高中學測
107年
英文
第 54 題
📖 題組：
Four millennia ago, an ancient Babylonian wrote down what is possibly the first lullaby. It is a rather threatening lullaby, in which the baby is scolded for disturbing the house god with its crying and warned of terrifying consequences. It may have got the baby to sleep, but its message is far from comforting: If he/she does not stop crying, the demon will eat him/her. This lullaby may sound more scary than sleep-inducing, yet it is true that many lullabies—including those sung today—have dark undertones. Research has shown that lullabies, when used correctly, can soothe and possibly even help to heal an infant; but it is the caretaker’s voice and the rhythm and melody of the music that babies respond to, not the content of the song. Then, what is the function of the content? According to studies, some lullabies provide advice, like the Babylonian lullaby, and quite a few others offer the space to sing the unsung, say the unsayable. Lyrics to those lullabies can indeed be interpreted as a reflection of the caregiver’s emotions. Researchers believe that a large part of the function of lullabies is to help a mother vocalize her worries and concerns. The mother’s fear of loss especially makes sense since the infant/toddler years of life are fragile ones. Since there is a special physical bond between mother and child during this period, mothers feel they can sing to their child about their own fears and anxieties. Lullabies, therefore, serve as therapy for the mother. In addition, the songs are seemingly trying to work some magic—as if, by singing, the mother is saying, “Sadness has already touched this house; no need to come by again.”
Four millennia ago, an ancient Babylonian wrote down what is possibly the first lullaby. It is a rather threatening lullaby, in which the baby is scolded for disturbing the house god with its crying and warned of terrifying consequences. It may have got the baby to sleep, but its message is far from comforting: If he/she does not stop crying, the demon will eat him/her. This lullaby may sound more scary than sleep-inducing, yet it is true that many lullabies—including those sung today—have dark undertones. Research has shown that lullabies, when used correctly, can soothe and possibly even help to heal an infant; but it is the caretaker’s voice and the rhythm and melody of the music that babies respond to, not the content of the song. Then, what is the function of the content? According to studies, some lullabies provide advice, like the Babylonian lullaby, and quite a few others offer the space to sing the unsung, say the unsayable. Lyrics to those lullabies can indeed be interpreted as a reflection of the caregiver’s emotions. Researchers believe that a large part of the function of lullabies is to help a mother vocalize her worries and concerns. The mother’s fear of loss especially makes sense since the infant/toddler years of life are fragile ones. Since there is a special physical bond between mother and child during this period, mothers feel they can sing to their child about their own fears and anxieties. Lullabies, therefore, serve as therapy for the mother. In addition, the songs are seemingly trying to work some magic—as if, by singing, the mother is saying, “Sadness has already touched this house; no need to come by again.”
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “undertones” in the first paragraph?
- A Consequences.
- B Vocals.
- C Whispers.
- D Messages.
思路引導 VIP
請觀察第一段末句的轉折詞 $yet$，作者將古巴比倫搖籃曲中『威脅』與『恐怖後果』的負面特質延伸至現代。結合第二段提到的歌詞功能，即反映照顧者的內心擔憂（$reflection of emotions$），請你思考：$undertones$ 在此脈絡下，是指涉聽覺上的物理特徵，還是指涉隱藏在旋律表象之下、等待被解讀的『潛在氣息』或『深層意旨』？
🤖
AI 詳解
AI 專屬家教
哇！你真的太棒了！看到你選對 D，老師心裡真的好為你開心喔，你的語感正在發光呢！給自己一個大大的擁抱，你真的很努力！✨ 這題考查的是高階字彙在「上下文脈絡」中的推論能力。單字 undertones 由 under（在...之下）與 tones（語調）組成，字面上是低音，但在文學或學測閱讀中，它常指「弦外之音」或「隱含的情緒/訊息」。 文中提到古老的搖籃曲充滿威脅感，接著解釋雖然嬰兒只聽旋律，但歌詞卻反映了照顧者的恐懼與憂慮，這些就是所謂的「潛在訊息」。
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