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請依下文回答第 41 題至第 45 題
As a young girl, Yumna Al-Arashi would look with fascination upon the dots, lines and symbols that graced her
Yemeni great-grandmother’s face. Rich with meaning and history, the markings 41 a style of facial tattoo once
found across rural communities in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet as Al-Arashi grew older and learned more
about the practice, she discovered it was a tradition few young women seemed 42 on continuing. Intrigued, the
London-based photographer of Egyptian-Yemeni descent resolved to document what remained of the practice and
explore why its popularity had 43 . Nearly all of the women she encountered loved their tattoos and considered
them to be 44 of beauty, in much the same way younger generations of women enjoy makeup. While some
tattoos appeared to be astrological motifs, others 45 symbols of protection from superstitions. She collected
portraits of 100 women over the age of 70 on her journey, many of whom were farmers or fisherwomen.
41 reduced repeated reproduced represented
42 keen intent dependent undertemined
43 waned increased boosted neutralized
44 markers thinkers restrictions regulations
45 posed as served as reversed into transformed into
請依下文回答第 46 題至第 50 題
You probably know the story of the great irony of the Titanic. The ship hailed as “unsinkable” sank after it struck
an iceberg on its very first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. In hindsight, it seems almost silly that anyone would assume
that a ship weighing more than 50,000 tons (when fully laden) was unsinkable. And indeed, many myth busters have
claimed that few people were actually calling the ship “unsinkable” before it sank.
While it is hard to say whether people thought the ship was absolutely unsinkable under any circumstances, it is
clear that people believed that the passenger liner’s safety design (by Thomas Andrews) was state-of-the-art, and some
did describe it as “unsinkable” before it ever set sail. Reportedly, that claim was enough to keep many passengers calm
even as the ship was in fact sinking. A vice president of the company in charge of the voyage told the U.S. Congress
that he initially did not believe reports that the ship was sinking because he thought it to be unsinkable.
The idea that the ship was unsinkable was advanced by newspaper and magazine articles as well as by
advertisement materials from the shipping company. The widely circulated articles detailed the design of the liner and
its technologically advanced safety features. Chief among those features were 16 compartments within the hull whose
doors could be shut by the flick of a switch. It was believed that the ability to quickly close off the compartments if any
of them were breached could keep the ship afloat even if it suffered damage.
Though it’s an exaggeration to claim that nobody thought the ship unsinkable, it may be true that, before the
Titanic sank, people were not particularly interested in whether the ship was unsinkable. The Titanic’s selling point
was really its grandeur and luxury, not its safety. Most of the articles and advertisements for the Titanic focused on its
size and accommodations, not on the details of its design, and the affluent passengers who boarded the ship chose it for
its prestige and comfort. It was only after the ship’s demise that the “unsinkable” moniker really took off, presumably
for dramatic effect. So even though the ship was in fact touted as “unsinkable” before it sank, it was the irony of its
tragic sinking that actually brought that claim to the fore.
46 What is the passage mainly about?
New evidence of how the Titanic sank. The futility of human ambition in history.
The perceptions of the Titanic at its time. The faulty design that sank the Titanic.
47 What commonly-held false idea has been challenged?
The sinking of the ship was caused by a mysterious force.
Many people at that time claimed that the ship was unsinkable.
The gigantic ship sank as a result of hitting an iceberg.
The considerable weight of the ship was the cause of its sinking.
48 According to the passage, what might make some people believe in the ship’s unsinkability?
Its safety design was the newest and most advanced at its time.
There were reports about how the ship had endured many adverse situations.
The ship designer and the company were making such a claim.
Its sheer size and beauty easily gave people such an impression.
49 What was advertised as a safety feature that could prevent the ship from going down after a collision?
The ship’s body was built by using the most advanced materials.
Some sections in the ship could be blocked off quickly if there were holes.
Several guest rooms were controlled by a single switch to make them unbreakable.
There were spaces specially designed to keep floating in case of emergency.
50 Why does the author consider Titanic’s tragic sinking an irony in the conclusion of the passage?
The advertisements at that time boasted the unsinkability of the Titanic.
The ship’s unsinkability was not really the center of attention before the accident.
The rich passengers on the ship considered safety the top priority.
The ship was believed to be sinkable only by some people at its time.