TPO69 模考

阅读材料

The cave paintings of Lascaux (in southwestern France) date to around 15,000 B.C.E.
and are among the finest examples of prehistoric art known. Ever since the paintings
were discovered, scholars have puzzled over their purpose. According to one widely
discussed interpretation, the paintings were made to ensure a successful hunt. Several
considerations support this view.

In the first place, there is the animal subject matter of the paintings. The cave images
are almost exclusively of large mammals. These animals include bison, wild horses,
and now-extinct aurochs (wild cattle), which are known to have been hunted by the
Paleolithic people who created the paintings. A number of the animals are shown
wounded by arrows and spears. There are also depictions of what appears to be the
seasonal migrations of these animals that would have been very important to
prehistoric hunters.

Second, the depictions of humans in the cave paintings include human figures that
appear to have animal heads. These could be hunters: hunters in some traditional
cultures are known to disguise themselves with animal heads so that they are not
recognized by the animals they are hunting.
Third, many cultures hold the belief that by depicting an event one can bring about its
reality. Throughout history—prehistoric, ancient, and modern—images have been
regarded as more than mere decorative representations; they are seen as having
magical power to affect reality. Thus, it is reasonable to suppose that the hunters who
created the Lascaux cave paintings believed that by painting successful hunts, they
were ensuring that real hunts would be successful.

听力：

Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

(male professor) The truth is we don’t know why the Lascaux cave paintings were
created. The reading selection suggests that ensuring successful hunts is the answer.
But while this view is popular, there is little actual support for it.

First of all, the animals in the paintings, yes, some of them were hunted by the cave
painters, but many of the animals painted were probably not hunted, for example,
rhinoceroses and cats. And while archeological evidence indicates that reindeer were
the most hunted animals, reindeer aren’t painted at all. Moreover, only a small
percentage of the animals are shown wounded by spears or arrows. So they cannot
support the view that the cave paintings were specifically associated with hunting.

Second, the human figures in the paintings, some tribal hunters may have used animal
heads while hunting, but the human figures with the animal heads in the cave
paintings are not shown hunting. They are not even standing up. Instead, the figures
are shown in a horizontal position on their backs like they were asleep. And the
figures are not presented with other images that might help us interpret them. So we
just don’t know what these pictures are about.

Third, the fact that images are often considered to have magical properties doesn’t
necessarily mean that the purpose of the magic was to ensure successful hunting. The
Lascaux cave images may have had a different type of magical use. For example,
many cultures believe that the spirits of their ancestors live on in some animals around
them. People in such cultures believe they can communicate with ancestor spirits
through ceremonies in which images of the animals play an important role. The
Lascaux cave paintings may have played a role in these kinds of magical ceremonies.
范文：

The reading lists three considerations to indicate that the cave paintings of Lascaux were
made to ensure a safe and successful hunt. However, according to the listening, there is little
aegis for it.

First, the reading points out that gigantic animals, which Paleolithic people used to hunt,
account for a large portion of cave images. Besides, the fact that a majority of those animals
are wounded further cements this doctrine. Nevertheless, the listening passage argues that
there is a sheer quantity of animals, such as rhinoceros and cats, that do not appear as
wounded by spears and arrows. Also, reindeer, another species of animal that is known to be
hunted by Paleolithic people often, were not even painted on the Lascaux cave paintings.
Therefore, there is definitely no direct association that can be drawn.

Second, in the view of the author, the human personages with animal heads being held is
another proof that the hunters in some traditions used to disguise themselves with animal
heads. But the listening also disputes this by saying that no picture is enough to prove this use
of animal heads, and some of the human figures shown in the paintings are not even standing.
Given the horizontal gesture of the hunters, maybe we can derive they are sleeping.

Third, the passage suggests that the magic power was believed by a myriad of cultures back
then, so it is logical to deduce that those cave paintings are calculated to ensure the safety of
hunts. Instead, according to the lecture, there is a lack of direct relationship buttressing the
supposition above, because the magic power brought by paintings can be interpreted in lots of
ways in the contexts of different traditions and cultures. For example, some cultures opine
that the souls of their ancestors live on animals, and they may communicate with their souls
via certain ceremonies. Therefore, the last point presented by the reading is also contradicted
by the professor in the lecture.
In the reading, the author begins stating that cave paintings were made to ensure a successful
hunt. The speaker, however, disagrees. He says that this opinion only received a little support.

First, the author says that the main painting subject is animals, but the speaker mentions most
animal that paleolithic people hunted didn’t draw on these paints. And while archaeological
evidence suggests that reindeer are the most preyed upon animals, but they have not been
painted in cave paintings. Moreover, small percentage of animals are wounded by arrows and
spear. These evidences did not support the reading.

Secondly, the author states that human use animal head to disguise. Nevertheless, the
professor points out that the people who wears animals head were not hunting, they were in a
horizontal position and looks like they were sleeping. And we didn’t find more images to help
us interpret what are these paintings about.

Finally, the author says that some culture believes that by depicting an event, it can be
achieved. However, the professor states that the purpose of the drawing may not be successful
hunting, the image may have different types of magical use. For example, some cultures
belief their ancestor lives near animals. Many people in culture believes that they can
communicated with their ancestor by ceremony. Animal images play an important role in the
ceremony, so they paint animals for rituals, not for hunting.

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