题文
Seventeenth-century houses in colonial North American were simple structures that were primarily functional, carrying over traditional designs that went back to the Middle Ages. During the first half of the eighteen century, however, houses began to show a new elegance. As wealth increased, more and more colonist built fine houses.Since architecture was not yet a specialized profession in the colonies, the design of buildings was left either to amateur (业余) designers or to carpenters who were engaged in translating architectural handbooks imported from England. Inventories of libraries shows an astonishing number of these handbooks for builders, and the houses built during the eighteenth century show their influence. Nevertheless, most household architecture of the first-quarters of the eighteenth century displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these books.
Increasing wealth and growing sophistication (文化修养) throughout the colonies resulted in houses of improved design, whether the material was wood, stone, or brick. New England still favored wood, though brick houses became common in Boston and other towns, where the danger of fire gave an impetus (推动) to the use of more durable material. A few houses in New England were built of stone, but only in Pennsylvania and areas nearby was stone widely used in buildings. An increased use of brick in houses and outbuildings is noticeable in Virginia and Maryland, but wood remained the most popular material even in houses built by wealthy landowners. In the Carolinas, even in closely packed Charleston, wooden houses were much common than brick houses.
Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements over the former ones. Windows were made larger and shutters removed. Large, clear panes replaced the small leaded glass of the seventeenth century. Doorways were larger and more decorative.
Fireplaces became decorative features of rooms. Walls were made of plaster or wood. White paint began to take the place of blues, yellows, greens, and lead colors, which had been popular for walls in the earlier years. After about 1730, advertisements for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began to appear in colonial newspapers.
小题1:What’s the passage mainly about?A．The improved design of eighteenth-century colonial houses.B．A comparison of eighteenth-century houses and modern houses.C．The decorations used in eighteenth-century houses.D．The role of carpenters in building eighteenth-century houses.小题2:What was one of the main reasons for the change in architectural style in eighteenth-century
North America?A．More architects arrived in the colonies.B．The colonists developed an interest in classical architecture.C．Bricks were more readily availableD．The colonists had more money to spend on housing.小题3:According to the passage, who was responsible for designing houses in eighteenth-century
North America?A．professional architectsB．customersC．interior decoratorsD．carpenters小题4:The passage implies that the rules described in architectural handbooks were ____________.A．generally ignoredB．broken by professional architectsC．not strictly stuck toD．only followed by older builders小题5:The underlined word “divergence”欧 is closest in meaning to ________.A．descriptionB．developingC．differenceD．interest 题型：未知难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:D
小题4:C
小题5:C
解析
：文章主要讲述的是18实际在殖民地的房屋建设方面的变化。小题1:A 主旨大意题。文章主要讲述的是18实际在殖民地的房屋建设方面的变化。故A正确。
小题2:D 细节题。第一段最后一句As wealth increased, more and more colonist built fine houses；第三段第一句Increasing wealth and growing sophistication (文化修养) throughout the colonies都说明了财富的增加是房屋设计方面的变化的主要原因。故D正确。
小题3:D 细节题。根据第二段2,3行the design of buildings was left either to amateur (业余) designers or to carpenters who were engaged in translating architectural handbooks imported from England.说明木匠是推动发展的一个主要原因。故D正确。
小题4:C 推理题。根据第二段最后三行most household architecture of the first-quarters of the eighteenth century displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these books说明在实际的建筑过程中有了很多的变化，故原有的设计规则并没有被坚持，故C正确。
小题5:C 猜测词义题。displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these books中的divergence指对于原有规则的灵活运用现实出很大的区别，故这个词应该是指差异，故C正确。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“Seventeenth-century .....”主要考查你对 [历史文化类阅读 ]考点的理解。历史文化类阅读
什么是历史文化类阅读：
本类题型常用的方式是夹叙夹议。叙述的目的是为了议，所以要把握其议才是主要方面。阅读这类文章，先弄清其引入的话题，再弄清里面人物对其不同的看法，然后理解作者本身对话题的观点看法或思考。
历史文化类阅读技巧：
【题型说明】历史文化类阅读理解文章属高考常选材料之一。这类文章常涉及历史、文化、法制、宗教等方面的文学艺术、发明创造、文化遗产保护、宗教与文化、风俗与习惯、道德与法制、中外文学名著节选、等等。这类材料的命题点往往落在主旨大意题、事实细节题上。
【答题方法】在做这类阅读理解题时，我们应注意以下几个方面：
1、采用先题后文：先读题目，再带着问题读文章。这类阅读理解文章相对来说事实细节题稍多一点，如果带着问题读文章，有利于我们抓细节。
2、先做细节题。因为做完了局部性的事实细节题后，自然会加深我们对文章的理解，这样更有利于做主旨大意题。
3、重点敲定主旨题。主旨大意题提问的形式主要有两大类：一类是Main idea型；一类是Topic或Title型。
在解答这类试题时应注意以下几点：
a．读首句抓大意。
文化教育类阅读理解文章多采用说明文、议论文体裁，而这类文章大都采用文章段落的中心，即主题句在文章开头。因此，要寻找这类文章的主旨大意就需要研究文章的首句。
b．读尾句抓大意。
有时这类文章的主题句安排在文章的结尾，作为对全篇的总结。
c．读首段抓大意。
有些文章或段落的开头和结尾部分都有主题句。这种结构是为了突出主题思想而使用两次点题的写作方法。这两个主题句在句子结构和用词上有所不同，而且在内容上前句和后句也不重复。
d．从段落中抓大意。
有些文章或段落的主题句在文章中，这种文章或段落往往以一句话或几句话引出要表达的主题，在主题句出现后，再举例子陈述细节或继续论证。
e．归纳要点抓大意。
有些文章或段落无明显的主题句，只是暗示性地体现主题。这就要求同学们在阅读过程中根据文中所叙述的事实或线索来概括总结主旨大意。
