四级阅读理解之二.doc

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1、四级阅读理解之二Passsage1AsthemerchantclassexpandedintheeighteenthcenturyNorthAmericanColonies,thesilversmithandthecoppersmithbusinessesrosetoserveit.OnlyafewsilversmithswereavailableinNewYorkorBostoninthelateseventeenthcentury,butintheeighteenthcenturytheycouldbefoundinallmajorcolonialcities.Nootherco

2、lonialartisansrivaledthesilversmiths’prestige.Theyhandledthemostexpensivematerialsandpossesseddirectconnectionstoprosperouscolonialmerchants.Theirproducts,primarilysilverplatesandbowls,reflectedtheirexaltedstatusandtestifiedtotheircustomers’prominence.Silverstoodasoneofthesurestwaystostorewealt

3、hatatimebeforeneighborhoodbanksexisted.Unlikethesilvercoinsfromwhichtheyweremade,silverarticleswerereadilyidentifiable.Oftenformedtoindividualspecifications,theyalwayscarriedthesilversmith’sdistinctivemarkingsandconsequentlycouldbetracedandretrieved.Customersgenerallysecurethesilverforthesilver

4、objecttheyordered.Theysavedcoins,tookthemtosmiths,anddiscussedthetypeofpiecestheydesired.Silversmithscompliedwiththeserequestsbymeltingthemoneyinasmallfurnace,addingabitofcoppertoformastrongeralloy,andcastingthealloyinrectangularblocks.Theyhammeredtheseingotstotheappropriatethicknessbyhand,shap

5、edthemandpresseddesignsintothemforadornment.Engravingwasalsodonebyhand.Inadditiontoplatesandbowls,somecustomerssoughtmoreintricateproducts,suchassilverteapots.Theseweremadebyshapingorcastingpartsseparatelyandthensolderingthemtogether.Colonialcoppersmithingalsocomeofageintheearlyeighteenthcentur

6、yandprosperedinnortherncities.Copper’sabilitytoconductheatefficientlyandtoresistcorrosioncontributedtoitsattractiveness.ButbecauseitwasexpensiveincolonialAmerica,coppersmithswereneververynumerous.VirtuallyallcopperworkedbySmithswasimportedassheetsorobtainedbyrecyclingoldcoppergoods.Copperwasuse

7、dforpracticalitems,butitwasnotadmiredforitsbeauty.Coppersmithsemployedittofashionpotsandkettlesforthehome.Theyshapeditinmuchthesamemannerassilverormelteditinafoundrywithleadortin.Theyalsomixeditwithzinctomakebrassformaritimeandsci