Passage Five
Art is considered by many people to be little more than a decorative means of giving pleasure. This is not always the case; however, at times, art may be seen to have a purely functional side as well. Such could be said of the sand paintings of the Navaho Indians of the American Southwest; they have a medicinal as well as an artistic purpose.
According to the Navaho traditions, one who suffers from either a mental or physical illness has in some way disturbed or come in contact with the supernatural -perhaps a certain animal, a ghost, or the dead. To counteract this evil contact, the ill person or one of his relatives will employ a medicine man called a"singer"to perform a healing ceremony which will attract a powerful supernatural being. During the ceremony, which may last from 2 to 9 days, the"singer"will produce a sand painting on the floor of the Navaho Hogan. On the last day of the ceremony, the patient will sit on this sand painting and the"singer"will rub the ailing parts of the patient's body with sand from a specific figure in the sand painting. In this way the patient absorbs the power of that particular supernatural being and becomes strong like it. After the ceremony, the sand painting is then destroyed and disposed of, so its power will not harm anyone.
The art of sand painting is handed down from old "singers"to their students. The materials used are easily found in the areas the Navaho inhabit: brown, red, yellow, and white sandstone, which is pulverized by being crushed between two stones much as corn is ground into flour.Thesingerholds small amount of this sand in his hand and lets it flow between his thumb and forefinger onto a clean, flat surface on the floor. With a steady hand and great patience, he is thus able to create designs of stylized people, snakes and other creatures that have power in the Navaho belief system. The traditional Navaho does not allow reproduction of sand paintings, since he believes the supernatural powers that taught him the craft have forbidden this. However, such reproductions can in fact be purchased today in tourist shops in Arizona and New Mexico These are done by either the Navaho Indians or by other people who wish to preserve the craft.
To create a sand painting, the “singer” uses _____.
A、the ground sandstone
B、the corn flour
C、a flat board on the floor
D、a clean plate
【正确答案】：A
【题目解析】：答案为A。根据文章：“The materials used are easily found in the areas the Navaho inhabit: brown, red, yellow, and white sandstone, which is pulverized by being crushed between two stones much as corn is ground into flour.”可以得出答案。
