phrase “potential for” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: cost of

tag: B
text: likelihood of

tag: C
text: concern about

tag: D
text: frequency of
answer_key: B
explanation: 文中的短语""potential for""最接近以下哪个意思？
A. 成本 B. 可能性 C. 关注 D. 频率；题干中 potential 为“潜能”因此答案选 B

question_stem: In paragraph 3, why does the author mention that the bronze smithy gave off unpleasant fumes?
choices: tag: A
text: To show that the manufacturing industries of the Palace Period had certain drawbacks

tag: B
text: To help explain why the palace walls were extended enough to bring the bronze smithy inside

tag: C
text: To support the idea that the palace must have had a strong interest in controlling what happened in the bronze smithy

tag: D
text: To explain why archaeologists believe that the bronze smithy was located outside the palace walls
answer_key: C
explanation: 在段落3中，作者为什么提到“铜匠作坊排放令人不悦的烟雾”
解析：作者提到铜匠作坊排放令人不悦的烟雾，以支持宫殿显然对铜匠作坊的控制非常重要。文章最后一句陈述了这样做的目的 Clearly, this was an industry over which the palace wanted to keep very close control. 显然，这是一种宫殿希望紧密控制的产业。答案：C. 支持宫殿必须对铜匠作坊内发生的事情有强烈兴趣的观点

question_stem: The phrase “altered guise” in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: dated style

tag: B
text: changed form

tag: C
text: improved version

tag: D
text: reduced area
answer_key: B
explanation: 文中的短语"altered guise"最接近以下哪个意思？
A. 陈旧的风格
B. 改变形式
C. 提升版本
D. 减少面积

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, each of the following has been proposed as the purpose served by the koulouras EXCEPT as
choices: tag: A
text: containers in which trees were planted

tag: B
text: containers for trash and other waste materials

tag: C
text: bins in which grain to feed the nonagricultural population was stored

tag: D
text: bins in which farmers could store grain for their own private use
answer_key: D
explanation: 段落4提到了 koulouras 的目的，以下哪项没有被认为是 koulouras 的目的？Some modern scholars believe that they were giant tree planters. 对应 A. 用于种植树木的容器
；It was originally suggested that they were rubbish pits.对应 B. 用于储存垃圾和其他废物的容器；……and then distributed it to the more specialized, nonagricultural populace of the palace region. 对应 C. 用于储存供养非农业人口的谷物的容器；文中没有提到“农民用于储存自己的谷物的容器”因此答案为 D.

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: One argument is that the risks of possible sea wrecks have been ignored in estimates of the palaces’ ability to finance goods and shipping in overseas trade.

tag: B
text: One argument is that the palaces had enough capital to finance the manufacture of trade goods but not enough to handle the risk of sea wrecks.

tag: C
text: One argument is that only the palaces had enough wealth to finance the goods and to take on the risks and shipping costs involved in overseas trade.

tag: D
text: One argument is that the palaces are the only institutions that would have needed capital to finance the goods, shipping, and risks involved in overseas trade.
answer_key: C
explanation: 句子简化题。表语从句重点在于从句内部“只有宫殿才有钱做……更不用提……”。A 说风险被忽略错；B 说“有钱做……但不能做……”也错；C 说有钱能做……和……逻辑和结构都正确；D 说“宫殿是唯一机构”错

question_stem: According to paragraph 5, why did the discovery of Kamares were in a number of places outside Crete provide support for the idea that the palaces had some control over foreign trade?
choices: tag: A
text: Because it is possible to determine in what part of Crete any particular piece of Kamares ware was made

tag: B
text: Because Kamares ware can be clearly identified as coming from palace production centers

tag: C
text: Because it is known that Kamares ware was produced only during a certain period

tag: D
text: Because classical Kamares ware was produced only within Crete
answer_key: B
explanation: 根据第5段，为什么在 Crete 之外很多宫殿都有发现 Kamares 陶器可以支持宫殿对外贸易的观点？原文说 For example, Kamares ware pottery from Minoan Crete has come to light on the coasts of Cyprus and in areas of the Near East such as Egypt and Syria. 例如，来自弥诺安克里特的卡马雷斯陶器出现在塞浦路斯和埃及、叙利亚等近东地区的海岸线上。This Kamares ware is clearly a product of palatial manufacture. 
这些卡马雷斯陶器明显是宫殿制造的产品。所以 B 正确，因为可以明确识别 Kamares ware 来自宫殿的生产中心