Question

In many countries, tattoos are in fashion (時尚). On TV you can often see a famous actor or musician with a tattoo on his arm or foot. Many sports players have them, too. In the US, tattoos are very popular. Forty percent of Americans aged between 26 and 40 have a tattoo, and 60 percent of customers in US tattoo parlors are women. These people are often professional people like doctor, teachers and lawyers.

However, tattoos are not modern. In fact, they are very old in human history. For example, archaeologists (考古學家) found a human in ice from 5,000 years ago. He had 57 tattoos on his back, ankles, legs, knees and feet. Tattoos were used for many different reasons. In ancient Egypt, people got tattoos because they were “beautiful”. But in ancient Rome, tattoos were negative (負面的) and put on criminals and prisoners. In India, tattoos were religious (宗教的).

In the 16th and 17th century, European sailors (船員) arrived on the islands of Polynesia. They saw tattoos for the first time. The people on the islands had tattoos on their shoulders, chests, backs and legs. Often the tattoos were of animals or natural features like a river or a mountain. The European sailors liked them and made their own tattoos, so the idea traveled to Europe. Tattoos in Polynesia are still important today. They show information about a person’s history, their island or their job.

So is there a connection (聯系) between traditional tattoos and fashionable tattoos? And can you call tattoos a fashion? Chris Rainier is an expert in tattoos and his book Ancient Marks has photos of tattoos from all over the world. He thinks people in modern societies often have tattoos because they are a connection to the traditional world. But tattoos aren’t a fashion like clothes or a haircut because you can’t put them on and take them off again like a jacket or a hat. They are permanent (永久的) and for life.

1.When were tattoos brought to Europe?

A. 5,000 years ago. B. 60 years ago.

C. Until recently. D. In the 16th and 17th century.

2. What does the underlined word “parlors” mean?

A. School. B. Stores.

C. Hospitals. D. Theaters.

3. What’s the writer’s opinion about tattoos?

A. Tattoos are religious in modern societies.

B. Tattoos connect tradition with fashion.

C. Tattoos are a fashion among famous people.

D. Tattoos show information about a person’s hobby.

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Tattoos' History.

B. Tattoos in Polynesia.

C. Tattoos on a Human in Ice.

D. Tattoos in Fashion and for Life.

Answer 1