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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
by Matthew Brown
What is normal and acceptable in one culture can seem bizarre and scary to outsiders.
一个文化中被视为理所当然的习俗，在外人眼里可能显得既怪异又恐布。
Traveling to a new place with a culture very different from your own can result in some shocking new experiences. This month, National Geographic2 Channel brings you an exciting series called Taboo. For this series, NGC travels the world to examine practices that are normal for some, but scary and strange to the rest of the world.
"Taboo: Initiation3 Rituals" looks at the way some cultures celebrate the passage from one phase of life to another. For example, teenage boys in a part of Brazil have to go through a ritual that you are unlikely to see in our part of the world. In order to be seen as men by the tribe, they have to put their hands into gloves filled with hundreds of giant stinging bullet ants. Despite the excruciating pain, and probably a certain amount of fear, they must put their hands into the gloves again and again.
Other tribes around the world have their own initiation rites6. In one area of Papua New Guinea, boys have to swallow about 60 centimeters of raw cane7 down their throat. By completing this task, the boys symbolically9 die as boys and are reborn as men.
Skin decorating has become more mainstream10 in many parts of the world in recent years. For many tribespeople, however, marking the body has long been a normal and traditional practice. "Taboo: Skin Deep" looks at some cultures that practice scarification. In one violent initiation practice, also taking place in New Guinea, teenage boys have their skin cut over a thousand times. After their chests, backs, arms, legs, and buttocks have been sliced over and over, their skin looks similar to a crocodile's hide.
Normal practices can be amazingly different from one culture to the next. Tune11 in to Taboo to find out how different your life could have been if you had been born somewhere else!
1. Based on what the article says, what does the Taboo series show us?
(A) Different cultures have their own ways of doing things.
(B) Everything is normal in cultures all over the world.
(C) Some cultures do violent things for no reason.
(D) Some cultures punish boys for growing up.
2. Why do some tribes force boys to be stung by ants?
(A) It is basically a fun game.
(B) If the ants sting them, that means they are human.
(C) It shows that they like pain.
(D) It shows they are ready to be adults.
3. What does the article say about the experience of the boys who must put their hands into ant-filled gloves?
(A) They get a little bit hurt, and they feel terror.
(B) They feel like men, and they feel no fear.
(C) They feel pride and a lot of pain.
(D) They get badly hurt, and they probably feel rather afraid.
4. What difference between popular skin decorating and skin decorating in tribes is mentioned in the article?
(A) Popular skin decorating has no meaning.
(B) In tribes, skin decorating has been going on for a very long time.
(C) In tribes, skin decorating is only used for rites of passage.
(D) Popular skin decorating is painless.
单字小铺
1. taboo n. 禁忌
2. shocking a. 骇人听闻的
3. examine vt. 检查，检视
4. initiation n. 成年仪式
5. passage n. 通过，经过
6. phase n. 阶段，时期
7. stinging a. 会螫人的
sting vt. 刺，螫，叮（三态为：sting, stung , stung。）
8. bullet ant n. 子弹蚁
9. excruciating a. 非常痛苦的；难以忍受的
10. rite5 n. 仪式
rite of passage 为进入人生新阶段的仪式；（尤指）成年仪式
11. raw a. 生的，未煮过的
12. cane n.（竹、藤、甘蔗等的）茎；藤
13. mainstream n. & a. 主流（的）
14. tribespeople n. 部落成员
15. scarification n. 划痕；疤痕纹身
16. buttock n. 屁股（常用复数）
17. crocodile n. 鳄鱼
18. hide n. 皮革
19. amazingly adv. 令人惊奇地
20. basically adv. 基本上
21. terror n. 恐怖
22. painless a. 不痛的
词组小铺
1. be unlikely to V 不可能（做）……
be likely to V 可能（做）……
2. in order to V 为了（做）……
3. take place 发生（= occur vi.）
4. A looks/is similar to B A（看起来）与 B 相似
5. be based on... 根据……
精解字词词组
1. be different from... 与……不同
= differ from...
例: This toothbrush is different from the one I used to use.
（这支牙刷和我之前用的那支不一样。）
2. result in... 导致∕造成……
result from... 起因于……
例: The head injury resulted in a headache.
（头部受伤造成了头痛。）
例: Sarah's bankruptcy12 resulted from her bad investments.
（莎拉的破产是因她投资不当所致。）
3. practice n. 习俗，惯例；实行；练习
in practice 实际上
= in reality
in theory 理论上
例: Your idea sounds good in theory, but I doubt it will work in practice.
（你的点子听起来很不错，但我怀疑实际是否可行。）
4. go through... 经历……
例: Rita went through a difficult time after she broke up with her boyfriend.
（瑞塔和男友分手后经历一段艰辛的日子。）
5. be seen as... 被视为……
= be viewed as...
= be regarded as...
= be looked upon as...
= be thought of as...
例: Tim is seen as the best player on the team.
（提姆被视为队上最棒的球员。）
6. be filled with... 装满……
= be full of...
例: The father was filled with joy at his son's wedding.
（这位父亲在儿子的婚礼上十分开心。）
7. despite + N/V-ing 尽管∕虽然……
= in spite of + N/V-ing
例: Despite having a broken rib4, Matthew decided13 to go surfing.
（尽管断了一根肋骨，马修仍决定去冲浪。）
8. again and again 一再地
= over and over (again)
= time and again
例: He tried over and over again to lift the heavy table.
（他一再尝试想把桌子抬起来。）
9. symbolically adv. 象征性地
symbolic8 a. 象征的
be symbolic of... 象征……
例:The color white is symbolic of purity.
（白色象征纯洁。）
10. tune in to... 收看∕收听……
例: Mr. Lin tunes14 in to that TV talk show every night.
（林先生每晚都会收看那个谈话性节目。）
11. punish sb for... 为了……而处罚某人
例: My girlfriend is punishing me for forgetting to call her.
（我女朋友因为我忘了打电话给她而惩罚我。）
12. be ready to V 准备好做……
= be all set to V
例: When you are ready to go, give me a call.
（当你准备好要出发时，打个电话给我。）
13. pride n. 自豪；骄傲
take pride in... 以……为荣
= be proud of...
例: My friend John takes pride in his ping-pong skills.
（我的朋友约翰对自己的桌球技术很自豪。）
中文翻译＆标准答案
到一个文化迥异的地方来趟新奇之旅可能会有令人震撼的新体验。这个月，国家地理频道要为您献上刺激的《禁忌异域》系列节目。本系列节目将前进世界各地，仔细瞧瞧某些人习以为常的习俗，在他人眼中却是如此惊世骇俗。
"Taboo: Initiation Rituals" 单元看看某些文化中，人生从某个阶段进入另一个阶段的庆祝活动。举例来说，巴西有个地方的男孩必须通过一个仪式，这可是你在所处的世界不太可能见识到的仪式。为了让族人认同他们已经是成年人，这里的男孩子必须把双手放进装满上百只子弹蚁的手套里，这些子弹蚁不但大只而且还会咬人。尽管被咬得痛彻心扉，可能还得面对某种程度的恐惧，男孩子仍必须不断把手放进手套里。
世上其它的部落也有自己的成年仪式。在巴布亚新几内亚的某个地区，男孩子必须把 60 公分长的生竹藤吞进喉咙。藉由完成这项任务，象征原本的小男孩已死，并重生为成年男子。
身体刺青近年来在世界各地渐登上主流的地位。然而对于许多部落的人来说，这是一项他们奉行已久的正常传统习俗。"Taboo: Skin Deep" 单元探索一些进行疤痕纹身的文化。地点同样发生在新几内亚，另一项血腥的成年礼正在上演。青少年的皮肤会被割上 1 千多次，先从胸部开始，接下来是背部、手臂、双腿，最后是臀部，一再地被千刀万剐，使他们的皮肤看起来就像鳄鱼皮一样粗糙。
一般的习俗可能因文化不同而有天壤之别。敬请准时收看《禁忌异域》系列节目，看看你如果出生在其它地方，生活会有多么不同。
1. 根据文章叙述，《禁忌异域》系列做了哪些介绍？
(A) 不同的文化有不同的处事方法。
(B) 世界上各个文化的面向都很普通。
(C) 有些文化没来由地就很残暴。
(D) 有些文化为了让男孩成长而处罚他们。
题解: 根据第一段，《禁忌异域》系列节目将前进世界各地，仔细瞧瞧某些人习以为常的习俗，在他人眼中却是如此惊世骇俗，与选项 (A) 意思相近，故选之。
2. 为何有些部落强迫男孩被蚂蚁咬？
(A) 其实这是个有趣的游戏。
(B) 如果蚂蚁咬他们，就表示他们是人。
(C) 这表示他们喜欢疼痛。
(D) 这表示他们准备好要转大人了。
题解: 根据第二段，为了让族人认同他们已是成年人，巴西一些地方的男孩子在仪式中，必须把双手放进装满上百只子弹蚁的手套里，故选 (D)。
3. 文章如何描述男孩必须把手伸进蚂蚁手套的经验？
(A) 会有一点痛，感觉很恐怖。
(B) 觉得自己像男人，一点也不怕。
(C) 觉得很自豪，但也很痛。
(D) 被咬得很严重，大概也蛮害怕的。
题解: 根据第二段，尽管被咬得痛彻心扉，可能还得面对某种程度的恐惧，男孩仍得不断把手放进手套里，可知 (D) 为正选。
4. 文章中提到一般的人体刺青和部落的人体刺青有何不同？
(A) 一般的人体刺青没有意义。
(B) 部落里的刺青已经实行一段很长的时间。
(C) 部落里的刺青只在成年礼时举行。
(D) 一般的人体刺青不会痛。
题解: 根据第四段，身体刺青近年来在世界各地渐登上主流的地位，但对许多部落来说，这是一项他们奉行已久的正常传统习俗，可知应选 (B)。
标准答案: 1. (A) 2. (D) 3. (D) 4. (B)
For Your Information
泰雅族男女在成年之时，都要在脸上刺青，表示成年的象征，也是一种美的表现。黥面是泰雅族最具特色的古俗，最常见的面部纹饰。
泰雅族人大约在 5 岁至 15 岁左右必须完成黥面礼俗，这等于是成年礼，男子必须狩猎多次成功后，才可以在额头上及下巴刺青；女子则须学会织布才得刺脸纹。完成黥面之男女从此方可论婚嫁；未曾黥面者，则很难找到理想的配偶。
泰雅族的黥面文化不仅是个人生命礼俗中最重要的过程，也是传统宗法制度中的重要规定。在祖灵的信仰之下，黥面所关系的，还包括整个部落的吉凶。泰雅族认为不黥面，祖灵会降惩罚，社内常会有人病亡。与没有黥面的女子结婚，不但不能生育，整个家族都会遭受祸害。
收听单词发音 |
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taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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geographic
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| adj.地理学的，地理的 | |
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initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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rib
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| n.肋骨，肋状物 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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7
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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symbolic
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| adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的 | |
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symbolically
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| ad.象征地，象征性地 | |
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10
mainstream
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| n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的 | |
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11
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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bankruptcy
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| n.破产；无偿付能力 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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14
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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