精品学习网收集整理了，2013年考研英语阅读理解经典练习（考古学类），希望对大家有所帮助！

[考古学类]

Archaeologyasaprofessionfacestwomajorproblems.First,itisthepoorestofthepoor.Onlypaltrysumsareavailableforexcavatingandevenlessisavailableforpublishingtheresultsandpreservingthesitesonceexcavated.Yetarchaeologistsdealwithpricelessobjectseveryday.Second,thereistheproblemofillegalexcavation,resultinginmuseum-qualitypiecesbeingsoldtothehighestbidder.

Iwouldliketomakeanoutrageoussuggestionthatwouldatonestrokeprovidefundsforarchaeologyandreducetheamountofillegaldigging.Iwouldproposethatscientificarcheologicalexpeditionsandgovernmentalauthoritiessellexcavatedartifactsontheopenmarket.Suchsaleswouldprovidesubstantialfundsfortheexcavationandpreservationofarchaeologicalsitesandthepublicationofresults.Atthesametime,theywouldbreaktheillegalexcavator’sgriponthemarket,therebydecreasingtheinducementtoengageinillegalactivities.

Youmightobjectthatprofessionalsexcavatetoacquireknowledge,notmoney.Moreover,ancientartifactsarepartofourglobalculturalheritage,whichshouldbeavailableforalltoappreciate,notsoldtothehighestbidder.Iagree.Sellnothingthathasuniqueartisticmeritorscientificvalue.But,youmightreply,everythingthatcomesoutofthegroundhasscientificvalue.Herewepartcompany.Theoretically,youmaybecorrectinclaimingthateveryartifacthaspotentialscientificvalue.Practically,youarewrong.

Irefertothethousandsofpotteryvesselsandancientlampsthatareessentiallyduplicatesofoneanother.InonesmallexcavationinCyprus,archaeologistsrecentlyuncovered2,000virtuallyindistinguishablesmalljugsinasinglecourtyard.Evenpreciousroyalsealimpressionsknownasmelekhhandleshavebeenfoundinabundance—morethan4,000examplessofar.

Thebasementsofmuseumsaresimplynotlargeenoughtostoretheartifactsthatarelikelytobediscoveredinthefuture.Thereisnotenoughmoneyeventocataloguethefinds;asaresult,theycannotbefoundagainandbecomeasinaccessibleasiftheyhadneverbeendiscovered.Indeed,withthehelpofacomputer,soldartifactscouldbemoreaccessiblethanarethepiecesstoredinbulgingmuseumbasements.Priortosale,eachcouldbephotographedandthelistofthepurchaserscouldbemaintainedonthecomputer.Apurchasercouldevenberequiredtoagreetoreturnthepieceifitshouldbecomeneededforscientificpurposes.

Itwouldbeunrealistictosuggestthatillegaldiggingwouldstopifartifactsweresoldontheopenmarket.Butthedemandfortheclandestineproductwouldbesubstantiallyreduced.Whowouldwantanunmarkedpotwhenanotherwasavailablewhoseprovenancewasknown,andthatwasdatedstratigraphicallybytheprofessionalarchaeologistwhoexcavatedit?

1.Theprimarypurposeofthetextistopropose

[A]analternativetomuseumdisplayofartifacts.

[B]awaytocurbillegaldiggingwhilebenefitingthearchaeologicalprofession.

[C]awaytodistinguishartifactswithscientificvaluefromthosethathavenosuchvalue.

[D]thegovernmentalregulationofarchaeologicalsites.

2.Whichofthefollowingismentionedinthetextasadisadvantageofstoringartifactsinmuseumbasements?

[A]Museumofficialsrarelyallowscholarsaccesstosuchartifacts.

[B]Spacethatcouldbebetterusedfordisplayistakenupforstorage.

[C]Artifactsdiscoveredinoneexcavationoftenbecomeseparatedfromeachother.

[D]Suchartifacts’oftenremainuncataloguedandthuscannotbelocatedoncetheyareputinstorage.

3.TheauthormentionstheexcavationinCyprus(line2,paragraph4)toemphasizewhichofthefollowingpoints?

[A]Ancientlampsandpotteryvesselsarelessvaluable,althoughmorerare,thanroyalsealimpressions.

[B]Artifactsthatareverysimilartoeachotherpresentcataloguingdifficultiestoarchaeologists.

[C]Artifactsthatarenotuniquelyvaluable,andthereforecouldbesold,areavailableinlargequantities.

[D]Cyprusisthemostimportantlocationforunearthinglargequantitiesofsalableartifacts.

4.Theauthor’sargumentconcerningtheeffectoftheofficialsaleofduplicateartifactsonillegalexcavationisbasedonwhichofthefollowingassumptions?

[A]Prospectivepurchaserswouldprefertobuyauthenticatedartifacts.

[B]Thepriceofillegallyexcavatedartifactswouldrise.

[C]Computerscouldbeusedtotracesoldartifacts.

[D]Illegalexcavatorswouldbeforcedtosellonlyduplicateartifacts.

5.Theauthoranticipateswhichofthefollowinginitialdenialsofhisproposal?

[A]Museumofficialswillbecomeunwillingtostoreartifacts.

[B]Anoversupplyofsalableartifactswillresultandthedemandforthemwillfall.

[C]Artifactsthatwouldhavebeendisplayedinpublicplaceswillbesoldtoprivatecollectors.

[D]Illegalexcavatorswillhaveanevenlargersupplyofartifactsforresale.