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託福TPO1閱讀文本及題目答案Part2

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託福TPO1閱讀原文:Part2

The Origins of Theater

In seeking to describe the origins of theater, one must rely primarily on speculation, since there is little concrete evidence on which to draw. The most widely accepted theory, championed by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, envisions theater as emerging out of myth and ritual. The process perceived by these anthropologists may be summarized briefly. During the early stages of its development, a society becomes aware of forces that appear to influence or control its food supply and well-being. Having little understanding of natural causes, it attributes both desirable and undesirable occurrences to supernatural or magical forces, and it searches for means to win the favor of these forces. Perceiving an apparent connection between certain actions performed by the group and the result it desires, the group repeats, refines and formalizes those actions into fixed ceremonies, or rituals.

Stories (myths) may then grow up around a ritual. Frequently the myths include representatives of those supernatural forces that the rites celebrate or hope to influence. Performers may wear costumes and masks to represent the mythical characters or supernatural forces in the rituals or in accompanying celebrations. As a person becomes more sophisticated, its conceptions of supernatural forces and causal relationships may change. As a result, it may abandon or modify some rites. But the myths that have grown up around the rites may continue as part of the group's oral tradition and may even come to be acted out under conditions divorced from these rites. When this occurs, the first step has been taken toward theater as an autonomous activity, and thereafter entertainment and aesthetic values may gradually replace the former mystical and socially efficacious concerns.

Although origin in ritual has long been the most popular, it is by no means the only theory about how the theater came into being. Storytelling has been proposed as one alternative. Under this theory, relating and listening to stories are seen as fundamental human pleasures. Thus, the recalling of an event (a hunt, battle, or other feat) is elaborated through the narrator's pantomime and impersonation and eventually through each role being assumed by a different person.

A closely related theory sees theater as evolving out of dances that are primarily pantomimic, rhythmical or gymnastic, or from imitations of animal noises and sounds. Admiration for the performer's skill, virtuosity, and grace are seen as motivation for elaborating the activities into fully realized theatrical performances.

In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater, scholars have also theorized about the motives that led people to develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative-as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.

But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy by itself leads to an autonomous theater. Therefore, additional explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group. Another condition that contributes to the development of autonomous theater is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness.

Paragraph 1: In seeking to describe the origins of theater, one must rely primarily on speculation, since there is little concrete evidence on which to draw. The most widely accepted theory, championed by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, envisions theater as emerging out of myth and ritual. The process perceived by these anthropologists may be summarized briefly. During the early stages of its development, a society becomes aware of forces that appear to influence or control its food supply and well-being. Having little understanding of natural causes, it attributes both desirable and undesirable occurrences to supernatural or magical forces, and it searches for means to win the favor of these forces. Perceiving an apparent connection between certain actions performed by the group and the result it desires, the group repeats, refines and formalizes those actions into fixed ceremonies, or rituals.

 託福TPO1閱讀題目:Part2

1. The word "championed" in the passage is closest in meaning to

2. The word "attributes" in the passage is closest in meaning to

3. According to paragraph 1, theories of the origins of theater

4. According to paragraph 1, why did some societies develop and repeat ceremonial actions?

Paragraph 2: Stories (myths) may then grow up around a ritual. Frequently the myths include representatives of those supernatural forces that the rites celebrate or hope to influence. Performers may wear costumes and masks to represent the mythical characters or supernatural forces in the rituals or in accompanying celebrations. As a person becomes more sophisticated, its conceptions of supernatural forces and causal relationships may change. As a result, it may abandon or modify some rites. But the myths that have grown up around the rites may continue as part of the group's oral tradition and may even come to be acted out under conditions divorced from these rites. When this occurs, the first step has been taken toward theater as anautonomous activity, and thereafter entertainment and aesthetic values may gradually replace the former mystical and socially efficacious concerns.

5. The word "this" in the passage refers to

6. The word "autonomous" in the passage is closest in meaning to

7. According to paragraph 2, what may cause societies to abandon certain rites?

Paragraph 5: In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of theater, scholars have also theorized about the motives that led people to develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative-as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.

8. All of following are mentioned in paragraph 5 as possible reasons that led societies to develop theater EXCEPT

9. Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraph 5?

Paragraph 6: But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy by itself leads to an autonomous theater. Therefore, additional explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group. Another condition that contributes to the development of autonomous theater is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness.

10. The word "penchant" in the passage is closest in meaning to

11. Why does the author mention "comedy"?

12. 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.(4)

Paragraph 3: █Although origin in ritual has long been the most popular, it is by no means the only theory about how the theater came into being. █Storytelling has been proposed as one alternative. █Under this theory, relating and listening to stories are seen as fundamental human pleasures. █Thus, the recalling of an event (a hunt, battle, or other feat) is elaborated through the narrator's pantomime and impersonation and eventually through each role being assumed by a different person.

13. Look at the four squares [█] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

To enhance their listeners' enjoyment, storytellers continually make their stories more engaging and memorable.

Where would the sentence best fit?

14. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

Anthropologists have developed many theories to help understand why and how theater originated.

Answer choices

託福TPO1閱讀答案:Part2

1. ○4

2. ○1

3. ○1

4. ○4

5. ○3

6. ○3

7. ○2

8. ○4

9. ○1

10. ○2

11. ○3

12. ○4

13. ○4

14. Many theorists believe that…

Theater may have come from…

The human capacities for imitation…

託福TPO1閱讀真題翻譯:戲劇的起源

由於幾乎沒有具體材料可供研究,探尋戲劇的起源只能憑推測。19世紀末20世紀初,爲人類學家們所擁護的一種理論得到了世人的廣泛認同;這種觀點認爲戲劇起源於神話和宗教儀式。這些人類學家們推論過程可簡要概括如下:在社會發展早期,人們相信有股力量可以影響甚至操控他們的食物供應和幸福生活。在對自然原因並不十分了解的情況下,他們把希望或不希望發生的事情都歸咎於超自然的或魔幻的力量,並且試圖尋找各種途徑贏得這些力量的厚愛。當他們意識到自己的某些行爲和期許的結果之間存在明顯的聯繫以後,人們便開始重複並且完善這些行爲,最終形成固定的典禮或宗教儀式。

故事(神話)在這種儀式中發展起來,這些故事中經常會有儀式慶祝或期望影響的超自然力量的典型。在這種儀式或伴隨的慶典中,表演者們可能會穿上戲裝戴上面具來扮演神祕的角色或超自然力量。當人們認識事物的能力進一步加強的時候,他們對超自然力量以及與其引發的事件間因果關係的認識就發生了改變;於是,他們會拋棄或者修改某些儀式。不過在這些儀式中發展起來的神話故事繼續在人們的口頭流傳,甚至可能脫離了儀式而被演繹着。這時侯,戲劇做爲一種自發的活動邁出了自己的第一步,接着,戲劇的娛樂和審美價值開始漸漸取代先前的帶有神話色彩的、在社會上靈驗的關注。

儘管戲劇起源於宗教儀式的說法是目前最被大衆認可的,但無論如何這都不是戲劇起源的唯一理論;另一種推測認爲戲劇源於說書。在這個理論中,與故事產生聯繫和聆聽故事被視爲是人類基本的樂趣。因此,講述人通過自己的手勢和模仿把對一個事件的回憶(一次打獵、戰役或是其它功勳偉業)表現得淋漓盡致,這種方式最終演變成爲由不同的人來演繹不同的角色。

另外一種與之相關的理論認爲,戲劇主要是從無聲的、有節奏的舞蹈、體操,或模仿動物聲音的過程逐漸演變而來。人們對錶演者的演技、審美能力和優雅的欣賞被視爲是表演者將他們的表演精心策劃爲戲劇的動力。

爲了進一步探尋戲劇的起源,一些學派開始從人類發展戲劇的動機上建立理論。爲什麼戲劇會發展,爲什麼在戲劇完全脫離宗教儀式以後還有這麼大的價值?大部分答案都回到那些關於人類心智和人類基本需求的理論中。首先,亞里士多德在公元前4世紀提出,人們天生好模仿,並從模仿他人、事物和動作以及觀看模仿中獲得樂趣。另外,20世紀提出的先進理論認爲人類擅長幻想,通過幻想將日常生活中的現實重塑成更加令人滿意的形式。因此,人們通過幻想或虛構(戲劇的一個形式)把他們的焦慮和恐懼具體化,再通過這種方式面對焦慮和恐懼,並從虛構中滿足他們現實中無法實現的願望。所以,戲劇成爲了一種幫助人們認識和理解這個世界,或是幫助人們逃避不滿現實的工具。