2014年MBA英语阅读理解(精读精解)(15)

　　It was a brief, shining moment in Egypt's history--a time of epochal change presided over by a Pharaoh named Akhenaten and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. During his 17-year reign the old gods were cast aside, monotheism was introduced, and the arts liberated from their stifling rigidity. Even Egypt's capital was moved to a new city along the Nile called Akhetaten (modern Amarna). But like Camelot, it was short-lived, and its legacy was buried in the desert sands.

　　Now Akhenaten's 3,400-year-old world has been brilliantly recalled in an exhibit titled "Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen," which opens this week at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. Part of the city's eight-month tribute to ancient Egypt (operas, ballet and an IMAX film), it is a unique assemblage of more than 250 objects from Egypt's 18th dynasty, some of which have languished unseen in storerooms and private collections for decades. They range from larger-than-life statues of Akhenaten to exquisitely sculpted reliefs and dazzling jewelry to such poignant reminders of everyday life as a perfectly preserved child's sandal.

　　The exhibit illuminates a murky period in Egyptian history that curator Rita Freed describes as having "all the elements of a soap opera." When Amenhotep IV, as he was originally called, ascended the throne in 1353 B.C., Egypt was a flourishing empire, at peace with its neighbors. Yet there were troubling signs. His father Amenhotep III had already challenged the powerful priesthood by proclaiming the sun god Aten as foremost among Egyptian deities and himself as his living incarnation.

　　His son shook things up even more, not only changing his name to honor the new god (Akhenaten means "one who serves Aten") but also banishing the older gods, especially the priestly favorite Amen. Some scholars believe Akhenaten's monotheism, a historic first, inspired the Hebrew prophets, but it had the more immediate effect of freeing Egypt's artists. They could now portray the Pharaoh and the voluptuous Nefertiti (who may have shared the throne with him) in a far more casual, realistic way. Akhenaten's cone-shaped head, elongated face, fingers and toes, pot belly and flaring hips have led some scholars to suggest that he had hydrocephalus or Marfan's syndrome.

　　He was certainly a revolutionary, propelled either by madness or by great vision. Still, his changes did not endure. After his death, his son-in-law (and perhaps son) Tutankhamen moved the political and religious capitals back to Memphis and Thebes respectively and reinstated the old gods. Egyptian art returned to its classic, ritualized style. And like Camelot, Akhenaten's once bustling capital became only a mythic memory. "Pharaohs of the Sun" will remain in Boston until February, then travel to Los Angeles, Chicago and Leiden, the Netherlands.

　　1.Which of the following event did not happen during Akhenaten’s reign over Egypt?

　　[A] He banished the older gods.

　　[B] People had to worship one god--- the sun god Aten.

　　[C] Egyptian artists suffered from a more casual, realistic way of portraying.

　　[D] He built a new capital along the Nile.

　　2.We can learn from the text that in Boston, many activities are held as tribute to ancient Egypt except ________.

　　[A] pageant

　　[B] ballet

　　[C] operas

　　[D] movie

　　3.The views of Akhenaten and his father on the sun god Aten are _____.

　　[A] opposite

　　[B] controversial

　　[C] complementary

　　[D] similar

　　4.Tutankhamen, according to the text, probably ________.

　　[A] moved the political capital back to Thebes

　　[B] gave the older gods back their previous position

　　[C] might had got some disease that made his face longer than the healthy people

　　[D] moved the religious capital back to Memphis

　　5.What can we learn about the exhibit on ancient Egypt’s 18th dynasty?

　　[A] It mainly consists of statues of the pharaohs of that time.

　　[B] It will last for eight months in Boston.

　　[C] It is very enlightening for people to know that period.

　　[D] The objects on the exhibit used to be stored in private collection.

　　答案：C　A　D　B　C

　　篇章剖析

　　本篇文章以正在波士顿举办的一场展览为引子，采用叙述的写法，带领读者重温了3400年前古埃及一段辉煌的历史。第一段简介了太阳神法老统治时期埃及社会发生的变化，接着在第二段中说明波士顿正在举办古埃及周，其中包括一场展览，第三、四段详细说明两任法老所做的变革，最后一段说变革持续时间不长。

　　词汇注释

　　epochal: adj. 划时代的

　　monotheism: n. 一神论

　　languish: v. 持续不前;毫无进展

　　poignant: adj. 深刻的;伤感的

　　murky: adj. 昏暗的;不明朗的

　　curator: n.(美术馆)馆长

　　incarnation: n. 化身

　　banish: v. 抛弃;废除

　　voluptuous: adj. 妖冶的;性感的

　　hydrocephalus: n. 脑积水

　　Camelot: 传说中的地名，在英格兰西南部，阿瑟和他的武士们曾居住于此

　　难句突破

　　1. Part of the city’s eight-month tribute to ancient Egypt (operas, ballet and an IMAX film), it is a unique assemblage of more than 250 objects from Egypt’s 18th dynasty, some of which have languished unseen in storerooms and private collections for decades.( Line 3, Paragraph 2)

　　主体句式：it is a unique assemblage…

　　结构分析：这是一个包含同位语和定语从句的长简单句。其中 “Part of the city’s…”是主语it(指展览)的同位语，定语从句 “some of which have ….”修饰名词 objects。

　　句子译文：这次展览只是波士顿为期8个月的致意古埃及活动中的一部分(其它形式还有歌剧、芭蕾、一部IMAX电影)。这次独特的展览展出了埃及第18个王朝的250多件物品，其中有些物品几十年来一直深藏于博物馆或为私人所藏而不得面世。

　　2. They range from large-than-life statues of Akhenaten to exquisitely sculpted reliefs and dazzling jewelry to such poignant reminders of everyday life as a perfectly preserved child’s sandal.

　　主体句式： They range from … to … and … to such … as …

　　句子分析：其中最后一个to接的是“such…as”短语。

　　句子译文：展品包罗万象，既有阿肯纳坦比真人还大的雕像，做工精致的浮雕，又有令人眼花缭乱的珠宝首饰，甚至还有日常生活起居用品，比如一只保存完好的童鞋。