# Manufacturing process of English Midlands - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 4） - 考频：中频 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/79a55005-b8bd-47d8-8007-319a582fafc8（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:00,440 Part four. 00:00:05,240 You will hear a lecturer giving the beginning of a talk on the history of British pottery. 00:00:11,200 First, you have some time to look at questions thirty-one to forty. 00:00:20,880 Now listen carefully and answer questions thirty-one to forty. 00:01:28,880 Thank you for coming to this series of talks. Before I talk in detail about the experiments and innovations of the British ceramicists, I'd like to give you a summary of the social and manufacturing background in which they lived and worked. 00:01:46,940 So we're talking about England, or more specifically, the region known as the Midlands. And we need to go back mainly to the eighteenth century and briefly even earlier to put it in a global context. 00:02:04,460 Now, at that period, the majority of the population, whatever their station in life, as you might say, were dependent for their living in one way or another, not on the geographical location of where they lived, but on the physical characteristics of the actual land they lived on. This is true whether we're talking about the aristocracy, the owners of great estates, who incidentally had no snobbery about the concept of making money from all the reserves of coal or timber or stone on their rolling acres, or the farmers making a fat living from the rich soils. 00:02:47,260 And besides these groups and the less affluent ones, 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. 00:03:03,180 It's important to recognize that it was already an industrial region and had been so for centuries. There were many Midland trades, some of them indigenous, some of them not. For example, there were immigrants from France who came as early as the late sixteenth century, and they were producers of glass. A century later, there is plenty of evidence that the variety of trades was enormous. There was brewing in Burton on Trent, silk weaving and ribbon making near Coventry, framework knitting around Nottingham, and of course, 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. 00:03:52,660 Now, among these well-established trades, one of the oldest of the local crafts was pottery. As you will probably be aware, ceramics has always been a mix of science, design, and skill. And a good potter is, in a sense, an experimental chemist, trying out new mixes and glazes and needing to be alert to the impact of changes of temperature on different types of clay. For two hundred years, up to the time we are concerned with, 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. 00:04:47,220 Now I want to explain a little about the industrial processes which had preceded the great breakthrough in Germany in seventeen oh eight. That's when the formula for porcelain was discovered, a secret that had been held in China for a thousand years. In the Midlands, in England as elsewhere, there had basically been two kinds of pottery. The first was known, is still known, as earthenware. Now, this was a bit rough and ready, but it was deservedly popular for several reasons. To start with, it was relatively cheap, so it could be used by most households. This was because it could be made from local clay without any complicated processing or added materials. From the potter's point of view, there was another reason for its cheapness. 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. On the other hand, after one firing in the kiln, the problem with earthenware was that it remained porous, so had limited usefulness. So for most purposes, it had to go back in the kiln for a second firing before it became waterproof. And another thing was that it was extremely breakable, I mean, before it had even been sold. I suppose the potter wouldn't have minded so much if people just had to keep coming back for more every time they broke a jug or whatever. But it was very inconvenient because it meant there was a lot of wastage in the course of the manufacturing process. Anyway, for all these reasons, if people could afford it, and that would be all but the very poor, they would buy stoneware, a much tougher product. Now, for this, the potter used a slightly more expensive raw material, which was made by combining clay and flint. And this mixture was fired at a far higher heat with the result that the ingredients vitrified. That is to say, in effect, the whole thing became glassy. And because of this, it was non-porous, and naturally, this was regarded as a great advance. Well, that's the situation in the eighteenth century. Are there any questions at this stage? 00:07:23,080 Okay. So now we can go on to look at the age of innovation. ## 题目与答案 ### 31. Background ·In the eighteenth century, the 31_____ still determined how most people made a living. 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」 ### 32. ·Minerals in the ground supported many 32_____ of the region. ·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」 ### 33. ·Since the late sixteenth century the French settlers had made 33_____ . ·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」 ### 34. ·In Cheshire, 34_____ was mined and transported on the river Mersey. ·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」 ### 35. ·Potters worked in a few 35_____ situated on the small hills of North Staffordshire. ·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」 ### 36. Earthenware ·Advantages: potters used 36_____ 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」 ### 37. and saved money on 37_____ 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」 ### 38. ·Disadvantages: needed two firings in the kiln to be 38_____ ; ·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」 ### 39. and fragility led to high 39_____ during manufacturing process 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」 ### 40. Stoneware More expensive, and made from a(n) 40_____ of clay and flint. 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」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。