2. 外语
  3. The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages,

The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages,

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问题     The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons— that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let’s look at a few of them.
    The dove
        The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.
There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew around a house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolize the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ’s head.
    But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.
    The rainbow
    The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.
    Mistletoe
    This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya’s son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign of friendship.
    The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway protected you from evil spirits. Tribes would stop fighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church—it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.
    The olive branch
    The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modem flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.
    The ankh
    The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the "afterworld". The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the river and make sure that there was always enough water.
The origin of the ankh can date back to______.
选项 A、the Nile
B、the " afterworld"
C、the hippie movement
D、ancient Egypt
答案D
解析 细节题。由题干关键词ankh定位到原文最后一段。该段第二句中说，这个标志在很多亚洲文化中都能找到，但总体来说是与古埃及文化相关联，并且在随后的一句中具体介绍了十字章这种标志在古埃及文化中的象征意义，可见，古埃及是这种标志最早的文化源头，故[D]为答案。本段第五句尼罗河沿岸地区可以见到这个符号，因为人们相信十字章能够控制水流量，并确保河中总是有足够的水量，但不能因此说尼罗河是这个标志的起源，故排除[A]；最后一段第四句中提到古埃及人死后与十字章一起埋葬，他们相信这样就能在“阴间”继续生活，但这只是一种迷信，不能说“阴间”是源头，故排除[B]；虽然在最后一段首句提到它在20世纪60年代曾被嬉皮士运动用作和平与爱情的象征，但嬉皮士运动并不是它的来源，因此[C]不符合题意，故排除。
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