Priorto the beginning of the Late Preclassic period in 300 B.C., Mayaceremonialcenters ofrelativelysubstantialsize had already appeared in Central America. Theceremonialcenter was adistinctivefeature of Mayaculture,actingas afocusfor thecommunity. Generally speaking, these centers were not what we would call cities. Although they didconsistof a number of large andvariedbuildings, they did not have asubstantialresidentpopulation. Some scholars haveevenlabeled these Maya centers “vacanttowns”. Theirpermanentpopulationconsisted mainly of rulers, priests, and their attendants plus a limited number of artisans. The elite lived in big houses or in palaces in and around the center. Thebulkof the peasantpopulationlived in much moremodestwood and thatch homes in the areas surrounding the centers. At certain times of the year, on the occasion ofmajorreligiousfestivals such as the one at the time of the planting of their crops, scholarshypothesize, byanalogyto historical and modern practices, that the peasants wouldflockto the centers toobserveandparticipatein the ceremonies. At other times of the year, some of the peasants would be called into the centers to help in theconstructionof new temples and palaces dedicated to the glory of the gods and to the comforts of their earthly representatives, thepriestlyrulers. The peasants also would provide the food to helpsustainthe elite in the centers.

What the peasants received from the elite was certainly not astangibleas the services they provided. In return for food and labor, the peasants were offered a psychologically and spirituallysecureand ordered world, as well asaccessto sometradegoods. Apparently, this was enough. Agriculturein thetropicalMaya lowlands was at best a chancy business:evenslightshifts in the onset of the rainyseasonor the dryseasoncould meandisasterfor that year’sharvest. Thereligionof theancientMaya helped the peasants cope with theirprecariouslives. If the gods were properly propitiated, the crops would be good—as would life in general.

One archaeologist, William Haviland, argues that it was the centralizing effects of Mayareligionthat led to the rise ofClassicMayacivilization. He believes that thereligiouscenters acted as magnets to peoples living in the surrounding areas. To support the growing populations around the centers, Haviland argues, the agricultural systems became intensified. This led to theevolutionof acomplexstate. Haviland believes that as early as 200 B.C., the “vacant”ceremonialcenters at Tikal had beguntransformationtowardurbancenters. Moreover, by this time orevenearlier, other centers with huge, labor-intensive buildings had begun toemerge. Sites such as Nakbé, El Mirador, and Lamanai may have approachedurbandimensions in the last few centuries of the firstmillenniumB.C.

Other scholarsattributethe growth of theceremonialcenters totrade. William Rathje argues that thebasiccause for the rise of Mayacivilizationwas the necessity for the Maya, who lived in resource-poor lowlands, totradewithadjacenthighlanders for materials such asobsidian(a rock used to make ornaments and cutting edges), salt, and hard stone for grinding implements. Rathje maintains thatlowlandsites such as Tikal, which were quitedistantfrom the highlandresourceareas, were made bigger and architecturallymagnificenttoattracthighland merchants and theirtrade. In order toundertakeall the building, the elite had toattractmore artisans and bring more laborers into thecommunityto do the work. Thesepopulationincreases led in turn toevenmore building,populationgrowth, greaterpopulationdensity, greater socialdifferentiation, and occupationalspecialization. Critics have argued, however, that there werelocalsubstitutes for theexternal“necessities” and that foreigntradewas present well before the rise ofcomplexarchitecture.

Yet other factors beyondideologyandtrademust have been important in the emergingClassicMayacivilization. Competition among the growing number of centers may also have played a key role in the growth of social,economic, andpoliticalcomplexity, as theorganizationof the centers grew to meet the pressures of other centers for new agricultural land and control of rising populations.

Questions:
question_stem: According to paragraph 1, what important feature of cities did Maya ceremonial centers lack?
choices: tag: A
text: Large, varied buildings

tag: B
text: A large, permanent population

tag: C
text: Distinctions between social classes

tag: D
text: Religious temples
answer_key: B
explanation: 根据 important feature, ceremonial centers, lack 定位， Although they did consist of a number of large and varied buildings, they did not have a substantial resident population. 虽然它们确实由许多大型和各种各样的建筑物组成=A，但它们没有大量的常住人口=B Their permanent population consisted mainly of rulers, priests, and their attendants plus a limited number of artisans.=C 有社会阶层区分 some of the peasants would be called into the centers to help in the construction of new temples=D ,所以选 B。

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

tag: B
text: unpleasant

tag: C
text: simple

tag: D
text: temporary
answer_key: C
explanation: The elite lived in big houses or in palaces in and around the center. The bulk of the peasant population lived in much more modest wood and thatch homes in the areas surrounding the centers. 精英们住在大房子里，或者住在中心附近的宫殿里。大部分农民住在中心周围地区更__的木屋和茅草屋里。 modest 和 thatch(茅草) 并列；精英的房子与农民房子对比，前者在宫殿后者在非宫殿。 A 遥远 B 不愉快 C 简单 D 临时，与奢华宫殿对比，又能与茅草呼应，选 C，简单。

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: Scholars hypothesize that religious festivals have changed very little in history since the festivals that Mayans held at the times when they planted their crops.

tag: B
text: Through the study of historical and modern practices, scholars concluded that Mayans held religious festivals only at certain times of the year.

tag: C
text: Based on their knowledge of historical and modern practices, scholars suppose that peasants gathered in the centers at certain times of the year for religious festivals.

tag: D
text: Historical and modern evidence suggests that peasants were allowed to visit the centers only during the crop-planting period because of the religious ceremonies held at that time.
answer_key: C
explanation: 3.在一年中的某些时候，在重大的宗教节日，比如种植庄稼的时候，学者们通过类比历史和现代的实践，猜想农民们会聚集到中心去观看和参加仪式。
A festivals have changed very little 宗教节日在历史上几乎没有什么变化，文中没提；
B only 玛雅人只在一年中的某些时间举行宗教节日，only 绝对词 原文没有；
C Based on their knowledge of historical and modern practices=, by analogy to historical and modern practices; scholars suppose= scholars hypothesize; that peasants= that the peasants; gathered in= flock to; the centers= the centers; at certain times of the year= At certain times of the year; for religious festivals= on the occasion of major religious festivals. 全对应，句意也正确；
D peasants were allowed to visit the centers only during the crop-planting period 农民只能在作物种植期间参观，文中没提。

question_stem: According to paragraph 2, which of the following did the Maya elite provide for the peasants?
choices: tag: A
text: Food for nourishment

tag: B
text: Homes to live in

tag: C
text: Security from the threats of other civilizations

tag: D
text: A stable system of beliefs
answer_key: D
explanation: 根据 elite provide for the peasants 定位：What the peasants received from the elite … In return for food and labor, the peasants were offered a psychologically and spiritually secure and ordered world 作为食物和劳动的回报(这里食物和劳动是农民付出给精英了，所以 A 错)，农民们得到了一个心理上和精神上安全有序的世界=D，B 和 C 原文没提到。

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

tag: B
text: difficult

tag: C
text: restricted

tag: D
text: unsatisfying
answer_key: A
explanation: 按上下文，本句没出现转折否定等，与上一句是顺承关系，上一句冒号表示解释说明，冒号前是主要句意：热带玛雅低地的农业充其量只是一个不稳定的行业，所以下一句 宗教帮助农民应付这种不稳定 A 不稳定 B 困难 C 受限 D 不满意，所以选 A。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, what is the dispute between William Rathje and his critics?
choices: tag: A
text: Whether a need to import obsidian, salt, and grinding stone can explain the growth of ceremonial centers.

tag: B
text: Whether people in the lowlands communities traded with people in the adjacent highlands.

tag: C
text: Whether obsidian was to be found in lowland areas such as Tikal that were distant from the highlands.

tag: D
text: Whether the development of ceremonial centers was characterized by complex architecture.
answer_key: A
explanation: 按题干中 William Rathje 和 Critics 定位。 William Rathje argues that the basic cause for the rise of Maya civilization was… to trade with adjacent highlanders for materials such as obsidian (a rock used to make ornaments and cutting edges), salt, and hard stone for grinding implements.  玛雅文明兴起的根本原因是生活在资源贫乏的低地的玛雅人必须与邻近的高地人交换材料，如黑曜石（一种用于制作装饰品和刀刃的岩石）、盐和用于研磨工具的硬石。所以 William Rathje 认为是为了交换材料。 Critics have argued, however, that there were local substitutes for the external “necessities”然而，批评人士认为，外部“必需品”有地方替代品，即高地的人即使需要黑曜石等，但早已找到自己地区的其他产品作为替代，所以批评人士认为根本原因不是为了交换材料。 A 正确；B 争论高地两地人是否进行交易；C 争论黑曜石是否在远离高地的提卡尔等低地地区发现；D 争论仪式中心的发展是否以复杂的建筑为特征，BCD 不是二者争议的点。

question_stem: According to paragraph 4, all of the following are associated with the rise of Maya civilization EXCEPT:
choices: tag: A
text: building construction to support an increasing population

tag: B
text: increased division into distinct social classes

tag: C
text: an increased number of artisans and laborers in the centers

tag: D
text: the invention of new agricultural tools
answer_key: D
explanation: William Rathje 在表达观点后，下一句具体解释了玛雅文明如何兴起 Rathje maintains … architecturally magnificent to attract highland merchants and their trade… These population increases led in turn to even more building, population growth… greater social differentiation 为了吸引高地商人和他们的贸易…建筑也更宏伟= A…这些人口增长反过来导致更多的建筑、人口增长=C …更大的社会分化=B。D 新农业工具的发明原文没提。

question_stem: Why does the author mention the arguments that “there were local substitutes for the external “necessities” and that foreign trade was present well before the rise of complex architecture”?
choices: tag: A
text: To explain why complex architecture at Maya centers may have developed later than most people believe it did

tag: B
text: To suggest that foreign trade was a more significant factor than local trade in the rise of Maya civilization

tag: C
text: To indicate why some scholars reject the idea that the architectural growth of Maya ceremonial centers was due to trade

tag: D
text: To support the idea that minerals were not the main goods that the Mayas imported from highland areas
answer_key: C
explanation: 目的题，考本段观点。本段是 William Rathje 和 Critics 两个观点对立 （可见6题） Critics 作为批评者，提出观点是为了反对前面 William Rathje 的内容，文段意思也确实如此；首句 William Rathje 认为 Maya ceremonial centers 崛起是因为贸易，即在2句解释中的为了交换材料；  Critics 认为外部“必需品”有地方替代品，即高地的人即使需要黑曜石等，但早已找到自己地区的其他产品作为替代，根本原因不是为了交换材料即不是为了贸易，所以选 C，其他与观点无关。