Manhattan是考生在备考GMAT考试时必备的备考资料之一，在Manhattan阅读中对GMAT阅读考试的介绍非常详细实用，下面小编就为大家带来Manhattan阅读中文笔记-Chapter7希望对大家的阅读备考有帮助。
Passage A: Japanese Swords
Historians have long recognized the Japanese sword as one of the finest cutting weapons ever created. But to regard the sword that is synonymous with the samurai as merely a weapon is to ignore what makes it so special. The Japanese sword has always been considered a splendid weapon and even a spiritual entity. The traditional Japanese saying "The sword is the soul of the samurai" not only reflects the sword's importance to its wielder but also is indicative of its importance to its creator, the master smith.
Master smiths may not have been considered artists in the classical sense, but every one of them took great care in how he created a sword, and no sword was created in exactly the same way. The forging process of the blade itself took hundreds of hours as two types of steel were heated, hammered and folded together many times. This created a blade consisting of thousands of very thin layers that had an extremely sharp and durable cutting edge; at the same time, the blade was flexible and therefore less likely to break. It was common, though optional, for a master smith to place a physical signature on a blade; in addition, every master smith had a "structural signature" associated with his own secret forging process. Each master smith brought a high level of devotion, skill, and attention to detail to the sword-making process, and the sword itself was a reflection of his personal honor and ability. This effort made each blade as unique as the samurai who wielded it; today the Japanese sword is recognized as much for its artistic merit as for its historical significance.
生疏单词：
sword：刀，剑
synonymous：同义的，同义词的
samurai：武士，日本武士
entity：实体，本质
wielder：行使者，使用者
smith：铁匠
forging：锻造，打造
blade：刀片，刀锋
durable：耐用的，耐用品
signature：署名，签名
wield：行使，使用，挥舞
长难句分析：
It was common, though optional, for a master smith to place a physical signature on a blade; in addition, every master smith had a "structural signature" associated with his own secret forging process.
句子的主体结构是It was common for a master smith to place… though optional做插入语，it是形式主语，真正的主语是后面的不定式。in addition其实是连接两个并列句子，句子结构master smith had a "structural signature"。
话题分类：社会科学
文章展开套路：观点型对比型
作者态度：客观评价
文章脉络：
第一段：第一段主要讲历史学家一直把日本刀作为有史以来最好的切割武器之一，但只把日本刀看做是武器的同义词，忽略了它为什么会如此特别。Historians have long recognized the Japanese sword as one of the finest cutting weapons ever created. But to regard the sword that is synonymous with the samurai as merely a weapon is to ignore what makes it so special.
第二段：铁匠师傅在传统意义上还没有被看做是艺术家，但从日本刀的锻造工艺上看，它确实是武器和艺术品的结合体。现在日本刀的艺术价值已经远远超过其历史价值。
答案：1-5: E D C B C
习题解析：
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) challenge the observation that the Japanese sword is highly admired by historians
(B) introduce new information about the forging of Japanese swords
(C) identify how the Japanese sword is now perceived as much for its artistic qualities as its military ones
(D) argue that Japanese sword makers were as much artists as they were smiths
(E) explain the value attributed to the Japanese sword
选项说明：
(A) 文中没有提到历史学家对日本刀的高度赞赏。
(B) 第二段讨论了锻造工艺，但没有提供新的信息，并且本文的重点不是讲锻造工艺。
(C) 第二段的最后一句提到了日本刀的艺术价值，但不是本文的主要写作目的。
(D) 本文比较了锻造师和艺术家的相似处，但也只是在第二段中提到而已，本文的焦点是将日本刀的物理性质及其重要的原因。
(E) 正确，本文主要描述了日本刀对武士和它的锻造者的重要意义，The sword is the soul of the samurai及第二段中工匠师对刀的付出可以看出。更多相关内容请点击》两大普世性GMAT阅读法介绍。
2. Each of the following is mentioned in the passage EXCEPT
(A) Every Japanese sword has a unique structure that can be traced back to a special forging process.
(B) Master smiths kept their forging techniques secret.
(C) The Japanese sword was considered by some to have a spiritual quality.
(D) Master smiths are now considered artists by most major historians.
(E) The Japanese sword is considered both a work of art and a historical artifact.
选项说明：
(A) 文中提到了structural signature
(B) 原句是every master smith.. .due to his own secret forging process.
(C) 文中提到the Japanese sword has always been considered a splendid weapon and even a spiritual entity.
(D) 文中只是说日本刀具有艺术价值，并没有过多地提到工匠师是艺术家，major historians在文中也没有具体提到。
(E) 文章最后一句提到the Japanese sword is recognized as much for its artistic merit as for its historical significance
3. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following observations?
(A) The Japanese sword is the most important handheld weapon in history.
(B) The skill of the samurai is what made the Japanese sword so special.
(C) If a sword had a physical signature, other swords could be attributed to that swords creator.
(D) Master smiths were more concerned about the artistic merit of their blades than about the blades’ practical qualities.
(E) The Japanese sword has more historical importance than artistic importance.
选项说明：
(A) 第一段说日本刀是最厉害的砍削工具之一，historians have long recognized the Japanese sword as one o f the finest cutting weapons ever created。
(B) 本文没有讨论日本武士的技能。
(C) 第二段提到every master smith had a structural signature due to his own secret forging process.
(D) 文中提到the sword itself was a reflection o f his [the creators] personal honor and ability;但并没有说工匠师关注刀的艺术性超过其实用性。
(E) 文中提到日本刀的艺术价值和历史价值都很重要，但没有过分强调历史价值。
4. Which of the following can be inferred about the term “structural signature” in this
passage?
(A) It indicates the inscription that the smith places on the blade during the forging process.
(B) It implies the particular characteristics of a blade created by a smith’s unique forging
process.
(C) It suggests that each blade can be traced back to a known master smith.
(D) It reflects the soul of the samurai who wielded it.
(E) It refers to the actual curved shape of the blade.
选项说明：
(A) 文中提到“记号”被称作是physical signature而不是structural signature.
(B) 文中提到每个工匠师都有自己独家的技艺，所以structural signature对每一个师傅都是独特的。
(C) 文中没有提到说通过刀锋可以追溯到一个知名的工匠师。
(D) The sword is the soul o f the samurai,文中只说刀对武士很重要，但没提到武士精神。
(E) 文中没有提到刀锋的曲线形状。
5. One function of the second paragraph of the passage is to
(A) present an explanation for a change in perception
(B) determine the historical significance of Japanese swords
(C) explain why each Japanese sword is unique
(D) compare Japanese master smiths to classical artists
(E) review the complete process of making a Japanese sword
选项说明：
(A) 第二段提到了日本刀的艺术价值，但没有被具体证明。
(B) 第二段没有展开讲日本刀的历史意义
(C) 第二段的好几处都对刀的独特性进行了描述，no sword was created in exactly the same way. this effort made each blade as unique as the samurai who wielded it。等
(D) 并没有把工匠师和艺术家进行对比。
(E) 第二段只是简单提到，并不是专门介绍锻造过程的。
以上是关于Manhattan阅读中文笔记-Chapter7的详细内容，希望大家也能从中受益，不断改进自己的备考方法提升备考效率，从而写出漂亮的文章获得满意的成绩。更多相关内容百利天下小编会持续为大家送上，祝大家都能早日梦圆名校。
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