Question

【题目】 They may seem like ordinary people by day but in their spare time, these office, shop and school workers bring history to life. During the week they work in shops, offices, clinics and schools, but at weekends they transform into Vikings, Romans and Medieval peasants. The world of re-enactment (重演) is booming with more and more men and women taking up the hobby of travelling to bygone times.

Factory manager of a busy printers, Brett Freeman, 46, from Nottingham, changes into “Padmore,” a Victorian street-seller selling stationery (文具).

Already a veteran (老兵) of military re-enactments, Brett joined the “Ragged Victorians” when middle-age kicked in. “I was too old to portray a soldier but I wanted to get back into the hobby and the Ragged Victorians looked the best in terms of being genuine.”

At his first event, group members gave him “loaner gear” and a year to research his character. His teeth blackened with theatrical stain, in top hat and floppy coat, Brett looks every bit his Victorian image.

Seeking inspiration, Brett dipped into the works of Victorian journalist, Henry Mayhew, who wrote about the working people of London.

“My character is inspired by the description of a stationer in Mayhew’s London Labour and London Poor. I mixed that up with my own background in print, and local historical sources to create street stationer, Padmore, which is the name of my Victorian great-great grandfather.”

“Getting into kit (装备) helps immensely and once you are in the public area you try to remain in character wherever possible.” For extra authenticity, Brett combines his language with Victorian selling patter (顺口溜), replacing the word “envelope” with “hangflups.”

“Re-enacting is great fun, but we’re always glad of a hot shower and a comfortable bed at the end of the weekend,” says Brett. “Normal life can seem very dull after a particularly good weekend. It would be wonderful to go back in time for a visit, but studying the period as I have done, makes you realise just how hard life was for our ancestors.”

【1】Why does Brett choose to be a Victorian street-seller?

A.He has already played a veteran.

B.Portraying a soldier no longer fit him.

C.He is a manager of a busy printers.

D.His blackened teeth make it real.

【2】What does the underlined phrase “loaner gear” in paragraph 4 mean?

A.Stage costume lent to him.B.Money paid on loan.

C.Adequate time.D.An assistant.

【3】Which of the following words can best describe Brett?

A.Brave and careful.B.Kind and positive.

C.Humorous and caring.D.Serious and devoted.

【4】Where can you probably find the above passage?

A.In a research report.B.In a magazine.

C.In a travel brochure.D.In an advertisement.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】D

【4】B

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章介绍随着越来越多的男人和女人开始有了去旧时旅行的爱好，重现旧时的世界正在蓬勃发展。Brett就是这些人中的一个，文章重点叙述了他的演出经历。

【1】

推理判断题。根据第二段中I was too old to portray a soldier “我太老了，不适合扮演一个士兵”。由此可知，Brett之所以选择成为维多利亚时代的街头小贩，是因为扮演士兵不再适合他了。故选B。

【2】

词义猜测题。根据第四段中His teeth blackened with theatrical stain, in top hat and floppy coat, Brett looks every bit his Victorian image. “他的牙齿被夸张的污迹染黑了，戴着礼帽，穿着宽松的外套，Brett看起来完全是维多利亚时代的形象。”可知，“在他的第一次活动中，团队成员给了他“租借装备”和一年的时间来研究他的性格。”由此推知划线词的意思是“借给他衣服”。故选A。

【3】

推理判断题。根据第五段Seeking inspiration, Brett dipped into the works of Victorian journalist, Henry Mayhew, who wrote about the working people of London. “为了寻找灵感，布雷特翻阅了维多利亚时代记者亨利·梅休的作品，梅休曾写过有关伦敦劳动人民的文章。”和第七段中For extra authenticity, Brett combines his language with Victorian selling patter (顺口溜), replacing the word “envelope” with “hangflups.” 为了更加真实，布雷特将他的语言与维多利亚时代的销售模式结合起来，将“envelope”替换为“hangflups”。由此可知，Brett认真投入。故选D。

【4】

推理判断题。根据第一段They may seem like ordinary people by day but in their spare time, these office, shop and school workers bring history to life. During the week they work in shops, offices, clinics and schools, but at weekends they transform into Vikings, Romans and Medieval peasants. The world of re-enactment (重演) is booming with more and more men and women taking up the hobby of travelling to bygone times. “他们可能白天看起来像普通人，但在他们的业余时间，这些办公室、商店和学校的工作人员将历史带入生活。工作日，他们在商店、办公室、诊所和学校工作，但到了周末，他们就变成了维京人、罗马人和中世纪的农民。随着越来越多的男人和女人开始有了去旧时旅行的爱好，重现旧时的世界正在蓬勃发展。”由此可知，文章内容不可能来自“研究报告”、“旅游指南”和“一则广告”，它最有可能来自“一份杂志”。故选B。