Q24 to Q26:

Anthropologists studying the

Hopi people of the southwestern

United States often characterize

Line Hopi society between 1680 and

(5) 1880 as surprisingly stable, con-

sidering that it was a period of

diminution in population and

pressure from contact with out-

side groups, factors that might

(10) be expected to cause signifi-

cant changes in Hopi social

arrangements.

The Hopis’ retention of their

distinctive sociocultural system

(15) has been attributed to the Hopi

religious elite’s determined

efforts to preserve their religion

and way of life, and also to a

geographical isolation greater

(20) than that of many other Native

American groups, an isolation

that limited both cultural contact

and exposure to European

diseases. But equally important

(25) to Hopi cultural persistence may

have been an inherent flexibility

in their social system that may

have allowed preservation of

traditions even as the Hopis

(30) accommodated themselves

to change. For example, the

system of matrilineal clans was

maintained throughout this per-

iod, even though some clans

(35) merged to form larger groups

while others divided into smaller

descent groups. Furthermore,

although traditionally members

of particular Hopi clans appear

(40) to have exclusively controlled

particular ceremonies, a clan’s

control of a ceremony might

shift to another clan if the first

became too small to manage

(45) the responsibility. Village

leadership positions tradition-

ally restricted to members of

one clan might be similarly

extended to members of other

(50) clans, and women might assume

such positions under certain

unusual conditions.

Q25:

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the Hopis’ geographic situation between 1680 and 1880?

A. It prevented the Hopis from experiencing a diminution in population.

2. It helped to promote flexibility within their social system.
3. It limited but did not eliminate contact with other cultural groups.
4. It reinforced the religious elite’s determination to resist cultural change.
5. It tended to limit contact between certain Hopi clans.

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Q26:

The passage is primarily concerned with

A. reassessing a phenomenon in light of new findings

2. assessing the relative importance of two factors underlying a phenomenon
3. examining the assumptions underlying an interpretation of a phenomenon
4. expanding on an explanation of a phenomenon
5. contrasting two methods for evaluating a phenomenon

答案D 请求思路

这题我也错了，为什么不是A呢？不是说由于 geographic situation 所以防病吗？因此就没有减少人口呀？NN指点一下!

第一段：H族人在1680－1880年间面临了2个问题：一、人口减少，二、面对和outside group 接触的压力。（所以和外界接触是存在的，这就是为什么说not eliminate的原因）。但是在这样的情况下，H族人却是surprising的stable。

第二段就是讲这个surprising stable的原因。先讲了2个一般都能知道的原因，elite‘s efforts和geography。（所以地理位置是对其稳定有帮助的，减少了contact，但是并没有eliminate contact，因为第一段说了，H族同样面临pressure from contact，所以25题选C没问题。A是错的，人口减少是确实发生的。）

接着作者暴露自己写本文的目的：他要讲一个equally important reason。就是social system对stable的功劳。所以26题的D用expand这个词是准确的。作者就是从已有的解释expand到他的解释。