Beads were probably the first durable ornaments humans possessed, and the
intimate relationship they had with their owners is reflected in
the fact that beads are
among the most common items found in ancient archaeological sites.
In the past, as
Line today, men, women, and children adorned themselves with beads. In
some cultures
(5) still, certain beads are often worn from birth until death, and
then are buried with their
owners for the afterlife. Abrasion due to daily wear alters the
surface features of beads,
and if they are buried for long, the effects of corrosion can
further changed their
appearance. Thus, interest is imparted to the bead both by use and
the effects of time.
Besides their wearability,
either as jewelry or incorporated into articles of attire,
(10) beads possess the desirable characteristics of every collectible :
they are durable,
portable, available in infinite variety, and often valuable in
their original cultural
context as well as in today's market. Pleasing to look at and
touch, beads come in
shapes, colors, and materials that almost compel one to handle
them and to sort them.
Beads are miniature bundles of
secrets waiting to be revealed : their history,
(15) manufacture, cultural context, economic role, and ornamental use
are all points of
information one hopes to unravel. Even the most mundane beads may
have traveled
great distances and been exposed to many human experiences. The
bead researcher
must gather information from many diverse fields. In addition to
having to be a
generalist while specializing in what may seem to be a narrow
field, the researcher is
(20) faced with the problem of primary materials that have little or no
documentation. Many
ancient beads that are of ethnographic interest have often been
separated from their
original cultural context.
The special attractions of
beads contribute to the uniqueness of bead research. While
often regarded as the “small change of
civilizations”, beads are a part of every culture,
(25) and they can often be used to date archaeological sites and to
designate the degree of
mercantile, technological, and cultural sophistication.
Questions
9. What is the main subject of the passage?
(A) Materials used in making
beads
(B) How beads are made
(C) The reasons for studying beads
(D) Different types of beads
10. The word “adorned” in line 4 is closest
in meaning to
(A) protected
(B) decorated
(C) purchased
(D) enjoyed
11. The word “attire”in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) ritual
(B) importance
(C) clothing
(D) history
12. All of the following are given as characteristic of
collectible
objects EXCEPT
(A) durability
(B) portability
(C) value
(D) scarcity
13. According to the passage, all of the following are factors
that
make people want to touch beads EXCEPT the
(A) shape
(B) color
(C) material
(D) odor
14. The word “unravel”in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) communicate
(B) transport
(C) improve
(D) discover
15. The word “mundane ”in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) carved
(B) beautiful
(C) ordinary
(D) heavy
16. It is difficult to trace the history of certain ancient beads
because they
(A) are small in size
(B) have been buried
underground
(C) have been moved from their original locations
(D) are frequently lost
17. Knowledge of the history of some beads may be useful in the
studies
done by which of the following?
(A) Anthropologists
(B) Agricultural experts
(C) Medical researchers
(D) Economists
18. Where in the passage does the author describe why the
appearance
of beads may change?
(A) Lines 3-4
(B) Lines 6-8
(C) Lines 12-13
(D) Lines 20-22
Please tally your answer with
the below provided answers and then comment below, how much you got!
Answers
9. C 10. B 11. C 12. D 13. D 14. D 15. C 16. C 17. A 18. B
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