Scholars agree that writing originated somewhere in the Middle East, probablyMesopotamia, around the fourthmillenniumB.C.E. It is from the great libraries and word-hoards of theseancientlands that the first texts emerged. They were written ondampclaytablets with a wedged (or V-shaped)stick; since theLatinword forwedgeis cunea, the texts are calledcuneiform. Theclaytablets usually were not fired; sun drying was probably reckoned enough topreservethe text for as long as it was being used. Fortunately, however, many tablets survived because they were accidentally fired when the buildings they were stored in burned.

Cuneiformwriting lasted for some 3,000 years, in avastlineofsuccessionthat ran through Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Nineveh, and Babylon, and preserved for us fifteen languages in an area represented by modern-day Iraq, Syria, and western Iran. The oldestcuneiformtexts recorded the transactions of tax collectors and merchants, the receipts and bills of sale of anurbansociety. They had to do with things likegrain, goats, and realestate. Later,Babylonianscribes recorded the laws and kept other kinds of records. Knowledge conferred power. As a result, the scribes were assigned their own goddess, Nisaba, later replaced by the god Nabu of Borsippa, whosesymbolis neither weapon nor dragon but something far more fearsome, thecuneiformstick.

Cuneiformtexts on science,astronomy, medicine, andmathematicsabound, some offering astoundinglyprecisedata. One tablet records the speed of the Moon over 248 days; another documents an early sighting of Halley's Comet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E. More esoteric textsattemptto explain oldBabyloniancustoms, such as theprocedurefor curing someone who is ill, which included rubbing tar and gypsum on the sick person's door and drawing a design at the foot of the person's bed. What isclearfrom thevastbody of texts (some 20,000 tablets were found in King Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh) is that scribes took pride in their writing and knowledge.

Theforemostcuneiformtext, theBabylonianEpicof Gilgamesh, deals with humankind's attempts toconquertime. In it, Gilgamesh, king and warrior, is crushed by the death of his best friend and so sets out on adventures that prefiguremythicalheroes ofancientGreek legends such as Hercules. His goal is not just tosurvivehis ordeals but to makesenseof this life. Remarkably, versions of Gilgamesh span 1,500 years, between 2100 B.C.E and 600 B.C.E., making the story theepicof an entirecivilization.

TheancientEgyptians invented a different way of writing and a newsubstanceto write on -papyrus, aprecursorof paper, made from a wetland plant. The Greeks had aspecialname for this writing: hieroglyphic,literally"sacredwriting". This, they thought, was language fit for the gods, which explains why it was carved on walls of pyramids and otherreligiousstructures. Perhaps hieroglyphics are Egypt's greatcontributionto thehistoryof writing: hieroglyphic wiring, in use from 3100 B.C.E. until 394 C.E., resulted in the creation of texts that were fine art as well as communication. Egypt gave us the tradition of the scribe not just aseducatedperson but as artist and calligrapher.

Scholars have detected some 6,000separatehieroglyphic characters in use over thehistoryof Egyptian writing, but it appears that never more than a thousand were in use during any one period. It still seems a lot torecall, but what was lost inefficiencywas more than made up for in the beauty and richness of the texts. Writing was meant to impress the eye with the vastness of creating itself. Eachsymbolor glyph - the flowering reed (pronouncedlike V), theowl("m"), the quail chick ("w"), etcetera - was a tiny work of art. Manuscripts were compiled with an eye to theoveralldesign. Egyptologists have noticed that the glyphs thatconstituteindividualwords were sometimes shuffled to make the text morepleasingto the eye with little regard for sound orsense.

Questions:
question_stem: Paragraph 1 supports which of the following ideas about the method of preserving cuneiform texts by sun drying them?
choices: tag: A
text: It was regarded as unnecessary for texts that were actively being used.

tag: B
text: It was discovered accidentally.

tag: C
text: It was used for texts intended for libraries but not for other texts.

tag: D
text: It did not provide enough protection for texts to survive into modern times.
answer_key: D
explanation: 【题目翻译】第1段支持以下关于通过晒干保存楔形文字的方法的哪些观点？
A：对于正在使用的文本来说，这是不必要的。

B：是意外发现的。

C：它是用于图书馆的文本，而不是其他文本。

D：它并没有为文本提供足够的保护，使其能够生存到现代。

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】本题根据题干给出的关键词 preserve 和 sun drying 定位到这两句：sun drying was probably reckoned enough to preserve the text for as long as it was being used. 和 Fortunately, however, many tablets survived because they were accidentally fired when the buildings they were stored in burned. 意思是“太阳晒干可能被认为足够长时间保存文字使用。幸运的是，许多平板电脑幸存下来，因为它们被存放在被烧毁的建筑物中时被意外地烧掉了”。

【逻辑分析】这两句的大意是：在当时人们认为仅仅依靠太阳晒干是可以保存楔形文字的泥板的，但是以后的楔形文字之所以会幸存下来，是因为它们无意间随着储存它们的建筑被烧过了。所以仅仅依靠阳光晒干并不足以保存这些文字。

【选项分析】
A.选项 A 说这种办法不需要。
B.选项 B 说这种办法是偶然间发现的。
C.选项 C 说这种办法只被用在图书馆保存的文字上，都没有在原文中找到依据。
D.选项 D 符合题意。

question_stem: According to paragraph 1, the name of the earliest form of writing reflects the fact that this writing was
choices: tag: A
text: inscribed on damp materials

tag: B
text: preserved by accidental firing

tag: C
text: made with a wedge-shaped stick

tag: D
text: kept in libraries and word-hoards
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】根据第1段，最早的书面形式的名称反映了这样一个事实，即
A：刻在潮湿材料上

B：意外射击保存

C：用楔形木棍做的

D：保存在图书馆和词汇库中

【判定题型】：题目问的是文章中的具体细节信息，故根据题目问法可以判断本题为事实信息题。

【关键词定位】本题根据题干给出的关键词 name 和 reflect 定位到原文中这一句 They were written on damp clay tablets with a wedged (or V-shaped) stick; since the Latin word for wedge is cunea, the texts are called cuneiform. 意思是“它们是用楔形（或 V 形）木棍写在潮湿的粘土板上的；因为楔形的拉丁词是楔形，所以文本被称为楔形文字”。

【逻辑分析】我们得知这种文字的名字反映出它是用一种楔形的棒子刻的。

【选项分析】
A.选项 A 说它们刻在湿润的黏土板上，不符合原文，错误。
B.选项 B 说它们被偶然的火烧所保存下来，不符合原文，错误。
C.选项 C 正确，符合文意，正确。
D.选项 D 说它们被保存在图书馆和文字储藏的地方，不符合原文，错误。

question_stem: In paragraph 2, why does the author point out that Babylonian scribes were assigned their own goddess?
choices: tag: A
text: To explain why scribes in Babylonia were given the responsibility of writing laws.

tag: B
text: To indicate a consequence of the fact that scribes were powerful in Babylonian society.

tag: C
text: To explain why over time Babylonian scribes no longer recorded business transactions.

tag: D
text: To explain how Babylonian scribes came to be associated with symbols of warfare.
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】在第2段中，为什么作者指出巴比伦抄写员被指派为自己的女神？
A：解释为什么巴比伦文士被赋予写法律的责任。

B：说明抄写员在巴比伦社会是强大的这一事实的后果。

C：解释为什么随着时间的推移，巴比伦抄写员不再记录商业交易。

D：解释巴比伦文士是如何与战争的象征联系在一起的。

【判定题型】：根据题干问法“why …… point out”，题目询问“xxxxxx”(文章引用内容)的修辞目的，可以判断本题为修辞目的题。

【关键词定位】本题根据题干中给出的 Babylonian scribes 和 assigned their own goddess 定位到这一句：Nisaba, later replaced by the god Nabu of Borsippa, whose symbol is neither weapon nor dragon but something far more fearsome, the cuneiform stick. 

【引用内容分析】本句的大致意思是人们的女神一直在换，女神手里拿的东西也在换，从武器到龙，最后换成了楔形石板。实际上体现了楔形文字越来越重要。

【选项分析】
A.选项 A 的意思是为了解释为什么楔形文字负责书写法律，不符文意，错误。
B.选项 B 符合文意，正确。
C.选项 C 的意思是解释为什么楔形文字不再记录商业往来了，不符文意，错误。
D.选项 D 的意思是解释为什么楔形文字开始和战争联系在一起，不符文意，错误。

question_stem: The word "abound" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: are important

tag: B
text: are available

tag: C
text: are numerous

tag: D
text: are revealing
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】单词“abound”与下列哪一个意思最相近？
选项 A 的意思是很重要，
选项 B 的意思是有效的，
选型 C 的意思是很多的，
选项 D 的意思是有揭示作用的，有启发作用的。

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】本题根据所考察词汇定位到原文中这一句话：Cuneiform texts on science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics abound, some offering astoundingly precise data. 

【词汇解析】：词汇“abound”的意思是“很丰富的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“科学的、天文学的、药学的和数学的楔形文字内容丰富，有些甚至提供了这些学科上的令人惊讶的准确数据”。

【选项分析】
选项 A 的意思是很重要，不符，错误
选项 B 的意思是有效的，不符，错误
选型 C 的意思是很多的，选项 C 最符合 abound 的意思，选择 C
选项 D 的意思是有揭示作用的，有启发作用的，不符，错误

question_stem: The word "astoundingly" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: truly

tag: B
text: incredibly

tag: C
text: noticeably

tag: D
text: reasonably
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】单词“astoundingly”与下列哪一个意思最相近？
选项 A 的意思是真实的
选项 B 的意思是不可思议的、不可置信的
选型 C 的意思是显著的
选项 D 的意思是合理的

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】本题根据所考察词汇定位到原文中这一句话：Cuneiform texts on science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics abound, some offering astoundingly precise data.

【词汇解析】：词汇“astoundingly”的意思是“很丰富的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“科学的、天文学的、药学的和数学的楔形文字内容丰富，有些甚至提供了这些学科上的令人惊讶的准确数据”。

【选项分析】
选项 A 的意思是真实的，不符，错误
选项 B 的意思是不可思议的、不可置信的。选项 B 最符合 astoundingly 的意思，选择 B。
选型 C 的意思是显著的，不符，错误
选项 D 的意思是合理的，不符，错误

question_stem: Why does the author mention a cuneiform text that documents "an early sighting of Halley's Comet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E." ?
choices: tag: A
text: To explain how important Babylonian events were recorded.

tag: B
text: To support the idea that some cuneiform texts provide precise scientific information.

tag: C
text: To explain how particular Babylonian customs arose concerning sick persons.

tag: D
text: To identify a particularly valuable text from the library of King Ashurbanipal.
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】为什么作者提到了记载“公元前164年9月22日至9月28日哈雷彗星的早期观测”的楔形文字？
A：解释巴比伦事件有多重要。
	
B：支持一些楔形文字提供精确的科学信息的观点。

C：解释巴比伦人对病人的特殊习俗。

D：从阿什本尼帕尔国王图书馆中找出一篇特别有价值的文章。

【判定题型】：根据题干问法“why …… mention”，题目询问“xxxxxx”(文章引用内容)的修辞目的，可以判断本题为修辞目的题。

【关键词定位】本题根据给出的关键句定位到原文中这一句：One tablet records the speed of the Moon over 248 days; another documents an early sighting of Halley's Comet, from September 22 to September 28, 164 B.C.E. 

【引用内容分析】本题具体给出了月亮在248天里运行的速度和 Halley's Comet 的具体观测记录。结合前一句，也就是本段的首句，我们知道，这两个具体例子的给出是为了证明楔形文字的确记录了很多丰富而精确的科学研究数据。

【选项分析】
A.与巴比伦事件无关，数据是为了说明科学研究被楔形文字丰富了。故错误。
B.符合文章，正确。
C.病人只是一个例子，故错误。
D.数据是为了说明科学研究被楔形文字丰富了，而书只是说明了文吏们对他们的书写和知识非常自豪。故错误。

question_stem: The word "foremost" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: earliest

tag: B
text: largest

tag: C
text: most important

tag: D
text: best understood
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】单词“foremost”与下列哪一个意思最相近？
选项 A 的意思是最早的，
选项 B 的意思是最大的，
选型 C 的意思是最重要的，
选项 D 的意思是被理解得最好的。

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】本题根据所考察词汇定位到原文中这一句话：The foremost cuneiform text, the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, deals with humankind's attempts to conquer time. 

【词汇解析】：词汇“foremost”的意思是“早期的”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“最早的楔形文字内容——the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh——涉及到人类对于时间的征服”。

【选项分析】
选项 A 的意思是最早的，符合，正确
选项 B 的意思是最大的，不符，错误
选型 C 的意思是最重要的，不符，错误
选项 D 的意思是被理解得最好的，不符，错误

question_stem: Paragraph 5 supports all of the following statements about Egyptian hieroglyphics EXCEPT
choices: tag: A
text: They were associated with buildings that had a religious function.

tag: B
text: They were used in Egypt for many centuries.

tag: C
text: They were believed to be a gift to humans from the gods.

tag: D
text: They were sometimes written on material made from plants.
answer_key: C
explanation: 【题目翻译】第5段支持以下关于埃及象形文字的所有陈述，除了
A：它们与具有宗教功能的建筑物有关。

B；它们在埃及被使用了许多世纪。

C：它们被认为是上帝赐予人类的礼物。

D：有时候写在植物的材料上。

【判定题型】：根据题干中出现的大写“EXCEPT”/"NOT" 等其他明显表示否定的词，可以判定本题为否定事实信息题，需要找出与原文信息不符的那个答案。

【关键词定位】本题根据题干给出的关键词 Egyptian hieroglyphics 定位到第五段，各个选项的依据分布在第五段里。

【选项分析】
选项 A 的依据是 it was carved on walls of pyramids and other religious structures；
选项 B 的依据是 hieroglyphic wiring, in use from 3100 B.C.E. Until 394 C.E.；
选项 C 在文中对应的是这里：This, they thought, was language fit for the gods，他们认为这种语言是人献给神的礼物，不是神给人的，选项 C 错误。选择 C。
选项 D 的依据是 a new substance to writ on - papyrus, a precursor of paper, made from a wetland plant.

question_stem: The word "detected" in the passage is closest in meaning to
choices: tag: A
text: identified

tag: B
text: described

tag: C
text: studied

tag: D
text: classified
answer_key: A
explanation: 【题目翻译】单词“detected”与下列哪一个意思最相近？
选项 A 的意思是确认，
选项 B 的意思是描述，
选项 C 的意思是研究，
选项 D 的意思是分类。

【判定题型】：题目要求选出与高亮单词意思最接近的选项，故判断本题为词汇题。

【关键词定位】本题根据所考察词汇定位到原文中这一句话：Scholars have detected some 6,000 separate hieroglyphic characters in use over the history of Egyptian writing, but it appears that never more than a thousand were in use during any one period.

【词汇解析】：词汇“detected”的意思是“探测，找到”,带入到原句中，原句的意思是“学者们探测到有6000左右的文字被用在埃及历史的书写中”。

【选项分析】
选项 A 的意思是确认，符合，正确
选项 B 的意思是描述，不符，错误
选项 C 的意思是研究，不符，错误
选项 D 的意思是分类。不符，错误

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 of leave out essential information.
choices: tag: A
text: Sometimes the appearance of texts was improved by giving more beautiful symbols to individual words even though the sound and sense of the changed words remained the same.

tag: B
text: The symbols for individual words were sometimes moved around in a text, regardless of these words' meaning and sound, to make the text more beautiful.

tag: C
text: The glyphs used as symbols for individual words in texts were sometimes chosen more for their beauty than for their connection to sound or sense.

tag: D
text: For various reasons, individual glyphs were sometimes shuffled to make a text  sound more pleasing, to make its sense clearer, or to make its appearance more beautiful.
answer_key: B
explanation: 【题目翻译】下面哪句话最能表达文章中突出显示的句子中的基本信息？不正确的选择会以遗漏基本信息的重要方式改变其含义。
A：有时，文本的外观会得到改善，即使改变的单词的声音和感觉保持不变，也会给单个单词赋予更多美丽的符号。

B：个别单词的符号有时会在文本中移动，不管这些单词的含义和发音如何，以使文本更漂亮。

C：在文本中用作单个单词符号的符号，有时选择的更多是因为它们的美丽，而不是因为它们与声音或感觉的联系。

D：由于各种原因，有时会对单个的字形进行洗牌，以使文本听起来更悦耳，使其意义更清晰，或使其外观更漂亮。

【判定题型】：根据题目问法，题目要求选择和高亮句意思逻辑都最为接近的句子，故判断本题为句子简化题。

【句子分析】本题高亮出的句子是：Egyptologists have noticed that the glyphs that constitute individual words were sometimes shuffled to make the text more pleasing to the eye with little regard for sound or sense. 本句大意是：埃及古物学者注意到由单个文字组成的雕文有时候会被弄乱以让这些文字看起来更好，而不管这样做会不会影响发音或者意思。

【选项分析】
A.选项 A 说通过给文字做出更美丽的符号来改进文字的外观。不符，错误
B.选项 B 是本句的同义转述。正确
C.选项 C 说雕文被用作标志。不符，错误
D.选项 D 说弄乱文字以使得发音更好听，都不符合原文。不符，错误