Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. First, it is the poorest of the poor. Only paltry sums are available for excavating and even less is available for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day. Second, there is the problem of illegal excavation, resulting in museum-quality pieces being sold to the highest bidder.

I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal activities.

You might object that professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money. Moreover, ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder. I agree. Sell nothing that has unique artistic merit or scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific value. Here we part company. Theoretically, you may be correct in claiming that every artifact has potential scientific value. Practically, you are wrong.

I refer to the thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates of one another. In one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000 virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard. Even precious royal seal impressions known as melekh handles have been found in abundance — more than 4,000 examples so far.

The basements of museums are simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to be discovered in the future. There is not enough money even to catalogue the finds; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered. Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible than are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements. Prior to sale, each could be photographed and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer. A purchaser could even be required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes.

It would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if artifacts were sold on the open market. But the demand for the clandestine product would be substantially reduced. Who would want an unmarked pot when another was available whose provenance was known, and that was dated stratigraphically by the professional archaeologist who excavated it?

1. The primary purpose of the text is to propose

[A] an alternative to museum display of artifacts.

[B] a way to curb illegal digging while benefiting the archaeological profession.

[C] a way to distinguish artifacts with scientific value from those that have no such value.

[D] the governmental regulation of archaeological sites.

2. Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a disadvantage of storing artifacts in museum basements?

[A] Museum officials rarely allow scholars access to such artifacts.

[B] Space that could be better used for display is taken up for storage.

[C] Artifacts discovered in one excavation often become separated from each other.

[D] Such artifacts’ often remain uncatalogued and thus cannot be located once they are put in storage.

3. The author mentions the excavation in Cyprus (line 2, paragraph 4) to emphasize which of the following points?

[A] Ancient lamps and pottery vessels are less valuable, although more rare, than royal seal impressions.

[B] Artifacts that are very similar to each other present cataloguing difficulties to archaeologists.

[C] Artifacts that are not uniquely valuable, and therefore could be sold, are available in large quantities.

[D] Cyprus is the most important location for unearthing large quantities of salable artifacts.

4. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?

[A] Prospective purchasers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.

[B] The price of illegally excavated artifacts would rise.

[C] Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.

[D] Illegal excavators would be forced to sell only duplicate artifacts.

5. The author anticipates which of the following initial denials of his proposal?

[A] Museum officials will become unwilling to store artifacts.

[B] An oversupply of salable artifacts will result and the demand for them will fall.

[C] Artifacts that would have been displayed in public places will be sold to private collectors.

[D] Illegal excavators will have an even larger supply of artifacts for resale.

[答案與考點解析]

1. 【答案】B

【考點解析】這是一道中心主旨題。本文的中心主旨句在第二段的第一、二句。從這兩句話中我們可以推斷出本題的正確選項是B。考生在破解此類題型時一定要首先識別出全文的中心主旨句。

2. 【答案】D

【考點解析】本題是一道細節推導題。根據本題題干中的“museum basements”可將本題的答案信息迅速確定在第五段首句。通過閱讀和理解第五段的首句和第二句，尤其是第二句，我們可推導出本題的正確選項應該是D。考生在解題時一定要善于審題定位，并且要善于聯系上下句所陳述的內容。

3. 【答案】C

【考點解析】這是一道句間關系題。本題題干已將本題的答案信息來源確定在第四段第二句，通過仔細閱讀第四段的三句話，并結合第三段結尾的四句話，我們可以推斷出涉及“價值”、“數量大”等內容的選項C應該成為本題的正確選項。考生在解題時應十分重視句子之間的相互關系，并且要深入理解和歸納原文所談論的實質內容。

4. 【答案】A

【考點解析】這是一道審題定位題。本題題干并沒有明確暗示本題的答案信息來源在原文的位置。這是一道較難的試題。但是敏感的考生會根據題干中的“the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation”將本的答案信息來源確定在尾段，因為尾段的第一句含有“artifacts were sold on the open market”。尾段的第二句就是題干中所涉及的“effect”。尾段的最后一句就是本題要求考生所尋找出的“assumptions”。可見本題的正確選項應該是強調“authenticated”(被證實，被鑒定的)一詞的選項A。考生在解題時一定要善于迅速審題定位，更要善于歸納和推導原文的內容。

5. 【答案】C

【考點解析】本題是一道細節推導題。本題題干中的“denials”一詞把本題的答案信息來源確定在第四段的首句，因為該句中包含“object”(反對，否定)一詞。通過仔細閱讀第四段的首句，以及其擴展句(第四段的第二句)，我們可以推導出本題的正確選項是C。考生在解題時一定要注意原文的細節以及句子之間的關系。

[參考譯文]

考古學作為一門專業面臨兩個主要問題。首先，它是窮窮行業中最窮的。只有微不足道的一些資金用來發掘，而可供出版研究成果和保護已發掘遺址的資金就更為可憐。可是考古學家們每天是在和無價之寶打交道。第二，有非法盜掘現象，造成了有收藏價值的文物流入出高價者手中。

我的一個或許不合道德的想法，卻可以一舉為考古發現提供資金和減少非法盜掘現象，我建議，科學考古隊或政府部門可以公開出售發掘的文物。這種出售將為考古發掘、文物保存以及成果出版提供充足的資金。同時，還能斬斷非法挖掘者對市場的壟斷，從而消減這一非法行當對人們的誘惑力。

你或許會提出反對：職業考古是為了求知，而不是賺錢。而且，古代文物是全人類文化遺產的一部分，應該留給所有的人來欣賞，而不是要給出高價的人。這我同意。應該賣那些沒有獨特的藝術、科學價值的文物。不過，你可能會回應說，所有從地里出土的文物都是有科學價值的。這就是我們的不合之處了。理論上說，你認為所有文物都有潛在的科學價值是正確的，實際上，你是錯的。

我這么說指的是成千上萬的古代陶器、燈具之類，它們基本上是同一個模子的復制品。塞浦路斯的一次小型發掘中，考古學家新近發現了一個庭院中有2000件實際上無法區分的小水罐。就是很珍貴的王室御璽的護柄也很多見——多于4000件。

博物館儲存室絕對不夠放置那些將來還會發現的大量文物。甚至沒有足夠的錢把它們分門別類;結果，它們常會不易查找，難以再讓人接觸，好像從不曾被發掘出來。實際上，在計算機的幫助下，已售出的文物比藏在博物館擁擠不堪的儲存室中的反而更容易查找到。出售之前，每樣文物可被拍照，買主的資料輸入計算機。如果已被賣的文物需要用于科學目的，還可以要求買主將它們歸還。

如果設想公開出售文物后，非法開掘會停止，那是不切實際。但是，對來歷不明的產品的需求將下降。如果有一件來源清晰，并被發現它的專業考古學家用地層分析法確定年代的文物存在，誰還會去買一個毫無標志的水罐呢?

更多文章：

2016年研究生入學考試英語閱讀理解必做模擬試題1

2016考研英語閱讀理解強化模擬題及答案(7)

2016年考研初試時間：2015年12月26日-27日

（責任編輯：gx）

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