Manufacturing process of English Midlands

文章大意

讲座介绍18世纪英国中部地区（Midlands）的制造业背景，重点讲述当地最古老的手工艺之一——陶瓷（pottery）的发展。内容涉及贵族从煤矿、木材、石灰石和黏土中获利，以及玻璃制造、酿酒、丝织、针织、制盐等多种地方行业，为理解英国陶瓷匠人的实验与创新提供社会与制造背景。

题目与答案

1. Background

   ·In the eighteenth century, the 31_____ still determined how most people made a living.

   答案：land

   原文定位：the majority of the population;were dependent for their living;on the physical characteristics of the actual land they lived on

   同义替换：「determined」↔「were dependent on」

2. ·Minerals in the ground supported many 32_____ of the region.

   答案：industries

   原文定位：the deposits of iron ore and lead, the limestone and flint, and the brown and yellow clays also sustained the numerous industries in the area

   同义替换：「supported」↔「sustained」，「many」↔「numerous」，「region」↔「area」

3. ·Since the late sixteenth century the French settlers had made 33_____ .

   答案：glass

   原文定位：For example, there were immigrants from France who came as early as the late sixteenth century, and they were producers of glass

   同义替换：「settlers」↔「immigrants」，「had made」↔「producers of」

4. ·In Cheshire, 34_____ was mined and transported on the river Mersey.

   答案：salt

   原文定位：in Cheshire, men dug for salt, as we still do nowadays even, which in that era was sent downriver to the estuary of the Mersey

   同义替换：「mined」↔「dug for」，「transported on the river」↔「sent downriver to the estuary of」

5. ·Potters worked in a few 35_____ situated on the small hills of North Staffordshire.

   答案：villages

   原文定位：potters had been making butter pots and pitchers and patterned plates using the clay, which was plentiful in the area where they lived in a handful of North Staffordshire villages dotted along the low hills

   同义替换：「few」↔「handful of」，「situated on the small hills」↔「dotted along the low hills」

6. Earthenware

   ·Advantages: potters used 36_____

   答案：clay

   原文定位：This was because it could be made from local clay without any complicated processing or added materials

   同义替换：「potters used」↔「could be made from」

7. and saved money on 37_____

   答案：fuel

   原文定位：This was that it could be fired in simple ovens or kilns and at relatively low temperatures, so he didn't have to spend so much money on fuel to achieve the necessary heat

   同义替换：「saved」↔「didn't have to spend so much」

8. ·Disadvantages: needed two firings in the kiln to be 38_____ ;

   答案：waterproof

   原文定位：So for most purposes, it had to go back in the kiln for a second firing before it became waterproof

   同义替换：「two firings in the kiln」↔「go back in the kiln for a second firing」，「to be」↔「became」

9. and fragility led to high 39_____ during manufacturing process

   答案：wastage

   原文定位：it was extremely breakable;it meant there was a lot of wastage in the course of the manufacturing process

   同义替换：「fragility」↔「extremely breakable」，「led to」↔「meant」，「high」↔「a lot of」

10. Stoneware

    More expensive, and made from a(n) 40_____ of clay and flint.

    答案：mixture

    原文定位：the potter used a slightly more expensive raw material, which was made by combining clay and flint. Now, for this, the potter used a slightly more expensive raw material, which was made by combining clay and flint. That is to say, this mixture was fired at a far higher heat

    同义替换：「mixture」↔「combining」