【易伯华出品】雅思阅读机经真题解析--Cosmetics In Ancient Past

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A

Since cosmetics and perfumes are still in wide use today, it is interesting

to compare the attitudes, customs and beliefs related to them in ancient times

to those of our own day and age. Cosmetics and perfumes have been popular since

the dawn of civilization; it is shown by the discovery of a great deal of

pertinent archeological material, dating from the third millennium BC. Mosaics,

glass perfume flasks, stone vessels, ovens, cooking-pots, clay jars, etc., some

inscribed by the hand of the artisan. evidence also appears in the Bible and

other classical writings, where it is written that spices and perfumes were

prestigious products known throughout the ancient world and coveted by kings and

princes. The written and pictorial descriptions, as well as archaeological

findings, all show how important body care and aesthetic appearance were in the

lives of the ancient people. The chain of evidence spans many centuries,

detailing the usage of cosmetics in various cultures from the earliest period of

recorded history.

B

In antiquity, however, at least in the onset, cosmetics served in religious

ceremonies and for healing purposes. Cosmetics were also connected with cultic

worship and witchcraft: to appease the various gods, fragrant ointments were

applied to the statuary images and even to their attendants. From this, in the

course of time, developed the custom of personal use, to enhance the beauty of

the face and the body, and to conceal defects.

C

Perfumes and fragrant spices were precious commodities in antiquity, very

much in demand, and at times even exceeded silver and gold in value. Therefore

they were luxury products, used mainly in the temples and in the homes of the

noble and the wealthy. The Judean kings kept them in treasure houses (2 Kings

20:13).And the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon "camels laden with spices, gold

in great quantity and precious stones." (1 Kings 10:2,10). However, within time,

the use of cosmetics became the custom of that period. The use of cosmetics

became widespread among the lower classes as well as among the wealthy; in the

same way they washed the body, so they used to care for the body with substances

that softened the skin and anoint it with fragrant oils and ointments.

D

Facial treatment was highly developed and women devoted many hours to it.

They used to spread various scented creams on the face and to apply makeup in

vivid and contrasting colors. An Egyptian papyrus from the 16th century BC

contains detailed recipes to remove blemishes, wrinkles, and other signs of age.

Greek and Roman women would cover their faces in the evening with a "beauty

mask" to remove blemishes, which consisted mainly of flour mixed with fragrant

spices, leaving it on their face all night. The next morning they would wash it

off with asses' milk. The very common creams used by women in the ancient Far

East, particularly important in the hot climate and prevalent in that area of

the globe, were made up of oils and aromatic scents. Sometimes the oil in these

creams was extracted from olives, almonds, gourds, sesame, or from trees and

plants; but, for those of limited means, scented animal and fish fats were

commonly used.

E

Women in ancient past commonly put colors around their eyes. Besides

beautification, its purpose was also medicinal as covering the sensitive skin of

the lids with colored ointments that prevented dryness and eye diseases: the

eye-paint repelled the little flies that transmitted eye inflammations. Egyptian

women colored the upper eyelid black and the lower one green, and painted the

space between the upper lid and the eyebrow gray or blue. The women of

Mesopotamia favored yellows and reds. The use of kohl for painting the eyes is

mentioned three times in the Bible, always with disapproval by the sages (2

Kings, 9:30; Jeremiah 4:30; Ezekiel 23:40). In contrast, Job names one of his

daughters “Keren Happukh” —“horn of eye paint” (Job 42:14)

F

Great importance was attached to the care for hair in ancient times. Long

hair was always considered a symbol of beauty, and kings, nobles and dignitaries

grew their hair long and kept it well-groomed and cared for. Women devoted much

time to the style of the hair, while not culling, they would apply much care to

it by arranging it skillfully in plaits and "building it up" sometimes with the

help of wigs. Egyptian women generally wore their hair flowing down to their

shoulders or even longer. In Mesopotamia, women cherished long hair as a part of

their beauty, and hair flowing down their backs in a thick plait and tied with a

ribbon is seen in art. Assyrian women wore their hair shorter, braiding and

binding it in a bun at the back. In Ancient Israel, brides would wear their hair

long on the wedding day as a sign of their virginity. Ordinary people and

slaves, however, usually wore their hair short, mainly for hygienic reasons,

since they could not afford to invest in the kind of treatment that long hair

required.

G

From the Bible and Egyptian and Assyrian sources, as well as the words of

classical authors, it appears that the centers of the trade in aromatic resins

and incense were located in the kingdom of Arabia, and even as far as India,

where some of these precious aromatic plants were grown. "Dealers from Sheba and

Rammah dealt with you, offering the choicest spices..." (Ezekiel 27:22). The

Nabateans functioned as the important middlemen in this trade; Palestine also

served as a very important component, as the trade routes crisscrossed the

country. It is known that the Egyptian Queen Hatsheput (15th century BC) sent a

royal expedition to the Land of Punt (Somalia) in order to bring back myrrh

seedlings to plant in her temple. In Assyrian records of tribute and spoils of

war, perfumes and resins are mentioned; the text from the time of

Tukulti-Ninurta II (890-884 BC) refers to balls of myrrh as part of the tribute

brought to the Assyrian king by the Aramaean kings. The trade in spices and

perfumes is also mentioned in the Bible as written in Genesis (37:25-26),

"Camels carrying gum tragacanth and balm and myrrh".

Questions 15-21

Reading Passage 2 has 7 paragraphs A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write your answers in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.

15 recipes to conceal facial defects caused by aging

16 perfumes were presented to conquerors in war

17 long hair of girls had special meanings in marriage

18 evidence exists in abundance showing cosmetics use in ancient times

19 protecting eyes from fly-transmitted diseases

20 from witchcraft to beautification

21 more expensive than gold

Questions 22-27

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading

Passage 2?

In boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

22 The written record for cosmetics and perfumes dates back to the third

millennium BC.

23 Since perfumes and spices were luxury products, their use was exclusive to

the noble and the wealthy.

24 In ancient Far East, fish fats were used as cream by women from poor

households.

25 The teachings in the Bible were repeatedly against the use of kohl for

painting the eyes.

26 Long hair as a symbol of beauty was worn solely by women of ancient

cultures.

27 The Egyptian Queen Hatsheput sent a royal expedition to Punt to establish

a trade route for myrrh.

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