托福阅读笔记。说到托福阅读备考，TPO是必不可少的备考神器，通过TPO练习来更好的适应阅读考试的节奏。本文小编带来的是TPO16 Trade and the Ancient Middle East的学习笔记，希望能够与正在备考的大家一起进步。
TPO16 Trade and the Ancient Middle East
文章题材：社会学科——中东贸易
常见词汇：
craft [krɑ:ft] n. 工艺，手艺，狡诈，航空器，行会成员
govern ['gʌvən] vt. 统治，支配，管理，规定vi. 统治，
opportunity [.ɔpə'tju:niti] n. 机会，时机
labored ['leibəd] adj. 吃力的;费劲的;不自然的 v. 工作;劳动;
cement [si'ment] n. 水泥，纽带，接合剂，牙骨质，补牙物，基石
informal [in'fɔ:məl] adj. 非正式的，不拘形式的
domestic [də'mestik] adj. 国内的，家庭的，驯养的n. 家仆，
harmony ['hɑ:məni] n. 和弦，协调，和睦，调和
partner ['pɑ:tnə] n. 搭档，伙伴，合伙人
claim [kleim] n. 要求，要求权;主张，断言，声称;要求物
易错题解析：
Paragraph 3: This mode of craft production favored the growth of self-governing and ideologically egalitarian craft guilds everywhere in the Middle Eastern city. These were essentially professional associations that provided for the mutual aid and protection of their members, and allowed for the maintenance of professional standards. The growth of independent guilds was furthered by the fact that surplus was not a result of domestic craft production but resulted primarily from international trading; the government left working people to govern themselves, much as shepherds of tribal confederacies were left alone by their leaders. In the multiplicity of small-scale local egalitarian or quasi-egalitarian organizations for fellowship, worship, and production that flourished in this laissez-faire environment, individuals could interact with one another within a community of harmony and ideological equality, following their own popularly elected leaders and governing themselves by shared consensus while minimizing distinctions of wealth and power.
5. According to paragraph 3, all of the following are true of the Middle Eastern craft guilds EXCEPT:
○The guilds were created to support workers and to uphold principles of high-quality craft production.
○Each guild was very large and included members from a broad geographic area.
○The leaders of the guilds were chosen by popular vote.
○All guild members were treated as equals.
题型：否定事实信息题。答案是(B)
解析：确定关键字为“craft guild”，此段全篇都有涉及到对于guild的描述。原文“In the multiplicity of small-scale local egalitarian or quasi-egalitarian organizations for fellowship”，small-scale organization说明行会是小规模的，这与B选项中“guild was large”不符，所以错误，所以选择B。
易错选项：(D)。
Paragraph 4: The mercantile economy was also characterized by a peculiar moral stance that is typical of people who live by trade—an attitude that is individualistic, calculating, risk taking, and adaptive to circumstances. As among tribes people, personal relationships and a careful weighing of character have always been crucial in a mercantile economy with little regulation, where one's word is one's bond and where informal ties of trust cement together an international trade network. Nor have merchants and artisans ever had much tolerance for aristocratic professions of moral superiority, favoring instead an egalitarian ethic of the open market, where steady hard work, the loyalty of one's fellows, and entrepreneurial skill make all the difference. And, like the pastoralists, Middle Eastern merchants and artisans unhappy with their environment could simply pack up and leave for greener pastures—an act of self-assertion wholly impossible in most other civilizations throughout history.
8. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○Tribes people were comfortable forming personal relationships with merchants, who, like them, were bound by their promises to one another.
○Because trade was not formally regulated, merchants were careful about whom they trusted and often conducted business with people they knew personally.
○While trade among merchants relied somewhat on regulation, among tribes people trade was based on personal relationships and careful character evaluation.
○Because tribes people were bound only by their promises to one another, personal relationships were formed only after careful weighing of character.
题型：句子简化题。答案是(B)
解析：“As among tribes people”在原文中做状语，“with little regulation”介词短语修饰mercantile economy，说明是没有规则的商业经济，where one's word is one's bond and where informal ties of trust cement together an international trade network，定语从句，也是修饰先行词a mercantile economy，指出人们只是口语契约，彼此之间也是通过非正式的信任关系来进行国际间贸易。原文主干为： relationships and a weighing of character have been crucial，人与人的关系和对于人品的衡量在…很重要。所以原句可以翻译为：正如在部落成员之间，人际关系和谨慎衡量他人的品质是缺乏规则的商业经济中的关键。在这种商业经济中，人们的口头契约很重要;对非正式关系的信任使得国际贸易成为可能。选项B, 意思为因为没有正式的规则，因此人们对于他们的贸易对象非常谨慎，只和自己信任的或是他们认识的人做贸易，和原文意思一致，所以正确。
以上就是小编带来的托福阅读笔记之TPO16 Trade and the Ancient Middle East,希望能够和备考的大家一起学习。更多托福考试资讯请关注前程百利。
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