2017英语专业四级阅读理解练习(10)
As the merchant class expanded in the eighteenth?century North American Colonies, the silversmithand the coppersmith businesses rose to serve it.Only a few silversmiths were available in New Yorkor Boston in the late seventeenth century, but in theeighteenth century they could be found in all majorcolonial cities. No other colonial artisans rivaled thesilversmiths’ prestige. They handled the mostexpensive materials and possessed direct connections to prosperous colonial merchants. Theirproducts, primarily silver plates and bowls, reflected their exalted status and testified to theircustomers’ prominence. Silver stood as one of the surest ways to store wealth at a time beforeneighborhood banks existed. Unlike the silver coins from which they were made, silver articleswere readily identifiable. Often formed to individual specifications, they always carried thesilversmith’s distinctive markings and consequently could be traced and retrieved.Customers generally secure the silver for the silver object they ordered. They saved coins, tookthem to smiths, and discussed the type of pieces they desired. Silversmiths complied with theserequests by melting the money in a small furnace, adding a bit of copper to form a strongeralloy, and casting the alloy in rectangular blocks. They hammered these ingots to theappropriate thickness by hand, shaped them and pressed designs into them for adornment.Engraving was also done by hand. In addition to plates and bowls, some customers soughtmore intricate products, such as silver teapots. These were made by shaping or casting partsseparately and then soldering them together. Colonial coppersmithing also come of age in theearly eighteenth century and prospered in northern cities. Copper’s ability to conduct heatefficiently and to resist corrosion contributed to its attractiveness. But because it wasexpensive in colonial America, coppersmiths were never very numerous. Virtually all copperworked by Smiths was imported as sheets or obtained by recycling old copper goods. Copperwas used for practical items, but it was not admired for its beauty. Coppersmiths employed it tofashion pots and kettles for the home. They shaped it in much the same manner as silver ormelted it in a foundry with lead or tin. They also mixed it with zinc to make brass for maritimeand scientific instruments.?
1、According to the passage, which of the following eighteenth century developments had strongimpact on silversmiths
A. A decrease in the cost of silver
B. The invention of heat efficient furnaces
C. The growing economic prosperity of colonial merchants
D. The development of new tools used to shape silver
2.In colonial America, where did silversmiths usually obtain the material to make silver articles?
A. From their own mines
B. From importers
C. From other silversmiths
D. From customers
3.The passage mentions all of the following as uses for copper in Colonial America EXCEPT ______
A. cooking pots
B. scientific instruments
C. musical instruments
D. maritime instruments
4.According to the passage, silversmiths and coppersmiths in colonial America were similar inwhich of the following ways
A. The amount of social prestige they had.
B. The way they shaped the metal they worked with. ?
C. The cost of the goods they made.
D. The practicality of the goods they made.
参考答案：
1. C) 根据文章第一句
“As the merchant classexpanded in the eighteenth?century North AmericanColonies,...”可知，随着在十八世纪的北美殖民地商人阶级膨胀起来，也就是说那时的商人财富有了很大的发展，银匠铜匠们有机会发挥他们的专长了，这与选项C正好相符。
2. D) 根据文章第十四、五行
“Customers generallysecures …object they ordered. They saved coins, took them to smiths, and...”可知顾客要做银器，首先要积攒银币，然后拿到银匠处加工成他们想要的形状。选项D“来自客户”与之相符。
3. C) 文章末尾在提到铜的用途时惟独没有提到乐器。
4. B) 根据文章倒数第四行
“They shaped it in much the same manner as silver or melted it in afoundry with lead or tin.”可知银匠和铜匠在银器和铜器的塑型方式上是一样的，故选项B为正确答案。
